Our Top Ten Do’s And Don’ts Of Infographics
An infographic is the term used to describe information which is displayed in a graphic design format (also known as data visualisation). Infographics are used to display information in a way that is easy-to-digest. With 65{4d2303c3d7018ed3e1a955ec2105d2bcecc5b881e14ee890535c5ae577f46e7a} of the population being visual learners, Infographics are a great way to capture the attention of the public.
Here’s a list of our top ten do’s and don’ts of infographic design:
1. Do include at least five facts and figures
Your infographic needs to be long enough to tell a story and have enough information for people to want to share it, however…
2. Don’t make you infographic too fact orientated
Don’t include more than 10 facts – if you include too many it will look complicated and will discourage the viewer from reading in full – Infographics need to have a good balance between data and visualisations, if you’re going to overload it with facts and figures you may as well just produce a spreadsheet or blog post.
3. Do consider what is current
Make sure that the content of your infographic is current, check for what’s being talked about the the time of production, this will maximise the chances of your infographic being shared.
Here’s an example of an infographic we created for EasyFit Personal Training in January 2013 when many people are concerned about their weight after the christmas period. The full infographic can be found here.
4. Don’t make your infographic too image orientated
Don’t go overboard on the amount of imagery you include, it is the readers interest in the information as well as the quality of your imagery that will get your infographic shared. Make sure that the imagery you include goes alongside the information you’re providing.
5. Do consider colour
Colour pallet is important, use colours that compliment each other alongside different tones of one colour, this way you can highlight certain areas and guide the viewers eye through the information. Linking in your logo’s colours can be a useful way of branding but you should also consider colours that fit with your infographic’s topic/theme.
6. Don’t miss an opportunity to visualise your data
Make sure you tie in your visualisations with the data you’re providing, try to avoid using stereotypical bar graphs and pie charts, be more creative and add appropriate imagery where you can.
Here’s an example of an infographic we created for greendealaccredited.com, the full infographic can be found here.
7. Do promote your infographic
Feed the public your information gradually by sharing it on a variety of different social media sites and make sure it can be shared by others. You can also upload your work onto specific infographic sharing sites such as Visual.ly. Make sure you provide your viewers with an embed code so they are able to use your images on their own websites. One of the most important aspects of infographic marketing is outreaching to obtain further high value links to benefit your SEO work, we offer this as a service. To find out more contact us here.
8. Don’t make your infographic too product focused
Make sure the content/theme of your infographic ties in loosely with the product or company but keep the information interesting, don’t cop out on the quality of the information in order to relentlessly advertise your product. If you turn your infographic into a blatant advert for your product it won’t get shared.
9. Do make sure you include company logos and data sources
Include your logos and sources for the information you use at the bottom of the infographic, this way you’re advertising is subtle. Remember, you are giving the reader information first and advertising your company/product second.
Here’s an example of an infographic we created for sinks.co.uk, the full infographic can be found here.
10. Don’t make it landscape
Websites scroll downwards and therefore you should design to accommodate this, you should also take into account the ‘fold’ of the webpage and make sure blocks of information can be seen at a time.
Why infographic marketing is important
The production of infographics that look good and are simple to understand encourages people to share your work through social media sites and therefore your product or brand is able to reach a wider audience. By providing people with an embed code you are giving them permission to use your work on their sites, in return they will often provide you with a good quality link.
If you have any questions about infographic marketing please leave a comment in the box below 🙂
