The Value of Infographics
You’ve probably already seen countless images across the web that define themselves as infographics, even if you haven’t noticed them. They could be anything from an annual report with a colorful border and icons to an illustrated scene overlaid with bullet points. However, a select few of them reveal a story told through a smart layout, consistent typography and color choices, and informative illustrations and data visualizations. These are the true infographics of the world. Find out more about what makes an infographic and how you can implement them in your own communication strategies.
Infographics, Defined
Infographics are typically static images. Once you start to introduce animation, clickable elements, hover-overs, and more, you’re looking at a multimedia work that may fall better under the category of motion graphic or interactive content.
Infographics can supplement (or in certain cases, even take the place of) blog posts, articles, reports, and many other modes of information that typically live in the text-only realm. While many infographics are built around statistical data, a graphic mainly just needs to have a rich story to tell — and tell it successfully through visual cues — in order to qualify as an infographic. A good litmus test is to substitute all of the text from your design with Lorem Ipsum. If you can still tell what the topic is, your infographic is probably doing its job.
How Brands Use Infographics
Infographics can serve many purposes for all types of companies. They can be used internally in presentations, company newsletters, or even as posters put up around the office. They can be distributed to customers to help reinforce the value of your product. They can also be used to generate intrigue and buzz by addressing topics relevant to your company, but without heavy branding or a hard sales pitch. This approach offers the best chance of generating outside interest and shares, because viewers don’t feel like they’re being sold on something. Instead, they’re being presented with knowledge and given the freedom to decide what to do with it when they’re done viewing the image.
How to Share Your Infographic
Even a great infographic isn’t successful unless people actually see it! We recommend strategizing about distribution well before you begin design. Here are a few points to consider:
- For a landing page, consider whether the infographic’s subject is “evergreen” — will it still be relevant to your audience in a few months? If not, your blog might be a better choice.
- Blog posts can provide space for copy that provides context for your infographic. Remember that as you add more posts, your inforaphic post will lose visibility, so be sure to also share the post on social for a longer shelf life.
- When it comes to social media sharing, long-form infographics may get cut off or warped due to space restrictions. Be sure to either create mini-infographics from the start or generate thumbnails that provide a sneak peak of your design, with a link to the full version.
- You might also consider emailing the infographic out to your mailing list, or printing it to be shared at an upcoming conference or networking event. Whatever you do, it’s important to choose the right methods for your goals — and a multichannel approach is important to get the widest reach.
Looking to start creating infographics or other visual communication pieces? Leave us a comment or reach out directly here for more information!
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