Infographics | Should You Start Using Them in Your Business?

Let’s explore the benefits of infographics

Content marketing with infographics has grown rapidly in recent times, with little sign that readers are growing tired of them. The ability to condense a lot of information into a simple graphic makes them easy to follow, but they can still impart well-researched knowledge. For the content creator, an infographic can spread across the web, providing branding and SEO benefits that can last long into the future. Businesses that ignored the trend will be wondering whether they should get started with infographics now.

Generate Traffic

Infographics can provide traffic in different ways. A major part of SEO is the ability to build backlinks, and any content you create should come with a link back to your site. Images are often reposted without links or source information, so you should include a brief text introduction with a link to your site. The traffic you generate should come from better search rankings, direct traffic from a repost, and the branding you include on the image.

Improve Accessibility

There may be times when a subject is complex and detailed, with an in-depth report being the best way to approach it. However, to reach the widest audience possible it is better to make your content accessible. An infographic simplifies data, concepts, or narratives, making them understandable with just a glance. Accessibility is also crucial for a content creator, and an infographic can be produced to a high quality on a modest budget.

Encourage Sharing

One of the goals of content creation is to encourage sharing. Whether it is an article, video, or image, a piece of content that goes viral can radically increase your audience. Infographics are easy to share because they provide intriguing information in a readable format, and there are many social media sites based primarily around images.

Brand Your Business

Infographics allow you to subtly brand your business with the use of both imagery and data. Most businesses will have a color scheme and logo designed to differentiate themselves, with a graphic allowing you to incorporate this look. The data can be used to spread positive messages about your industry, while indirectly associating your business with the positive message.

Share a Point of View

People tend to respond well to stories and narratives that make a wider point. Your infographic allows you to tell a brief story in an accessible manner. Whether you want to promote your brand values or suggest why your product is needed, the information you provide can direct people towards your business.

How to Make an Infographic:

Research

Data will be the driving force of your content, so make sure you have properly researched everything. The text on the graphic should be fairly minimal, making the importance of each point key. If you can provide something unexpected, your infographic can gain even more attention.

Visually Appealing

As infographics have grown in popularity, more resources have been created to make the process easier. There are plenty of cheap options for content creation, but you will typically get the best results when you invest a little more. The graphics need to enhance the content, making the images stand out even before the topic has become obvious.

Informative

It is easy to just present some facts and figures in an appealing manner, but try to go a step beyond this. Ideally, your infographic should tell a story, reveal a wider context, or present a lesson. A simple list of statistics would not require an elaborate design, but a considered viewpoint warrants the extra effort required for an infographic.

Resources

Depending on your graphic design abilities, you can create your own infographic or outsource it. Some free or low-cost options include Piktochart, Infogram, and Visually, with stock sites like Graphic River, Vector Stock, and Fotolia also offering editable templates. For the professional infographic maker option, you can look for a local graphic designer, or search for outsourcers on Freelance and Elance.

Conclusion

There is a constant stream of new information produced online, but much of it is quickly forgotten. As a content creator, your goal is to grab attention for long enough to pass across a message to your audience. Cool infographics, with their appealing and immediate nature, can reach a part of the brain not reached by text alone, particularly for the people who think in a visual way. Infographics might only be one part of your content strategy, but they can become a key way to gain traffic, promote your brand, and build relationships.