Publishing infographics helps drive traffic to your website because you see snippets of information and a visual presentation of data. But, today, it seems that it’s no longer the case. As content marketing becomes more image-centric, everyone is creating infographics and getting yours noticed maybe more difficult than before.
M2Social has been creating infographics since we’ve launched our blog 3 years ago. We thank our friend over at Design Wizards for recognizing our killer infographics. Throughout the years, we have figured out what works and what not when it comes to this data-driven layouts. And we’re not keeping the secrets to ourselves. In this article, we share tips on how to create a better infographics for your website.
Why You Need an Infographic
About 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual and humans have the ability to process visuals about 60,000 times faster than they do text. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a person only reads an average of 28% of text on a web page.
What Makes an Infographic?
At first glance, an infographic seems like a collection of trivia and statistics in the form of graphs, charts and pies. But, when given a closer look, you will find that an infographic is practically an essay that tells a story, only the information is presented in a visually appealing way.
Introduction - Similar to an essay, an infographic starts with introducing the topic. It opens with a well-designed headline often followed by a brief summary of the rest of the topic. Take a look at our previous infographic titled: 9 Types of Social Media Influencers.
Complication – The complication or the problem that the topic aims to solve is introduced. In this case, the complication in this case it’s all about choosing the right social media influencer.
Another challenge the infographic solve answers the need to understand why working with social media influencer makes for a better campaign.
Argument – The argument is where you publish the facts, figures and data you researched. This part requires that you organize and present the data in an easy-to-understand way argue and prove your point.
In this example, the argument explains the factors you need to consider in choosing the right social media influencer and as well as the reasons why more businesses are turning to these people for promoting their brand.
Conclusion – Finally, what has been learned in the infographic is summed up in the conclusion. This infographic is closed off with a list of the different types of influencers you can work with. It is the end result of the complication and arguments presented.
5 Tips to Create Better Infographics
1. Start with a Killer Headline. The best infographics are those that start with a catchy headline – one that makes readers curious and provides a clear idea of what it’s all about. It should then be followed with a good balance of visual and written information that tells a bigger story.
2. Focus on Your Flow. When designing an infographic, your goal is to ensure that the information flows like a good story. One useful technique you can apply is the use of leading lines that guide the reader’s eyes through the story, from beginning to end.
3. Define and Aim for Your Target Audience. Your infographics should cater to the needs and interests of your audience. Before you even start debating on the design, you should do your research first so you can organize all your facts and data first.
4. Keep it Simple. On the other hand, while you may have a lot of information to share, infographics are meant to be simple and straightforward. Here are some tips you’ll want to keep in mind.
- Leave plenty of white space – you may want to fill every inch of your infographic with grand illustrations, but a busy infographic can be off-putting.
- Trim down the text – keep your data points at a manageable length. If possible, use as many visual elements to keep your data succinct. Highlight the most important point only.
- Set a theme – there’s a lot of themes and palettes that can capture the audience attention and using the right one that will align with your messaging can keep your infographic cohesive.
- Make it Viewable – an infographic that is too long can compromise the readability. If possible, keep your infographic to the recommended limit length of 8,000 pixels and make sure that the smallest font use can still be read without difficulty.
5. Establish Your Credibility.
Finally, as you are making a case with your facts and data, you need to ensure that all the information is true and your sources are reliable. Most infographics cite their sources by listing their URLs at the very end.
BONUS TIP: Once you’re finished with your masterpiece, it’s time to spread the word. But, remember to make it easy for your readers to share your infographic. Ensure that a share button and as well as a URL to your website is included.