In recent years, among the main trends on the web, the graphic representations of data, statistics and information called infographics have become increasingly popular. Their diffusion is mainly associated with social networks, blogs and magazines because they make it easier and more immediate (as well as fun) to understand a specific topic.
It is no coincidence that the web exploits the power of images in general to quickly reach the reader’s attention, involve him and invite him to take an action (whether it is to like or share the content). This is why infographics are also one of the main techniques for successful content marketing.
What is an infographic?
Before discovering how to create a high-performance infographic, it is necessary to explain what it consists of: it is the visual representation of a collection of data or informative or popular material. In a nutshell, through an infographic it is possible to obtain a large number of information quickly and concisely by grasping its essential features.
Infographics are not the daughter of the web, since they were already present in Egyptian hieroglyphics; Internet has simply boosted its popularity and exploited it to make difficult-to-understand content accessible to all.
10 tips for creating a good infographic
That said, to create a valuable infographic that can really explain a given topic in the best possible way, you need to start with the collection of data, then proceed with their analysis and subsequent division into categories. By creating order, it will be possible to extract the most interesting information and transfer it to the infographic which, to attract the user’s attention, must follow these 10 simple rules:
1. Define the ultimate goal
What is the purpose of the infographic? Acquire new customers? Disclose content? Entertain the audience? Increase brand awareness? Only after having defined the ultimate goal of its realization will it be possible to select the salient data and set the graphics and the structure of the image.
2. Identify your audience
An infographic is effective if it manages to involve the target audience. To make this happen, the target must be analyzed and selected beforehand, taking into consideration their tastes and needs. The question to ask is: what do users like? Once the answer has been found, proceeding will be child’s play.
3. Create a story
The charm of an infographic is not given by the random jumble of vector images and text, on the contrary: its potential lies precisely in being able to convey a message by telling a real story, which must be thought out and structured at the better. After all, who doesn’t like stories?
4. Be succinct and to the point
Considering that a reader takes about 3 minutes to read an infographic, it is necessary that the notions to be transmitted must be condensed in this period of time. To do this you can follow 3 simple steps:
- communicate something new
- synthesize
- divide the contents into several points
In this way the reader will be more inclined to complete the reading, at the end of which he will have found all the information of his interest without wasting time or getting bored.
5. Pay attention to sources
When choosing a topic to discuss, it is important to consult multiple sources, in order not only to make the infographic reliable and complete, but also to make the presentation much more interesting. In this case, the public data of Eurostat and Istat can help, which can also be consulted by the user himself.
6. Choose an eye-catching title
As with any content, even in the case of infographics the title is essential. Not surprisingly, 90% of people decide whether or not to read an infographic based on the style of the header: the more attractive it is, the more curiosity will be triggered in the reader.
7. Make an engaging design
The graphic design is just as important as the title, since it must be so seductive as to entice the reader to learn more. Aesthetic and visual beauty, however, must always take into account the fact that infographics mainly serve to simplify the understanding of data, so it may be useful to follow this scheme:
- make a clear distinction between thematic blocks, perhaps distinguishing it by color;
- apply formatting in text, using bold and bulleted/numbered lists;
- prefer images and graphics instead of text, when possible and without exceeding;
- insert very short descriptions in each block of text.
With this structure, the infographic should be able to hit both points: capture the user’s visual attention and provide him with the information he wants to obtain.
8. Share on blogs and social networks
An infographic really exists only and only if it is disseminated through the main sharing channels, such as blogs and social networks: the former usually deal with topics related to the product, social networks make images their best weapon. The more an infographic is shared, the greater the possibility of reaching a wider audience.
9. Cite sources
To ensure that a user trusts an infographic, it is necessary for an infographic to mention the source from which it has drawn the information, especially if these are sensitive topics that need to be refuted. It matters little if its structure is exceptional and if the colours, images and texts are well thought out: if the reported content is not truthful, the user will understand it and will look elsewhere.
10. Add a table of contents
At the end of the infographic, to conclude on a high note, it is always advisable to insert a summary that sums up and, at the same time, focuses the reader’s attention on the message transmitted. It is a summary within a summary, very useful especially for the more distracted or listless reader.