The Anatomy of the Perfect Infographic
Infographics aren’t only a content fad or trendy designation. They’ve become part of marketing culture. According to Eric Siu of Entrepreneur magazine, Google searches for infographics have increased by 800 percent over the last few years. If you haven’t created infographics for your audience yet, what are you waiting for?
You want to create an infographic that will entertain, educate, or enthrall your audience. These goals are noteworthy, but how do you achieve them? The ideal infographic requires planning and a specific vision. Delve into the anatomy of the perfect infographic as we share some features and qualities that make standout infographics sharable.
Sized for Smartphones and Mobile Devices
Image via Flickr by dutruong.t733
Ingrid Lunden of TechCrunch reports that 6.1 billion people will use smartphones by 2020. Some of your readers will view your infographic on phones, tablets, and other devices. If you design your infographic with desktop and laptop computers in mind, you might alienate readers with smaller screens.
Additionally, you’ll want to know where you intend to publish the infographic. Social media platforms, for instance, have file size limits and other requirements you’ll need to meet. Plan with these factors in mind to help you create an effective infographic you can distribute wherever and however you want.
Crafted With a Clear Purpose for Audiences
How do you want your audience to respond to your infographic? Maybe you hope they’ll sign up for your newsletter so they can receive more insightful content. Perhaps you want them to buy a product you’re highlighting through your infographic. If you don’t know what you want your infographic to do, even the best design won’t fulfill a purpose.
Writing for Moz, digital strategist Slavik Volinsky recommends devising a call to action and promoting it on the infographic. Otherwise, readers won’t know what to do when they get to the bottom of your creation. If you want your audience to visit another website or page, add a prominent link to direct readers to do what you want them to do.
Designed With a Cohesive Color Scheme
The perfect infographic doesn’t display useful statistics and facts only. The graphic also pleases the eye. A cohesive color scheme unites all your infographic’s elements and encourages viewers to explore the content further. Understanding the basics of color theory might help you choose colors reflecting your infographic’s tone and content.
Think about the mood you want to create. Do you want to incite your readers to action? Consider bold, contrasting colors suggesting energy and momentum. Conversely, if you intend to pacify your audience, try subdued colors.
You don’t have to include multiple colors. If you want to make each infographic element blue, for example, consider using various shades and tones of that one color to create variety and emphasize standout elements.
Created With a Compelling Story in Mind
The best infographics don’t merely lump data groups together. Instead, the best infographics form an engaging narrative that helps the audience understand a complex idea. For instance, if you lead with a surprising statistic about your industry, use the remaining sections of your infographic to explore the reasons behind the figure. Close with data and illustrations that explore the ways your audience might use that information to their advantage.
Readers will come away feeling satisfied because they understand the data in context. Don’t stop at communicating facts only; make those facts relevant to your audience.
Connected Elements in a Cohesive Format
Many infographics contain beautiful graphics, practical fonts, and interesting facts, but they fall flat because nothing connects one segment to the next. You want your infographic to guide readers from one element to the next so they remain engaged with your content.
Arrows that direct the viewer’s eye can prove useful for this purpose. You can also design your infographic in the context of a road, stream, or another graphic element to naturally guide the eye. Color gradients can also offer a subtle way to transport viewers from one element to the next.
Varied, Authoritative Sources
Today, readers are extremely skeptical about data they find on the Internet. So what if 99.9 percent of consumers use widgets? Will readers believe you if you use that stat in your infographic? Give your infographic an authoritative edge; use high quality sources to gather your data.
If you collect your own data, such as through customer surveys, tell your readers how you collected the information and how many people responded to your survey. Give your information credibility by encouraging viewers to share the infographic.
Additionally, you don’t have to use all the data you find on a subject. Select the most interesting, surprising, or compelling bits of data and leave out the rest. If you overload your audience with facts and figures, they’ll tune out.
Sprinkled With Bits of Humor
Some topics for infographics don’t lend themselves to jokes. For instance, if you’re creating a health-related infographic about a disease or condition, don’t cheapen your content with an off-color statement. However, humor can work in many infographics to create more memorable content.
Puns, plays on words, and metaphors can also help improve your infographic. When people have a positive reaction to your content, they’re more likely to share, recommend, and remember it.
Sustained High Content Standards
From a content standpoint, an infographic isn’t much different from an article or blog post. Even though you’re using images and graphics, you still must follow the standards of great content — error-free text and actionable information. Distill information into bite-sized chunks and illustrate the data in an intriguing way.
When you work with an infographic creation team, you can achieve a high quality product. Professional writers and designers can make sure that your infographic will captivate your audience. They can also offer guidance if you’re confused about your vision or goal.
If you want to create the perfect infographic for your audience, contact the CopyPress creatives to learn about our strategy and design process. Let us craft an infographic that conforms to industry standards and helps you increase your brand’s visibility and appeal.
CopyPress writer
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