If I tell you 99% of people prefer a certain toothpaste brand, you might say “huh” and nod your head – if you’re listening, and if I’m a particularly good speaker. If I add a graph or pie chart so you can see how big that 99% is in comparison to the 1% of naysayers, you’re more likely to remember it. And if I design this chart with 99 happy people on one side under text reading “We love Brand X toothpaste” and one sad, lonely person on the opposite side under text reading “I like to be contrary,” people are even more likely to sit up and take notice. Why? Because it’s visually appealing, showing that Brand X toothpaste users are joyful and together, while the one person who doesn’t like it is isolated and dour. Such a message could feel too heavy-handed, but the joking tone of the text makes it clear that the message isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. This makes it stand out – and may even make a few people laugh and want to send it on. And there you have a hopefully not-too-terrible example of an infographic similar to the ones that a rising number of companies are using to market themselves. Why have infographics increased by 800% since 2010? Simple – because they’ve been monstrously successful in helping companies to raise brand awareness, especially online. Infographics are relatively inexpensive to produce, can convey a lot of information on a single image that just takes a few seconds to look at, and – best of all – can be designed to spread like crazy via blogs and social media sites with automatic embedding and easy-to-add share buttons. How can infographics help you market your business?
Raise brand awareness
It can be tough to get recognition if you’re the new kid on the block in a crowded field. Building an audience through blogging is great, but it takes time and effort. People are more likely to check out videos, but if you want them to look good, you’ll have to invest in decent equipment. But if you’ve got a good idea for an infographic, it can be made for a low price and in a matter of minutes if you know what you’re doing. Include your company logo and web address on a catchy infographic that goes viral and you’ll have instant recognition.
Show your expertise
Infographics are a fantastic way to convey complicated information in an eye-catching way. Show people a few statistics that will wow them and you’ll immediately have an engaged audience looking to you for answers. Just be sure to double-check that the things you’re saying are accurate or your new rabid fanbase will turn on you quickly.
Establish a tone
The beauty of infographics is that they give you the opportunity to sort of snap a photograph of what your business is all about and share that with people. Want to be strong and authoritative? Full of hope and charisma? Too cool for school? By using the right typography, language, and images, you can quickly and efficiently show the world who you are.
Launch a product or service
While the ongoing goal of an infographic may be to get your company’s name out there, it’s the perfect medium to sell people on a product or service you offer. Why? Because the nature of infographics practically demands that you offer facts and figures about why what you’re offering is better than the competition. Ultimately, infographics are attention-getters. You want something well-designed and intelligent that people can understand in an instant and that they will want to share with their friends. It doesn’t have to close the sale for you, just make people aware of your existence, and hopefully drive some of them to your site where you’ll have amazing content to keep them once you have them.
