Using infographics for your business yet?
So should you use infographics in your business? Infographics have become all the rage, no doubt because we all seem to need pictures to process anything these days instead of the written word. So Al Gore invented infographics (purely conjecture) to help us tell our stories. And help they do! According to research from 3M (maker of Post-its, among other things), visuals are processed 60,000X faster in the brain than text. It’s no real surprise, then, that people have quickly adopted these visually pleasing illustrations as marketing tools. Here’s a great example of how one online marketer is using infographics to build his business.
There are lots of wonderful reasons why you need to consider using infographics in your business. Here’s just a start:
- They are visually impactful and easily scannable, both aspects that match up with today’s web browser
- They are terrific vehicles for presenting facts easily and in a neat, focused fashion.
- They lend authority to your competency on the given subject
- One of the best advantages of using infographics is because they can go viral, which can often bring about large traffic spikes and search engine benefits
- As images, they can be easily shared, which has a number of benefits (based upon research conducted by social media expert Dan Zarrella, images have more shares and likes on Facebook than any other post type—even video)
And to illustrate some of the power of infographics, what better way than—you guessed it—check out this infographic from WebmarketingGroup.co.uk.
How to make your own infographics
Want to generate your own infographic for your small 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 difficult than you might imagine. If you’re seeking 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?
Simply outsource them. Often times we don’t have the time, skills or patience to get the job done, especially if you’ve never really opened Photoshop before. Not to worry, as there are top-notch designers ready to make your infographics for you,and for a reasonable expense. Some of these places include 99Designs, Elance, Odesk, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com. Be sure you ask for samples of their work, set clear boundaries and expectations, and communicate clearly your vision, so there aren’t any surprises come delivery time!