Q – How do you get a whole load of facts and figures about your business or cause out to your audience in a format they will take the time to read?
A – Use infographics – the power of infographics is much more immediate that long paragraphs of text and takes less time to read and digest.
We see a lot of them out there; some are really eye-catching capturing your attention instantly, while others are not so good. Infographics take complex data or concepts and transform them into instant knowledge. Marketing research keeps telling us that visual content drives more traffic and engagement than good old text like this!
Infographic created for SECAD
Why the power of infographics?
- They are extremely effective – 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text.
- Infographics are said to be more engaging and more convincing. For example, if you have to give presentations and talks in your line of business, using infographics in your presentation will be more effective and keep your audience interested. It’s said that people remember 80% of what they see and do, yet only 10% of what they hear. Next time you have to present influential talk use engaging infographics.
- A good infographics is 30 times more likely to be read than a regular text piece. As we said most people remember 80% of what they see and do, and just 20% of what they read.
- Done well infographics are a great addition to your company branding.
So now that you know the power of infographics, what makes a good visual?
Infographic created for www.wildwork.ie
Have the right theme – your infographics should reflect the image, personality and branding of your company. It’s not going to give the right message if an infographic for a bank is fun shaped bubbles in bright pink and orange. Likewise, an infographic aimed at children will be as boring as text if it is all sedate in navy and grey.
Keep it simple – if you have too much information it becomes harder for the reader to digest. Be direct, that’s the whole idea. If it is complicated people can’t make sense of it and your opportunity to capture their interest is lost.
Know where you will use it – you need to consider this before starting your infographic. For the web it can be long and scrolling, but if it’s going into print this isn’t going to work. Similarly, if the infographic is for a slide show presentation it needs to fit the screen. A little forethought and a chat with your design team will ensure you get infographics the right size for the medium you intent to use.
A couple of things to consider for a successful infographic
- Work with a creative design company who will understand your branding and your vision.
- Have a clear goal – know what you want to talk about and what you want your audience to take from it. Make the infographic tell a story from top to bottom, telling them everything they need to know.
- The theme should match your branding – restrict the colour pallet, keeping it simple yet on brand. Similarly the text style and content needs to speak to your target audience; language used for small children is quite different to that used for adults for example.
- Limit the special effects – if you do want a few special effects do limit them. Lots of 3D things and drop shadows will take-away from what you’re trying to say. Instead, highlight the figures or facts you want your reader to take away with them, this could be bold text, contrast colour or prominent position.
Is the time right for you to embrace the power of infographics?
If you have material that needs exploring or information that isn’t getting across to your audience in the way that you want – infographics is the way to go!
Talk to the design team here at Barry Design and let’s get started on a powerful infographic for your business.
