Infographics are everywhere, or so it seems. They are on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and even in emails from your mom. But infographics have been around for several years. So why are they so popular today?
For many years now Google has been changing its algorithm to “provide better rankings for high-quality websites — sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on.” Google was trying to abolish the use of content farms to manipulate search results. After the announcement, the idea to create “high-quality” content through infographics emerged.
Infographics are powerful tools for link generation and increasing website traffic. Some people think that because of their abundance, infographics are dead and shouldn’t be used anymore, but that’s because they don’t know how to properly use and create them.
Viral Bait and More
Here are some do’s and dont’s for using infographics to market yourself on the web. Remember, when done correctly, infographics will spread and have a much larger reach than you could get using other methods.
What you should do:
Have a great title
Write something clear and catchy. The title is the first thing viewers read, so make sure it explains what the infographics is about while being fun and exciting.
Use good data
Don’t use information from Wikipedia. Your research should be unique. Make it information that you discovered. Make it valuable.
Simplify
Keep your information simple. Think in terms of design, if research doesn’t add value, it shouldn’t be used. The best graphics need no introduction or explanation.
Make it fun
People share fun things. If your infographics is interesting, provides new content, and is entertaining, viewers will want to share it with other Internet users.
What you shouldn’t do:
Don’t plaster them all over the web
When left alone, Infographics can lead to Internet clutter. Once you’ve uploaded one, instead of leaving it alone, promote it via social media marketing so it becomes “viral-bait.”
Do not just take some text and throw it into a jpg or png.
If you take an article and just make it a jpg to call it your infographic, you have really missed the point. Using large chunks of text should be avoided.
Do not use clip art
Take some time to design your infographic. It should be more than just a few images and icons.
Do not use your high school nephew as the designer
Although I am sure that he is a very good designer and has tons of potential, creating infographics takes experience.
An infographic is not a promotional piece
Some people view an infographic as the online version of a flyer or print ad. Promotion is allowed, but it should be limited to 20 percent of the content.
Do not use pointless data or your opinion
Just because you have some information or something to say doesn’t mean it belongs on the infographic. Only the important and the most pertinent data should be used.
On the left is an example we created for our client TrustATrader. For this image, we performed a lot of market research to grab the figures you see in the image and spent a considerable amount of time ensuring the image was of the highest of quality. Although the message and design is several years old now, the infographic is of such a great quality, it is still relevant today.
Keep Up To Date With All Things Digital Marketing
We post regularly on our blog and showcase the very best and latest digital marketing news and techniques. Build on your ideas by staying in touch and by receiving our exclusive digital marketing news bulletins. Sign up and subscribe to get our free monthly email by using the form!
