Everyone has heard the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and today that saying has never been truer. Infographics are becoming more and more popular popping up all over social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+. But what are infographics and why should a business be using them within their marketing campaigns?
According to Wikipedia.org, infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. They provide an eye-catching and effective way to share information and content. If you have a business or a website that needs some publicity, creating an infographic can be an effective way of marketing it. It’s also one of the fastest growing tools for social media. According to Google “Insights for Search,” from 2010 to the beginning of 2012, the use of infographics increased 800%. That’s a major increase that can’t be ignored. There is no doubt that people love using facts, figures and statistics to get their message across. Infographics give businesses the opportunity to share data in a compelling, attractive and easily digestible way.
Show Expert Understanding
One of the best ways to gain trust from your audience is to make them feel like you are an expert in your field. The research involved in creating an infographic will automatically be displayed in the content showing your audience your expertise. Using statistics and facts within the infographic is also helpful.
Easy to Share
According to Jeffbullas.com, in one day people create 1.5 billion pieces of content, 140 million tweets and 2 million videos. That’s a lot of information being thrown into cyberspace. Infographics give your business a way to not only get involved in the cyber action but it gives you a way to stand apart in that sea of information.
Most people are visual and they process information faster and more easily when they can see it. Infographics are more likely to be shared on social media sites like Facebook and Pinterest than plain text because they are more engaging to the reader. Most people scan content that they read online and only remember things that grab their attention.
Embed It & Go Viral
Another great thing about infographics is that they are embeddable. When an infographic is designed, developed and published, the embedded code is provided. The code creates an automatic link from the social media site that your infographic is posted on to your website or blog, in turn getting you more traffic.
And because you can embed infographics, they are easier to share and more likely to go viral than plain text. Infographics are meant to grab the reader’s attention with compelling facts and fun images that people want to share on social media sites with others.
Once you learn the basics, you’ll find that infographics can be a key weapon in your social media artillery. Remember, not all infographics take off immediately – some need time to grow. Don’t just assume your infographic has failed because no one is linking to it or retweeting it. You should put some effort into passing it along to get more views.
Have you used infographics on your website? If so, have you found them to be effective?
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