Grab eyeballs with an infographic
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Makin’ data sexy
Grab eyeballs with infographics
Chances are, you’ve seen an infographic, even if you didn’t know what it was called. They’re all the rage for taking a complex idea and transforming it into an eye-pleasing visual.
Why you should jump on board the infographic train
Our online world is more and more visual everyday. The rise of Instagram, the Pinterest explosion and the number of images in your Facebook feed are proof that we want our content delivered in a pretty package.
Below, I’m sharing three ways that you can use infographics to cut through the clutter and seduce your prospects (or the media.)
1. Make a resource for your clients.
Give your clients and prospects a handy, all-in-one reference and you’ll have a fan for life. Best of all, it’ll get shared among your target market without you having to lift a pinky.
Here’s one by LunaMetrics that has been shared all over the interwebs. (Keep on scrolling…it’s long.)
2. Jazz up a presentation.
Give a plain-jane Powerpoint or Keynote presentation a little sizzle with an infographic.
If you’ve got numbers to share, an infographic can deliver the impact with a punch. Here’s one that consulting giant Deloitte used to show how it’s on the cutting edge of user engagement:
A heck of a lot more exciting than dry stats in bullet points, right?
3. Put it in your press release.
The media loves visuals, especially visuals that tell a story. If you can create an infographic that makes an impact or makes it easier to understand the story of your company, your product or your service, you’ve just boosted your chances of being picked up. By a lot.
Got a “tips” article to pitch? Responding to a query on HARO, Reporter Connection or other journalist/source matching service? Make an infographic of your best advice and you’ve got a piece of marketing collateral that you can keep using, over and over again.
Here’s one on best practices for trade shows:
Yep, there’s an easy button.
I can hear it now: “Those are great, but I’m not a graphic designer. I don’t own Adobe InDesign. I can’t make those.”
This is where I shake my head and marvel at the sheer awesomeness of the internet. You could hire a specialized design firm to create a fantastic infographic for you. BUT, you can also go DIY with a number of online services that allow you to create your own infographics – no design experience needed! With customizable templates, drag and drop shapes and text fields, you’ll build a beautiful infographic in no time.
Here are four tools to create your own infographics:
Your fame boosting assignment:
Check out one of these DIY infographic services and whip up a little eye candy about your industry, a trend or a bit of how-to advice. Then, share, share, share your gorgeous info with the world.
This is one of my biggest challenges! I have the information and know how I want to say it but putting into a presentable, inspiring and even sexy way ~ that’s a challenge! But, I do know how important visuals are ~ after all isn’t a picture worth a thousand words?!! Thanks for impressing this on me!
You can do it! Try making just one simple idea visual.
Hi Lori! I agree with Laura above. I might just hire a designer rather than do it myself. I am afraid I am not that clever! This is a great article. Even though I am afraid to do it on my own, I will still check out the resources you’ve listed. Maybe inspiration will hit me some time in the middle of the night. Thanks Lori!
Janet
Wow! That is a powerfully informative blog post. I’m scratching my head!
Ya know, I rarely see an infographic that doesn’t confuse and overwhelm me. I start to look and then… I feel like I’m not getting any information, just a headache. BUT… I have seen a few, very few, that are so clean, clear and easy to follow… and those are highly effective. The trick, perhaps, is not to cram too much information into them.
I know what you mean, Nancy. Instead of making data or concepts easier to understand, too many pack so much info that your eyes glaze over. What I really like are those that illustrate just one concept.
Oh, I completely agree with you Nancy! I think marketers have gotten carried away with infographics, trying to cram too much info into them. I’m with you – the clean, easy to follow designs that explain one idea work best.
Hi Lori,
Infographics are definitely the “sexy” way to communicate information these days. Nice post and all good points. Thanks for sharing them with the BizSugar community.