Do Infographics Still Work?
Infographics are the USA Today of content. They can be fast, fun and easy to read. By the end of the scroll, you’ve got plenty of new factoids. Then it’s time to go to next infographic.
As digital marketing strategies go, the Content Marketing Institute found that 62% of companies they surveyed used infographics. That’s a big jump from previous years. The question then becomes, “Do infographics still work?” If only we had an infographic to tell us the answer.
Instead, you can embrace the following reasons why they work:
Reason #1: They’re a Creative Way to Deliver Your Message
The issue should not be the validity of your company’s message, but whether or not it is reaching the masses. An infographic is an effective and creative way to deliver your message — whatever it might be. At its core, your infographic should be visually striking, which can make even the casual visitor to your site stop and take notice. Mission accomplished.
Reason #2: They’re Concise
There isn’t a lot of fluff in an infographic. The text is more “headline” than “story.” The facts are presented in a way that is easy to digest. If the reader leaves remembering one of those facts, they’ll remember where it came from.
Reason #3: They’re Fun to Share
Sooner or later, people become bored with looking at photos of other people’s lunches on Facebook. A cool infographic, however, can be shared across multiple personal social media platforms and bring some welcomed excitement to the norm. Who stands to benefit from that? The website that posted the graphic.
Exhibit A: CJ Pony Parts. This is a site dedicated to selling auto parts — specifically, auto parts for Mustangs. At first thought, you might think the company would appeal to a limited niche market, but CJ Pony Parts does an excellent job creating and sharing infographics that attract all kinds of visitors.
You don’t have to be a Mustang owner to appreciate the “Weirdest Driving Laws in the U.S.” or the “Repair or Replace” list of common car ailments. Or even the more fun “What Would Each Star Wars Character Drive?” Those successful infographics keep visitors coming back to the site.
Make It Count
Embracing the infographic concept doesn’t translate to slapping some random facts onto a few Google images and calling it a day. Not every infographic is an effective infographic — there are plenty of infographic fails out there, too.
As with your content, your infographics should be enticing without looking cluttered. They should be smart without being complicated. Tall order? Not really, especially when you have so many terrific examples to use as inspiration.
Of course, you don’t have to make your own infographics. There are plenty of talented graphic designers who specialize in the format. Your best approach would be to research your topic, gather the facts to present, then turn that information over to the artists. Let them do the heavy lifting. In the end, you could own an infographic that will go viral!
