Infographics: What, Why, When & Where?

Let’s face it, there’s a lot of stuff we want and/or need to know. However, these things aren’t all that fun to learn about. Most of us don’t look forward to spending our time reading dry and monotonous content. This is because this content has information that we may or may not actually retain once we’ve reached the end. This is where infographics can become your new best friend. Infographics are a great way of creating stimulating content. They provide your audience with valuable information in a format that’s fully digestible and easy to understand. There are many ways to format an infographic and each serves a very specific purpose. Learning why, when and how to utilize the different types of infographics can be a game-changer when it comes to effectively communicating your message.

What are Infographics?

In short, an infographic is a visual depiction of data to present information in a clear and concise manner to a particular group. Marketers use them frequently to help make content more appealing and engaging to an audience. Additionally, they are frequently used by management teams to help boost communication and understanding within a business.

Why Should You Use Them?

Although humans take in their surroundings and shape their experiences using all of their senses, we are ultimately a visual species. Our brains are hardwired to process images up to 60,000 times faster than we are able to process text and up to 65% of us are considered visual learners. Statistics like this help to make sense of the fact that we are 30% more likely to read through an infographic than we are to dive into an entire article on the same subject. Infographics are able to turn complicated and complex subject matter into simple, easy-to-read segments that highlight all of the pertinent takeaways the reader is intended to get. Infographics increase engagement, encourage sharing and increase web traffic, all while delivering important and useful data to a broad audience. Most infographic templates are mobile compatible and will work with various social media platforms, as well.

Another significant benefit of infographics is the ability to easily convert them to posters, brochures, pamphlets and other marketing materials. In other words, once they have been created, there’s really no end to how you are able to use them in your marketing efforts. So, these are a valuable asset that take minimal time and effort to create.

The Different Types of Infographics

As previously mentioned, there are countless different types of infographic styles. All are beneficial in different scenarios depending on the type of information you are trying to convey. Here are a few of the most common types you will find:

Visual Articles

This type of infographic is often inserted into a text article to reduce the amount of actual text, highlight key pieces of information within the article. They make the article appear more interesting and increase the potential for sharing.

Visual Resumes

Typically used by job-seekers looking to stand out, a visual resume uses infographics to highlight pertinent skills, work experience and traits. These are most commonly found in tech-related industries.

List-Based

Share an assortment of tips, a list of resources or a group of supporting facts with this type of infographic. Make it stand out by replacing bullet points with icons and use colorful, creative fonts to help it pop.

Process

If you are breaking a complex subject into simple steps, this is the type of infographic you will likely want to use. Explain each step clearly and make them easy to implement.

Geographic

A geographic, or map-based infographic shares data based on how it pertains to a particular location or group of locations. These will always have a visual representation of a map as the focal point of the infographic.

Timeline

If you want to show the history or progression of something from start to finish, you will likely employ a timeline infographic. It will help you to highlight important dates and events that have already happened. Or, you can create a visual representation of your timeline for a project or event. It can also help to show how one event or occurrence led to another.

Comparison

Also called a versus infographic, this type allows you to give a side-by-side analogy of how two things are alike or different. Based on your findings, it may also determine which is better or more useful depending on your reasons for creating it in the first place.

 

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Interactive

Interactive infographics often feature clickable links, features and buttons that help their readers dive deeper into a topic of their own choice. These are great for keeping your audience engaged and learning more about their preferences.

Statistics

These are a great way to display data in a clear and concise manner, such as condensing survey results or information from multiple sources. These will often include charts or percentages.

Informational

Informational infographics allow the creator to offer their audience a broader overview of a new or specialty concept. Or, you highlight key points about a particular subject to help the reader have a better understanding of it.

Flowcharts

These are a great option if you are trying to visually showcase how different scenarios can lead to the same conclusion. Many often confuse the two, but there is a slight difference.

Hierarchal

Hierarchal infographics may be reminiscent of things you learned long ago, such as the food pyramid or Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. They are basically a way of organizing information from the most to the least. This can be importance, relevance, quantity, or otherwise.

Where to Use Infographics

One of the best things about using infographics is that they are so versatile.

Social Media

Infographics are usually on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and other social media sites. Posting visual content such as this will help to increase views and encourage clicks back to your site.

Email Marketing

Including an infographic in your newsletter or email marketing campaign can also help you to reach your audience in a new way. Don’t forget to include a call-to-action that will encourage your readers to engage further.

Websites

The landing page of your business website is another great spot to post an infographic. This is the first page of your site that visitors will typically see. So, make sure that you offer them a rich experience and access to pertinent information right from the start.

Blogs

Your blog is another place that you will want to include infographics. Each individual blog offers you another unique opportunity to create an infographic. They will relay the basic message of your post without forcing your audience to read the entire thing. As previously mentioned, your audience is probably more visual than not. So, creating options that will stimulate and inform them visually will naturally boost your readership and drive traffic back to your site.

White Papers

Including infographics in white papers or case studies can help to make them a lot more interesting. This is done by breaking up long sections of text with visual components. Additionally, they will keep your reader engaged and help to ensure that they walk away with a deeper understanding of the subject you’ve written about.

Press Releases

You can use a press release as a way to highlight all of the important findings you discover from doing the research for your infographic. Send the press release and the infographic together to news outlets for them to share with their viewers/readers.

Whichever type of infographic you create and wherever you choose to use it, know that it is a valuable marketing tool that will certainly help your business reach a broader range of people. If you’re looking for a starting point, consider perusing the web for downloadable templates! There are countless websites that offer them free (like Canva and Venngage) and also plenty of places to have custom infographics created for you.