When looking at Infographics, there are two important aspects about the internet, and personal online popularity to keep in mind:
First, since the dawn of the internet, good designs have been in demand, anything that is fresh, and attracts, is gold. Something I read on another blog portrays my sentiments exactly:
‘The Internet is a great designer’s playground, and online businesses are growing more and more appreciative of what can be gained from a bit of well-executed eye candy.’
And secondly, good content, good data is key. Useful, unique, catchy data is a sure shot way to increase traffic and improve link-building.
Put em both together, and what do you get? An Infographic!
Basically, Infographics are visual representations of information. Now more commonly referred to as “data viz” (data visualization), it allows data to be seen, rather than read, which allows the information to sink in faster and better… similar to how flash cards are more effective than a book. Also data vis is meant to be universally understood by all users, so it has a generic, global theme. Simply put, an Infographic is like a fancy pie chart or bar graph, quick, simple and colorful!
When you think about it, an Infographic should be instantly popular, I mean, it’s the best of both worlds right? Great data with a catchy design… but that’s not always the case. There are many unsung Infographics lying unnoticed in the deep recesses of the internet. So what did those poor things do wrong?
A picture is worth a thousand words… or not:
Finding good images that if, aren’t a copyright violation to use and have good resolution is a challenge. If you get lazy and use and old image that may or may not be ideal for your theme, it WILL reflect on the effectiveness of your Infographic. A much better approach is to brush up your graphic design skills and create your own original images, or even invest in a stock photography membership to have access to more options. It’ll come back to you tenfold.
Call em like you see em:
An Infographic is meant to be a pictorial representations with little text for support. Not the other way round! A wordy piece with lots of pictures is a story, not an SEO tool. The text is meant to be used only to highlight certain points, or by way of explanation. The right balance between picture and word is about 30 to 70. It’s the era to say it with pictures.
Design around it:
Your design should always be Responsive. Responsive design is when a website or Infographic is designed to display well on any platform that includes everything from the Pentium to the iPad. While it can be a slow and painful task, it is absolutely essential. Neglecting this will lead to high bounce back rates.
Announce thy presence:
Once you’re done making the greatest Infographic there ever was, let it be known you’re done. Make your work as shareable as possible, post it where appropriate, and use social media likes to get the word out.
