Infographic. Do you want to know why you should incorporate it into your marketing strategy? This article is for you. We will tell you everything, step by step and with examples, so that you can internalize it in the best possible way. Welcome!
Since they saw the light, more than a decade ago, infographics have become one of the most recommended and popular resources in the dissemination of content on the Internet.
Surely you can think of many examples of infographics . It is a widely used resource both to present information, give visibility to a brand or also to raise humanitarian aid campaigns.
If you want to create infographics to give your company visibility, be sure to read this article where we will try to reveal all the concerns about this invaluable tool.
What are infographics?
But let’s start at the beginning. Answering the question What is an infographic ?
Summarizing it a lot, just to start a little on the subject, we could say that it is called this way a visual representation of information and is characterized by combining words and images in an entertaining and attractive way.
It is usually used in many fields when it comes to expressing ideas or procedures in an orderly and clear way, making it possible to understand what you want to share. Colors and diagrams are used to orient the reader.
The main thing in an infographic is minimalism. It’s about saying everything you can with just a few elements , combining them efficiently, so that the message is as clear as possible.
In summary, the idea of infographic design is to strategically take advantage of certain visual elements that we know can attract the attention of readers to impact them in a decisive way.
Types of infographics
Depending on the type of content that we want to incorporate into an infographic, we will have to opt for a specific type of tables and design.
There are many types of infographics , as you can see below.
- One type of infographic widely used in this age is the timeline .
The marketing agencies often use them to show the various projects we have been working on issues that have specialized or what interests them that the receiver understands the content. - A similar infographic is the process infographic , which allows you to sort the information in a hierarchical way, to establish priority in carrying out actions.
It can be very useful in product manuals (to explain the steps of its use) or in recipes or tutorials, to give the step-by-step of its procedure. In this way, the user can follow the instructions without getting lost and without having to memorize the steps to follow. - The informative infographics are the most appropriate to reinforce our arguments. It is a type of infographic widely used for this, it is the summary, which is very useful, for example, when we have a long article on a certain topic, where several important and complex ideas have been raised, and we want to synthesize it.
Through this infographic we will be able to group the relevant information so that the reader can clearly and easily order what they have just read. It is a way of offering you synthesized content, which can be an important support for reading comprehension. - The statistics infographics present another type of use that can be given to this resource. They consist of documents with graphics in which the results of surveys, censuses and field work are offered. It is the best way to present statistical data.
They are often widely used by governments to show the results of their research , but they are also practical for companies to probe the degree of satisfaction of their customers with their products and to share the results with the public. They are also often used to show the evolution and effectiveness of decisions in a specific project. - Infographics are also used in education. The educational infographics serve to raise the content of a subject in a clear and attractive way, taking into account the group to which they are addressed.
Thanks to these infographics, teachers can create content that impacts students, helping them remember the content of the program that is being worked on in class. It is an excellent tool to draw your attention to specific theoretical topics based on your interests; numerous surveys reveal that this type of content is much better focused on students than traditional ones. - Comparative infographics are used to establish comparisons between two or more elements, presenting their points for and against.
They are usually widely used to compare qualities between models of the same product, making the characteristic points of each one of them visible.
There are many other examples of infographics; since it is a very versatile type of resource, which can be adapted to the needs of those who create it, but all start from these roots.
Infographic design vs data visualization: How are they different?
Once we have analyzed the characteristics of infographics and their usefulness, another concept “data visualization” appears before us . Do you know what it means and how it differs from the term “infographic”? We are going to tell you.
Although there are very different opinions around these two concepts, whose range of meaning is very thin, there are small differences that allow us to distinguish between them.
We are going to give you some advice that will help you easily recognize them from now on. The infographic presents accurate and direct data, the data visualization focuses on exploring it and gives us more information on the subject to investigate further.
We could say then that while infographics try to show concise data and a single reading, data visualization is a type of content used in graphic design to show broader data, and allow access to new information related to a certain topic.
If we were talking about a narrative, we could say that while an infographic has a single plot, the data visualization is full of subplots that allow numerous readings and possibilities for the same story. It is not so difficult to understand if we look at it like that; Don’t you think
Data visualization
Data visualization is often used when your content is too complex and full of ideas that don’t necessarily work cooperatively. It allows to summarize the content, establishing the differences between data type and other elements in a readable graphic.
Data visualization aims to explore a topic , offering many paths and a large amount of data. The information is usually ordered according to its relevance, to help the user to better incorporate the learning. It also contains a reference table where the correspondence between symbols used within the table and their meaning is established. In this way, we can process the information efficiently.
An example of data visualization can be the one that we leave you next. As you can see, in this table in addition to giving us information about unemployment in Latin American countries, neighboring information is offered, for example, we can see how the unemployment rate has been affected according to certain periods or currency fluctuation. This allows us to learn more about the employment situation in this geographic region.
In short, data visualization is a broad type of document that can help us investigate the same topic from different perspectives.
Infographic design examples
The infographic offers a single reading , as we have already told you before. This means that the information is displayed in a clear and forceful way, so that when we come across it we can understand it immediately, without doubting or asking ourselves questions about what we see.
We could say that the infographic aims to present a topic . Answer questions like what? (informative / educational) how? (procedural) when? (timeline), depending on the type of infographic we are talking about.
Below you can see an example of an infographic , where we are presented with the steps to follow in order to use the services of the library while maintaining health and social security standards.
This document is an infographic that shows us how we are expected to act, so that we can adapt to the established standards, taking advantage of the institution’s services but without putting our health and that of other users at risk.
Why are infographics so popular?
Working with infographics can be an extremely interesting and useful idea, because it will allow you to share your information clearly and precisely.
Infographics are usually very practical because, above all, they allow us to summarize complex information and offer the user a shortcut so that they can process, understand and retain it in a forceful way.
This makes them very popular on the Internet, because it makes the invisible visible. It is an excellent alternative to have a long text with valuable images that help with your understanding.
However, you should know that one of the mistakes that many beginners usually make when thinking about a good infographic is that they try to make it beautiful. Try not to get carried away by this idea!
The goal of an infographic is not to excite the viewer, but to inform them . To do this, we must focus on giving specific information, in the most direct way possible, so that the recipient can remember it, incorporate it into their knowledge.
This does not mean that we should not think about the aesthetic part, but it must be functional to the content. The most important thing, and this you should not forget for the world, is that the information is ordered and clear ; Because in this way the infographic will fulfill its function effectively: to get the receiver to internalize the data, to learn what you have just told him in that graphic.
Why is infographics important to your business?
As you may have already realized, the advantages of using infographics are many. To make it easier for you to understand the subject, however, we will highlight some of its benefits clearly. What utilities do they offer us?
- They serve to summarize a topic in an attractive way.
- They allow us to take a complex procedure step by step , simplifying it.
- They serve to offer the results of an investigation in a clear way.
- They are very good at making comparisons between several different options.
- They allow us to offer solid information on important topics and raise awareness in the viewer about their seriousness.
The versatility of this resource makes it extremely useful for any industry or niche; So, whatever your profession and your sector of work, surely you can use it to spread your information.
Infographics can be very practical to present your content and offer it to your readers. With them you can show your brand image through a downloadable flyer, illustrate your newsletter, showing your content in a direct and effective way, win over your followers through social networks and get both visibility and attention from the users.
When it comes to achieving some impact with your blog or your content on the Internet, infographics are great allies. Because they are an excellent resource to viralize certain information . Also, in combination with an article they can considerably help the article to achieve a longer permanence.
On the other hand, infographics are extremely useful to improve the SEO of your blog , and by capturing the attention or interest of the reader, they will help you attract a diverse audience through various channels.
Finally, they can help you get more links to your website . How? Because infographics are positioned in a similar way to images, but as they contain text they are usually very visible and those that become viral end up having greater visibility for your brand.
Do you still think that they are not useful or that they are not for you? Keep reading, we tell you the five pillars of the advantages of using infographics .
Simplify communication and clarify messages
The use of infographics is extremely useful to establish a fluid and crystalline communication channel with your followers or readers.
When preparing this content, try to pursue conciseness and clarity, which are the two fundamental characteristics of an infographic.
If you develop good infographics you can simplify your communication and send very specific messages to your readers. And most importantly, you will avoid misunderstandings by offering completely reliable information.
Do you think this will not affect the image of your brand?
Engage the target audience
An infographic can be extremely useful in activist causes , because it is an effective method of getting the public involved.
When planning your campaign to help the cause you are representing, try to make the most significant points of the project visible, to offer your readers strong arguments to join your fight.
By receiving the information clearly, people can try to contribute their bit for that cause to which you are inviting them, and they will feel a special bond with your brand.
It’s a great way to bond with your readers and followers. And to work together for just causes.
Simplify the data
Through infographics, the most complex topics can be summarized and presented in a totally attractive and accessible way, which allows more people to be attracted to your content.
Get to know your readers to be able to prepare the best infographic on the topic you are dealing with, so that they feel comfortable reading you. This will happen if you manage to capture the information in a close and easy way to be incorporated.
It’s an amazing way to simplify data and circulate it to improve understanding of a certain topic.
Show you as an expert
Whoever is able to summarize a complex subject in a conceptual framework has understood it. We trust more people who are capable of explaining complex issues to us with simple words, than those who have a large vocabulary but few capacities for human approach.
If you can avoid making a complex topic difficult for your readers, you will win. That is why it is so important, when working with infographics, to rely on everyday words and minimalist designs .
Prepare a good infographic on those difficult topics and you will get your readers to trust your work , because they will see you as an expert in the field.
Deliver results
Infographics, as we have already told you, is an excellent method to share the evolution of a project with your users.
If you need to highlight the achievements in a certain period, it is better to do it in a nice table than with complicated words. You will ensure that the information is well received and understood by the recipients and the infographic will have fulfilled its objective.
Offering the results in an image can go a long way in gaining the trust of your readers.
How to make your own infographic
Now, how to make an infographic that helps you achieve these goals. We’ll tell you then.
There are two methods for creating infographics: by hand or using a specific tool. If you are not very good at graphic design issues but want to broaden your horizons by launching yourself into the world of infographics, keep reading, we are going to tell you about a program to make infographics .
1. Decide who is making your infographic
Before starting to work on your first infographic , we recommend that you draw up a solid work plan.
First of all, you have to be clear about how you are going to share that content. Afterwards, you must work on a draft, which will help you organize your ideas and summarize the information as much as possible, so that what reaches the reader is impressive and concise.
In this step determine which are the keywords, define title and headings and take special care of the length of the paragraphs so that it is homogeneous.
If you do not dare to do it yourself, seek help from design professionals, who will surely know how to help you get the best infographic for your brand.
2. Look at other existing infographics
If you want to develop it yourself, do some research before drawing the first line. Look for infographics related to your niche , and try to understand what it is that you can offer differently.
One of the best ways to learn to work is by observing the way our competitors proceed and understanding what it is that makes us special. On the Internet you will find numerous examples of infographics , which can serve as a starting point.
To be able to offer an authentic infographic, you must know what people can already find on the Internet and develop content that is different from the existing one.
3. Choose your infographic template
There are numerous templates, free and paid , that you can use to make your infographic. Choose the one that best suits the type of content you want to share.
Look for one that has harmonious colors and is easy to read, adapted to the amount of information you want to capture and the format you want to give to your content.
You can also use them as a starting point to get an idea to work on and put your content on.
When choosing a template you must take into account your needs: colors, size, style and the way in which the content is presented (type of diagram), to choose the one that is most suitable for your infographic.
Among the tools that you can use for your work, we recommend Canva , through which you can create your own infographic very quickly, from numerous templates and colors.
4. Find out what your audience will learn
In order to correctly present your infographic, try to order the content as closely as possible. And the only way to know if you have done well is to carefully analyze the results.
Once you have your template finished, try to put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Is the information clear? What information do we take with us when we read it? Does it match your expectations? As a designer, have you achieved what you set out to do? If the answers satisfy you, all you have to do is start spreading it.
Once you start using infographics for your project, you won’t stop. Because, although at the beginning it can be a complicated job, over time you will discover how interesting and fabulous it is to share your information through this resource, and you will not be able to do without it.
Some conclusions
An infographic is a type of document that helps us to show information in a synthetic way: combining images and diagrams, to simplify its understanding. There are infographics for any type of content, and all of them can be adapted to any theme.
With regard to web design, infographics are extremely useful to make our brand visible, because it is a type of easily positioned element, which will allow us to reach a large number of users with just a couple of movements. For this reason, it is highly recommended to incorporate it as one of the fundamental tools in the work of positioning blogs and web pages.
To make a good infographic we must start from the idea of what we want to share, to analyze who are the recipients of that information and in what way we must offer it so that it is understandable to them. Finally, we must compare the results and verify if the information has reached the users correctly.
When designing it, we can use a predetermined template or create it on our own. If you are new to this field, we recommend that you start by using ready-made templates to simplify your work and learn the internal plots that come into play in infographic design .
Keep in mind that if you want to offer more extensive information, you should opt for data visualization , a type of visual content that is broader than infographics. Depending on your needs and the use you want to make of the illustrative tools, it will be more appropriate to opt for one or the other system.
Infographics are surely one of the most incredible tools to share our knowledge with others. So we invite you to take advantage of them to give your blog greater visibility and communicate in a forceful way with your readers. Don’t stop trying it!