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I know you are interested in learning how to make infographics. Before getting there, we need to start with the beginning.
Since the dawn of time humans have used visuals to communicate with one another.
Cave paintings have been discovered across Asia and Europe dating back as far as 40,000 years ago.
Fast forward and we meet the Ancient Egyptians who have stunned us with their comprehensive hieroglyphics used to depict life and social rank.
Of course, since then, our ability to communicate through art has improved dramatically.
Thanks to the huge leaps in technology in recent years we’re now able to share visuals in a completely new way; harnessing the power of graphic design and the internet. This new way of visual communication is epitomized in the infographic.
What is an Infographic?
Image source: Jing Zhang[1]
An infographic is a visual representation of information and data, designed in a way to be easily consumed by its audience.
This is particular important today as audiences are busier than ever, with two thirds of us reporting to be working more hours than in 2015 ensuring your content is quick and easy to understand could be what stands between your information being read or disregarded.
“Infographics and charts are growing in popularity as they enable the summary of complex data into a compact and engaging design that holds the attention of your audience”
What Attributes Should an Infographic Design Have?
Image source: Jing Zhang[2]
- Must show data.
- Serve a clear purpose.
- Make large data sets understandable.
What makes Infographics so Successful?
Visual storytelling has evolved greatly since the days of cave paintings, but the premise is still the same; depicting information in a condensed way.
We react to infographics so well because as humans we’re built to understand visuals faster than written text. In fact, Piktochart explains that it takes 50 seconds to read 200-250 words, but only 1/10 of a second to process a visual image.
This information is critical when looking to curate data; you can transmit the maximum amount of knowledge to your audience in the minimal amount of time.
Infographics Help Audiences Understand
Image source: Bureau Oberhaeuser[4]
Sharing data visually is a great way to deepen the understanding of your audience, when information is shared in a paragraph its meaning can be lost (the irony of this post is not lost on me!).
Thanks to our hectic schedules we’re more likely to “scan” content than ever before. Thanks to our ability to process visual information 60,000 times faster than text infographics allow us to remember the information in a deeper way when compared to written content.
Shareable Content
Image source: Kreativa Studio[5]
When the internet first crept into our lives in 1984 we had no idea what a powerful tool it could be. Today there are over 2 billion users with two thirds of us spending over two hours per day engaging with content on the internet.
Each minute of each day we’re continuing to add to the world wide web:
- Twitter users tweet 277,000 times
- Google receives over 4,000,000 searches
- Facebook users share 2,460,000 pieces of information
With all of these opportunities to have your information shared and gain exposure online it’s important your infographic stands out as successful and shareable.
Infographics can be used as a great marketing tool[6], when you create an infographic properly. They are highly sharable and with each share your brand will gain exposure.
According to Hubspot[7] infographics are liked and shared on social media 3 times more than other any other type of content. So, what steps can you take to create infographics that are share-able?
- Choose a snappy title, it’s important to grab your audience’s attention and choose a title that will make the user click through.
- Consider colour psychology when creating an infographic, is it in line with the information you’re projecting? Blue connotes stability, red connotes action; what is your infographic communicating?
- Use up to date facts and figures, old data will make your infographic seem untrustworthy.
- Add your brand name to the bottom of your infographic, each time it’s shared your logo and brand name will be spread across the web, for free!
- Ensure you add your social media handles and contact information to your infographic. Don’t just use it as a means to communicate information[8], an infographic can be a great lead generation tool too.
The importance of Infographics
Image source: Henning Gjerde[9]
- Infographics are unique in design and no two look the same. This is appealing to audiences who prefer to engage with unique, visual information rather than plain text.
- They grab attention with ease; your audience will glance at your infographic subconsciously thanks to our love of visuals.
- Data can be boring; using visuals as a way to communicate your information will bring a new dimension to content that could typically be a chore to digest.
- Thanks to the internet your infographic can be accessed by all, what’s more infographics can be printed and used in the non-digital world (yes, it still exists!).
- Infographics display information in a clear, concise manner. This layout makes your information more persuasive and less likely to be misinterpreted.
- Google prioritizes infographics, when searching for a topic your audience are more likely to read your content if it comes in the form of an infographic
- Infographics can increase traffic to your site, embed a code when publishing your infographic and an automatic link will be generated to your site when the content is shared. Higher traffic will hopefully lead to increased sales.
As we all know, content is king and it seems infographics are well on the way to wearing the crown.
In a nutshell, we like pretty things and we want to show others the pretty things we come across. Compelling infographics are eye-catching and appealing.
Image source: Bureau Oberhaeuser[10]
This type of collection of information is a sure-fire way to make complex data understandable, and what’s more, sharable.
Failing to use infographics can lead to your content being missed in favor of information which is more aesthetically pleasing. The landscape for content marketing in 2016 is rich with visually stunning solutions. So go and create infographics online to improve your presence among your audience.
Add infographics to your content marketing strategy and improve the chances of your carefully curated wisdom being shared and enjoyed.