Just a decade ago if you asked someone about infographics they would probably have no clue what you were talking about. In today's world it is hard to find someone who hasn't seen or shared an infographic. In fact, in just 2 years between 2010 and 2012 searches for infographics increased by 800%. That is a massive increase in people looking for this type of information in a very short amount of time!
It is really not hard to see why. Infographics give many advantages to information presenters and seekers. There is really nothing that an infographic can't do. Content marketing can be hard work. It is not easy to provide fresh and engaging content to your audience on a consistent basis. It helps if you can ensure that the content you do put out is seen and shared to its maximum potential.
At the same time the internet, and the people who use it, are constantly evolving. People want their content differently than they did in the past. There is now a hunger for more visual content as the increased searches for infographics prove.
Infographics meet the need for attractive visual content that is easy to see and understand. That is why they are currently all over the internet including social media platforms. They are the modern age digital posters perfect for posting, linking, and sharing.
What is the Real Deal with Infographics?
An infographic is a visual story. It tells the viewer a comprehensive story using text, images, and a limited amount of words. The goal of a great infographic is not just to be seen and shared, but to teach or connect with the viewer in some way. An infographic can take a highly complicated topic and make it much easier to understand.
This is because of the way that we as human beings process information. The majority of people, in fact a whopping 65% of people, are visual learners. This means that our brains are wired to process information faster when it is in a visual format rather than just text. Over half of our brain is specifically dedicated to processing visual information.
Why you Should Love Infographics
Here are the 3 main reasons every content marketer should love using infographics in their marketing efforts.
Infographics Capture Attention
The average person only reads 20% of the text on a web page. Let that sink in for a minute. That is an amazingly low number. It means that 80% of your content is constantly being filtered out and never even read. Who knows what important information is being missed!
Eye-tracking studies have proven that readers pay attention to graphics that convey information. They will spend more time scrutinizing a graphic than reading text. If you want to capture an audience's attention a relevant image, like an infographic, is the ideal way to do it.
Infographics are Memorable
We know that graphics capture attention and are easy to understand, but they are also easier to remember. This is due to the picture superiority effect. Picture superiority means that people are more likely to remember a concept when it is presented as a picture rather than words. Think about things like using flash cards as a memorization technique.
The power of images in aiding memory is real. Studies have shown that when a person hears information they are likely to remember about 10% of that information 3 days later. However, when told the information and shown a relevant picture they remember 65% of the information 3 days later.
Pictures stay in our minds and help us retain and remember information. Since infographics are made up of relevant images that tell a compelling story they offer the benefit of being very memorable!
Infographics are Perfect for Social Media Platforms
People love sharing images on social media. This can be their personal pictures, funny memes, or even interesting infographics. Kissmetrics has done research showing that photos get 53% more likes, 104% more comments, and 84% more clicks than other types of posts on Facebook. Photos even do better than videos on Facebook!
At the same time on Twitter tweets that contain photos are retweeted 35% more than tweets without images. Infographics are usually shared with the hashtag #infographics.
When you look at platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr they are almost designed specifically for infographics. This is because they are almost entirely image based. When you want to blast your message out to the world sharing an infographic on social media is an outstanding way to do it.
Why Infographics Don't Work
Of course, like when any type of content explodes, there are people who fail to use it properly. You can't just throw together some text and images and expect your creation to go viral. There are two things that most unsuccessful infographics are missing:
- Relevance: If an infographic is lacking relevance no one will care about it. If you want to add an infographic just so you can have a nice picture it will not work. The purpose of the infographic has to be clear and the information it presents has to be useful to the reader.
Connect with your Audience Through Infographics
An infographic is an excellent way for a content marketer to connect with their audience. A well-designed infographic is memorable, informational, and makes complex information easy to understand. With an infographic you can grab your audience's attention with an eye-popping visual story.
If you are ready to communicate your unique story through an effective infographic please consider contacting us today to learn more about our convenient services.