How your business can benefit by employing infographics for content marketing
So why use infographics? Infographics for content marketing have taken the world by storm, as we are increasingly more inclined to process data visually than through the written word. Neuroscience explains why: according to research from 3M (maker of Post-its, among other things), 90% of data transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000X faster in the brain than text! So some smart person somewhere invented infographics (probably Al Gore) to help us tell our stories. Now, smart businesses are utilizing these visually pleasing, data-rich illustrations to educate and engage new customers. Here’s a fantastic example of how one online marketer is utilizing infographics to build his business. (Image credit: Flickr) There are lots of wonderful reasons why you need to think about using infographics in your business. Here’s merely start:
- They are visually impactful and easily scannable, both aspects that match up with today’s web browser
- They present information easily and in an organized manner
- They help establish you as an authority on the topic
- One of the greatest advantages of using infographics is they can go viral, which can often result in large traffic spikes and search engine benefits
- As an image, they are easily shared, and can make the rounds at many image sharing sites (as per social media expert Dan Zarrella, images have more shares and likes on Facebook than any other post type—even video)
And as an example of some of the power of infographics for content marketing. What better way than—you guessed it—check out this infographic from WebmarketingGroup.co.uk.
How to create your own infographics
Want to generate your own infographic for your business? There are a growing number of sites and tools coming around now that assist you to dive in and fashion stunning infographics. At the most basic level you can create them in PowerPoint, which is less complicated than you might imagine. If you’re looking for a bit more advanced or polished option, you should consider a tool like Visual.ly, where you can customize existing templates for your needs, or possibly, use a service like PiktoChart or Infogram.
What if you can’t design a whit?
Outsource it! Sometimes we don’t have the time, inclination or skills to get this sort of work done, especially if you’ve never done any work with images before. Don’t worry, as there are great designers out there just dying to create your infographics. A few of the places you can find that can assist you in this regard, and usually for a reasonable fee, include 99Designs, Elance, Odesk, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com. Make sure you see samples, set parameters and expectations, and are prepared to communicate your vision clearly with your outsourcer, so there are no surprises! What challenges do you face with generating infographics for content marketing as part of your overall content strategy?
