According to a well-known adage, a picture is worth a 1000 words. Similarly, a good infographic can convey information that will otherwise need a long article or an essay to explain. In fact, an infographic is 30 times more likely to attract readers than textual content. However, marketers do not always get it right with infographics, as they omit some important steps as outlined below.
Read on to find out five essential elements to be accomplished before attempting to create an infographic.
- Ask questions
Like any other project, before building an infographics, two important questions must be answered—“What is the purpose of the infographics?” and “What do the target audiences want from the infographics?” Answers to these two questions will determine the topic of your infographics and define the problem to focus on. This is a great starting place.
- Perform extensive research
An infographic condenses information and presents it in an easy to understand format. To generate good content, marketers must perform extensive research and collect data from various resources. The collected data can then be scrutinized, filtered, extracted and treated to suit the purpose of the infographics.
- Count on numbers
When information is provided in numerical form, it is easily understood by most audiences. While looking for relevant data, try to identify numbers that support your content and present them in the most visually appealing format.
- Sprinkle some creativity into your infographics
Infographics do not always have to be filled with pie charts and histograms. There are no hard-and-fast rules for building an infographic and marketers must gather some serious visual inspiration before they sit down to build an infographic. Use your imagination and think about how your readers will want to see their data, as this will help you find innovative ways to showcase information within your infographic.
- Breathe life into your infographic with a story
While numbers, colors and unique representations contribute immensely to the visual appeal of an infographic, incorporating a story into it is highly advantageous too. Stories bind people, allowing them to connect with the content personally. An infographic with an appealing story supported by numbers and interesting representations is the best approach.
- Step back as it is time for review
While preparing infographics, extensive information involved may result in omitting some important data. Take a step back and seek feedback on the design and layout. Refine the details included within the infographics and focus on consistency in style and color.
Whether you choose to build your own infographics or outsource the task, the above tips will offer marketers a general idea about how infographics can be used to enhance content marketing initiatives for a business.
