Infographics are an excellent strategy within digital marketing to get your readers’ attention and keep them engaged with your content. Did you know that more than half of humans are visual learners? By using infographics in your content, you can show your audience the information you want to convey in an interesting and effective manner.
In this article, we will talk about what an infographic is and why it’s important to use infographics in your content. We’ll even help you get started with your own infographics! And if you want help with infographics for your website, contact us at SEO Design Chicago today.
Table of Contents
The Definition of an Infographic
Let’s start out by defining what an infographic is. An infographic is a graphic that contains information. The purpose of infographics is to present data and facts in a visual way.
An infographic can break down complicated information and present it in an easy-to-understand way. They are very helpful for making complex data easy for your audience to see quickly and clearly. If you’re looking for an easy way to communicate important information to your audience, you might need an infographic.
Types of Infographics
There are several different kinds of infographics you can choose from. Here are the seven main types of infographics:
- Comparison
- List
- Process
- Timeline
- Informational
- Statistical
- Hierarchical
But how do you choose which infographic to use? It really depends on your content. For example, if you wish to compare a few different things (like dogs vs. cats) you would probably use a comparison infographic.
How is Infographic Design Different Than Data Visualization?
Sometimes, the term “data visualization” is used interchangeably with the term infographic design. However, that is incorrect. The two terms actually mean different things.
Infographics are a visual representation of numbers, facts, or even events. They are often used within a blog post or marketing content. Most importantly, infographics are subjective. They are used to direct the reader to a certain conclusion or persuade them of something.
Data visualization, on the other hand, is simply a visual representation of data. It is data that has been placed into a schematic to show what it means. Data visualization is objective and presents the information without an agenda. Mostly, a data visualization is used for reports and editorials.
Here’s another way to explain the difference: a data visualization might be included in an infographic, but an infographic cannot be included in a data visualization.
Here’s an example. Perhaps you run a company, and you want to show your shareholders the company’s growth in the last year. You can create a data visualization, perhaps a chart, that shows all of your company’s sales data. You provide the shareholders with all of the information about the past year, and let them draw their own conclusion.
Now, maybe you want to use the same information in a post on your website to show your clients that you are a successful company. In this instance, you would use an infographic. However, instead of including all of your company’s sales data like you did in the data visualization, instead you highlight certain data that shows your company’s growth. Maybe there was one particularly successful month, and you highlight that month in your infographic. In this instance, you are using the data in your infographic to convince your clients that you are successful.
The ultimate difference between infographic design and data visualization is that infographic design is used to convince someone of something; and a data visualization simply presents data without an agenda.
What are the Benefits of Using Infographics?
So, what are the benefits of using infographics? And why should you be using them? It’s because they work. Infographics can increase your web traffic by at least 12%. Humans are visual, and infographics captivate your audience and keep their attention.
Infographics are persuasive. If you want to convince your reader of something (like why your product is so great, for example) an infographic can help you persuade them. Visuals help us process information better and faster than written content. They are easier for your reader to understand, because they break down the most important facts you want your reader to know.
A good infographic tells a story. It might contain numbers and statistics, but it leads to a conclusion that you are drawing your reader to.
Additionally, people are drawn to a visual over text. If you give people a choice of a page of text to read or an infographic that provides the same data, they will usually pick the visual. It’s an easier and more engaging way to process information.
Another benefit of infographics is that they are perfect for sharing online. You have probably seen an infographic go viral on Facebook. If your readers like the infographic, they can share it on their social media. This helps others see it, which will garner more engagement for your infographic, and more people who will be convinced of your idea.
How Can Infographics Help My Business?
Infographics can help your business by helping you pass on relevant data and information to your potential customers and clients online. The following are five ways that infographics can help your business:
Infographics Simplify Your Message
It can be hard to convey your point with a page full of text. Images are more enticing for your readers. Especially if the information you are trying to get across is very technical or confusing, it can be hard for your audience to focus. Instead, they will most likely quickly scan the article for the point. An infographic can convey your point to your audience quickly and clearly. Since an infographic is easier to digest, you make it easier for your audience to understand.
Infographics are Engaging
An infographic grabs your audience’s attention. When they are looking at a big block of text, they suddenly see an infographic and are relieved. It will help them become or stay interested in what you’re trying to say. If your audience is simply scrolling through an article, they might stop scrolling when they see your infographic.
Infographics Show That You’re an Expert
An infographic is an excellent way to show that you are an expert in your industry. Making an infographic takes time and knowledge. When you present expert information to your audience via a well-designed infographic, it shows that you are knowledgeable and trustworthy. Your audience might feel more inclined to trust your product or service when they see an infographic on your website.
Infographics Get Results
Infographics can help you get results for your business on a variety of levels. First of all, since they are easy to share, it’s a good way to find new leads through social media. Second, infographics also help increase your brand awareness. When a person sees your infographic, they get a feel for what your brand is about. Typically, an infographic embodies your brand’s style. Third, infographics help you reach your key audience. If you are providing valuable information about your field, those in your field will most likely be interested in your infographic, and subsequently, your business. Lastly, infographics help you convey your message, which leads to more engagement with your brand.
How Do I Get Started With Infographics?
Now that you know what infographics are and why they are effective, you are probably wondering how you can get started. Here are some steps to help you get started with infographic design.
Choose a Designer
The first step to making an infographic is to choose who or what software will design it. If you want an effective infographic, you will need the right tools. If you don’t have prior experience designing infographics, there are programs that can help you. Here are three options:
- Canva: Canva has a free infographic maker on its website that uses templates. It allows you to put your brand’s style and information into the infographic so it doesn’t look like anyone else’s.
- Piktochart: Piktochart is an infographic builder that features more than 100 free themes and more than 1,000 images. You should be able to build an infographic for your business on your own.
- Infogram: Infogram is another infographic design builder that has several free themes.
You can use any of these three websites to build infographics for your business. Or, if you prefer, you can always hire a company like SEO Design Chicago to build your infographics for you!
Get Inspired
To help you get inspired, you might want to look at some great examples of infographics. This can help you decide what you want your own infographic to look like.
Decide On Your Infographic’s Content
Next, you will want to decide the content and topic of your infographic. It is important to choose a specific subject for your infographic and not to be too general.
For example, if you are a chef, perhaps you’d like to make an infographic about dinners you can cook. That is a bit general of a topic. Instead, you could focus on dinners you can cater for a farm wedding instead. This is helpful for people who are planning weddings and might be interested in using your services. Then, you could even expand this idea and make different infographics about different kinds of meals you could provide for different kinds of weddings.
If you’re still not sure where to start, take a look at some infographic examples online to help you. It is also helpful to keep in mind that evergreen content is more useful for infographics. If you were interested in making an infographic about the upcoming election, for example, it might be useful right now, but it will no longer be relevant to anyone past November. If you create evergreen infographics, you can re-use them and find them to be useful for a longer period of time.
Decide What You Want Your Audience to Learn
The final step of creating an infographic is to decide on what you want your audience to take away from the infographic. You can think about it similarly to a thesis statement. What do you want your audience to learn? Even if you have the best-looking infographic online, it won’t help your business if it doesn’t teach your audience something or convince them of a particular idea. Keep in mind what it is you want to persuade your audience of throughout the process of creating your infographic.
Get Started with Infographics Today with SEO Design Chicago
Infographics are an excellent part of any digital marketing strategy. If you have complicated ideas you need to present to your audience, infographics can help. SEO Design Chicago has years of experience building infographics for clients. As a full-service digital marketing company, we have the skills to help you create effective infographics to drive results for your company. Contact us today!
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