BUILD INFOGRAPHICS THAT REALLY STAND OUT
An effective content marketing strategy revolves around simplifying topics and delivering insight in a compelling and memorable way. It involves a focus on audience preferences and a dedication to sharing valuable information in ways that resonate.
If you want to effectively reach a specific audience about a complex topic, there’s no better medium than an infographic. But in a world where everyone is creating infographics, how can you make yours stand out?
In a Content Marketing Institute (CMI) blog post, author Richard Sylvester, an innovator in data-led content, explains the importance of process ahead of creativity.
“The secret is in following a clear framework, enabling you to tell a clear and consistent visual story in one of the most powerful ways possible,” he writes.
Here’s the six-step process Sylvester recommends to get your infographic designed, viewed, shared and remembered.
4 Additional Ways to Pack More Personality Into Your Infographics.
Once your focused direction has led you to the creative stage in infographic production, consider these important ways to pack more personality into the design:
- Use flat design. While 3-D design and gradients were the norm a few years ago, minimalism rules now, and infographics are no exception. Flat design makes infographics easier to follow in every medium, especially mobile, where too much detail can make an infographic unreadable.
Keep images simple to highlight the important information. Why use a photorealistic rendering where simple line art will do? Don’t use too many colors, and make sure the colors you use complement each other to provide strong contrast and define structure.
- Pick original photos to represent your brand. Even though minimalism is in, quality photography still has a place in infographics. The trick is using it sparingly to help convey the important points. Original images that fully represent your brand can add dramatic impact to data.
For example, take a look at this infographic that covers the relationship between weight loss and saving money. Would it be as memorable if that stethoscope didn’t look exactly as clinical, or that cheeseburger exactly as delicious, as the ones pictured?
- Get animated. With video becoming a ubiquitous part of the web experience and the resurgence of gifs, more dynamic infographics have a strong edge. Animated infographics can be as complex as full-on cartoons, guiding viewers through complicated concepts like how home mortgages work or what happens during a medical procedure. Simpler infographics can include engaging flourishes and individual animated elements to aid structure.
- Let viewers take control. Even when a video isn’t feasible, infographics don’t have to be limited to what can fit on the screen. With fly-outs, dropdowns, sliders and other interactive controls, viewers can manipulate infographics to reveal what is relevant to them.
For example, this infographic from CNN lets users move to any point on the graph to see what minimum wage for any year since 1938 would amount to in 2015 dollars. Without interactivity, it would be impossible to neatly include all of this information in one static chart.
There’s incredible value associated with developing infographics as part of an effective content marketing strategy. But their development and promotion take time. If you need some extra support, just complete this simple form.
