We all know the statement “a picture is worth a thousand words,’ but do graphics really make that big difference in digital marketing and content creation? The short answer is yes! Visual aids have the power to be eye-catching and interesting, thus communicating the intended message to the audience in an all-new way. As the experts of content marketing in Pittsburgh, we believe in the power of graphics and how they contribute to the overall success of content marketing campaigns. Included in this article, the content marketing in Pittsburgh experts at Responsival will give you tips on:

• The benefits of using infographics
• How infographics can take content marketing to the next level
• Tips & tricks for creating great infographics.

Why should I use infographics in my content?

Infographics satisfy your audience’s need for a visual aid

The appeal of infographics to readers is the fact that they provide statistics and facts in easy to digest pieces. As data-driven images, infographics make crucial information readily available and attract the eye within content and on social media. We’ve all see it at work -- infographics have a way of grabbing our attention. That’s why infographics have been shown to increase web traffic by 12% and can increase social media engagement rate by up to 650%.

But this boost in traffic isn’t a magic coincidence. A successful infographic should include relevant information and be displayed in a visually-pleasing manner. Here are a few things to keep in mind when designing a solid infographic:

• Consider your audience: Is your infographic designed for LinkedIn? Keep it professional looking. Are you presenting fun statistics about birthday parties? Make sure the medium fits your message and have fun with your design.
• Find your design balance: It’s important to keep your design appealing to the eye while not compromising the value of the information you’re providing. Keep it tasteful.
• Use compelling data: If you’re building an infographic, don’t forget how important the INFO portion is to the entity. Do your research and compile information data that - once an entire entity - tells a story. And always cite your sources!

How Can Infographics Boost Your Content Marketing Campaigns?

The Key to Quality Content from the content marketing experts

The human brain loves visual content. 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual and these visuals are processed quickly. We’re inherently drawn to colors, interesting shapes, and numbers because our brain receives that stimuli faster than written words.

This is why infographics are key to a quality piece of content. People focus on the article more when there are visuals that support the argument or topic. This is important due to the way people read web content: quickly scanning for valuable information and moving on, many times only staying on a page for a matter of seconds. If you can create a quick resource for finding valuable data, you’ll increase the amount of time spent on your page.

For social media in particular, an infographic is highly shareable. Infographics are easy to digest and therefore are frequently shared on platforms like Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. What makes an image so shareable? Infographics transcend the message to the audience by reflecting the post content with readable text included. Visual aids that are clear, concise and are minimalist are effective and frankly, kind of fun to look at -- which is exactly why there are entire books published on great infographics.

Best Practices for Infographics

Include these in your Infographics for Best Results

Here’s the thing: you can’t just slap an infographic into a piece of content marketing and expect your post to blow up. Like all content marketing, efforts should be done with intentionality and an end game in mind, meaning it’s important to keep in mind these best practices for creating strong infographics in content:

• Include a CTA. A CTA, or call to action, is what directs viewers to take valuable actions on your page or read your content. For instance, sharing an infographic on Pinterest is the perfect way to lead viewers to the blog itself and thus, increase traffic to your website. How do you make people click on your graphic? Craft a solid CTA right onto your graphic.
• Choose Meaningful Icons. For non-data-driven information (something that cannot be represented numerically), it helps to use meaningful iconography. As you’ll see above, the infographic from Lender 411 does not include any numeric data. However, a valuable infographic was still made using icons that attract attention and organize thought.
• Optimize Your Image for Traffic. You want your infographic to complement content, but not take away from it. Since infographics are so shareable, take the steps that make it easy to share, including social sharing links, proper sizing, file names for SEO, and more.
• Build Compelling Charts. The heart of every infographic is a chart displaying your graphic. Whether it’s a pie chart, bar graph, or something more technical, graphs are the key to visually displaying complex information. Make charts and infographics super easily on Canva, or streamline your graph creation with Microsoft Excel.
• Consider Flow and Continuity. You infographic, in essence, is telling the story of your article itself. Responsival recommends adding elements of continuity into your design to encourage full readership and effective design.
  
  

As a company with expertise in content marketing in Pittsburgh, we believe in innovative yet clear graphics that promote the information to the campaigns intended audience. If you’re looking to take your digital strategy to the next level,  Get in touch with Responsival to learn how we can help with quality graphics, social media management, content, and more.