Infographics are a great way to communicate a significant amount of information in a highly-digestible format. They are also easy to create. However, it’s not as simple as slapping some pictures, stylized arrows, and catchy text on a page and calling it good. To produce effective infographics, you have to be aware of certain key considerations.
Use these eight tips to ensure that your information and your graphics work together to communicate your message most effectively.
- Write Attention-Getting Headlines — While infographics, by their very nature, are more engaging than a page of text, you still need to have an interesting headline to pull people in. “The health benefits of vegetables and how to get them,” ain’t gonna cut it. Something like “Be Your Very Veggie Best! Great Ways to Get What’s Good for You.” is much more likely to compel readers to take the first step and give your piece a closer look.
- Stick To One Topic — Because infographics communicate information so well, it’s tempting to try to say too much with them. Focus on one topic and you’ll find the end result is much more informative and effective.
- Use Time-Tested Design Principles — The techniques you use—from choosing well-coordinated font families to color schemes to whitespace—when creating quality materials in other formats, are equally important with infographics. Just because it’s a more casual communication medium doesn’t mean you can skimp on design.
- Focus On Your Personas — As you craft an infographic, keep your audience in mind. If you are not answering a question they have, or providing actionable information they can use, your time and effort will be wasted.
- Size Matters — We’ve all seen the infographic that takes forever to scroll through. By the time you reach the bottom you forget what was at the top. Use reasonable dimensions as you frame up your piece.
- Guide The Viewer — They say that great works of art all have one thing in common—they lead the viewer’s eye on a planned journey around the canvas. While your infographic will likely never hang in the Louvre, you can nevertheless design your masterpiece with the same intent of ensuring that your audience consumes all the content you are presenting, in the order in which you want them to consume it.
- Use Solid, Cited Data — Because infographics are a more informal way to share information, people tend to feel that they can play fast and loose with the facts. Absolutely NOT! Anything you cite as a fact must be well-vetted, and your sources should be noted at the bottom of the document.
- Promote It — If your infographic is to have its intended impact, you must promote it. And this means more than one quick reference in an email or blog post. Be sure to share it in multiple ways through multiple channels.
Like video, which we blogged about recently, infographics are a fun, refreshing, and frequently shared way to communicate important information. If you’ve got something to say and could use some help in how to say it, talk to us! We’ll collaborate on a piece that will quickly become an important part of your marketing arsenal.
