Worth a thousand words: using infographics to engage your audience

Infographics are powerful content marketing tools.

What is an infographic? 

An infographic is a visual representation of data or knowledge. It is used to present information quickly and easily, in a way that is engaging to the viewer. Infographics can vary from data-heavy graphics presenting charts, diagrams, and text commentary, to fun, simple visuals that tell a story. So, whether you’re presenting statistics at a meeting or explaining the steps for making a chocolate cake, an infographic can be a good way of translating dense information into a form that is easier to consume.   

Though in the world of marketing infographics have exploded in popularity in recent years, it’s important to remember that infographics aren’t new. Centuries-old illustrations detailing the rotation of the sun, or the anatomy of the human body are early examples of information presented in a visual form. And more recently we’ve come to recognise infographics used for health and safety purposes, such as the flight safety cards printed on the back of airplane seats, or visuals published by public health authorities.   

So, why choose to present information in this format?

Visual storytelling engages the brain 

Human beings are visual creatures. Shapes and colours are essential to our learning and our memories are predominately made up of images.

There’s a lot of science out there about the way the brain processes visual data, so to help you out I’ve put it in…

Yes, you guessed it – an infographic.

If the average human attention span is only seven seconds, then from the point-of-view of anyone looking to present important information, the quicker and easier it is to consume, the better.

Infographics are powerful marketing tools 

A good infographic can help you achieve your marketing and communications objectives. Whether you want to inform, educate, entertain, or inspire, an infographic created with your goal in mind can be a highly effective format for engaging with your audience. And the data is there to prove it.

The busyness of social media means the content you create must be eye-catching and engaging if it’s to avoid being scrolled past. People are increasingly time-poor, so focus on presenting information in a way that is quick to read and easy to digest. Not only this, but by having all the important information in one format, it makes it easier for others to share it on their social media. Content presented in this way will likely gain a wider reach.

Where to begin? 

Before creating your infographic, make sure you understand why you are doing it. Start by identifying the core message you want to communicate alongside the data that will support it. Then you can start thinking about the best design to convey it. Make sure your medium fits the message and that the design works for the content included. Think about the space you have available and don’t make it too busy or you won’t achieve your aim of getting information across easily.

At the end of 2021, we decided that we wanted to create a series of infographics detailing the year we’d had as a company. First, we collected the data, then we discussed how we’d group it so that it would be most useful to our readers. When it came to design, we opted to use simple graphics and company colours to accompany the information. This was the result of conversations and reflections amongst the team about what our aim was with our infographics.

The best infographics go a step further than presenting information visually – they tell a story and connect with readers emotionally. This style of infographic won’t be suitable in every situation, but it’s worth considering – before you start designing – whether an element of storytelling could be introduced to the infographic you create.

Let’s imagine that I’m tasked with creating an infographic detailing the content that I’ve produced since I started as a Copestone intern. One way of presenting that data could be a simple pie chart as seen below.

It’s fine. The information is clear and the data is quick to consume. However, it lacks that human storytelling that makes any content – not just an infographic – engaging. Where relevant, include familiar icons and images of faces to grab attention and appeal to your audience’s emotions.

Not as easy as it looks 

The challenge of this kind of content marketing is that the simplicity of an effective infographic is generally inversely proportional to the amount of work that goes into creating it.

Knowing what software to use can also prove a challenge. Different styles of infographic will likely benefit from different online packages. Canva is an easy-to-use option for beginners. And if you’re hoping for a more professional service, then it’s worth researching the cost of a designer before you commit to an idea.

Also make sure to question why you think an infographic would be the best format to present your information. Don’t just create one for the sake of it.

And remember, the rules that apply to traditionally written content are still relevant when creating infographics. Make sure it is clear, SEO optimised, and contains a call to action (CTA).

Just like creating good copy that communicates your message quickly and easily, creating an infographic can be challenging. Contact us to find out how we can help you communicate your organisation’s complex data to your target audience in a way that achieves your marketing and communication goals. We’re always happy to talk in person or virtually.

If you need support to write engaging, audience-driven content for your B2B brand or agency, contact Copestone today.