How & Why You Need To Be Using Infographics:

In this post I’ll be discussing infographics, and why you need to be using them to grow your business. And to lead by example, I’ll be doing so with – you guessed it – infographics!

First, let’s dive into WHY you should be using infographics, if you aren’t already!

1. As a species powered by social media, it’s imperative that the content that you put out there is shareable. Studies show that your potential customers are far more like to share visual data than they are text.
2. 60% of people out there are visual learners; think about the textbooks that you read in school – do you remember what was written on the pages, or the diagrams and pictures that popped off them?
3. 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual. This means that eye catching graphics are far more likely to stand out and “stick” than just plain old text.
4. Our brains process images 60,000x faster than text. In a world full of distraction, many of us, (scientifically speaking), have the attention span of goldfish so it's fundamental that the information you put out there is to the point and can be absorbed quickly.

If you read the bullet points above, congratulations! You make up a very small portion of the population with impeccable patience and a quenchless thirst for knowledge. If you didn’t read it, don’t worry – I wouldn’t have either!

So – HOW do you create infographics?

Step 1: Determine your GOALS – the majority of individuals who will look at your infographic will only be doing so for a very short period of time, so determine exactly what it is you’d like them to take away from it.

Step 2: Collect DATA that supports your goals – the data will be the meat and potatoes of your infographic, so be sure to do your research and select snippets of information that resonate with your goals.

Step 3: VISUALIZE the data – Now is the time to make sure the data you are presenting can be made visual. Statistics are a great example of this; they are uncomplicated (generally) and can be illustrated with all kinds of pictures, graphs and unique lettering.

Step 4: Determine the best LAYOUT – Take a look at examples of similar infographics online to help determine the best way to lay out your visuals. A title will be key, so don’t forget that!

Step 5: BRAND your infographic – In creating an infographic, you are building the perfect shareable content that will add value to your potential customers. Make sure your infographics are branded with your logo and company colors!

Step 6: SHARE it with the world – Finally, be sure to share your infographic! Social media is the perfect place for this, but don’t just stop at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. LinkedIn and Pinterest are also great places to post your content!

Are you currently using infographics to promote your business and be a thought leader in your industry? Share them with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn – we’d love to see!