Do Infographics still matter for your marketing strategy?
I started creating infographics in 2012 and I noticed that the importance of infographics changed over time. That is because marketing strategies changed, audiences changed and new tools appeared.
The initial thought of an infographic was to convey complex information into digestible visual content in hopes of helping readers retain the most important parts. Nowadays, everybody is creating infographics BUT they are not actually infographics.
What I consider a good infographic is a visual that is simple, fun, easy to read, memorable, informative and relevant. This means concentrated information and entertaining visuals.
Initially, infographics helped marketers get across complex information into a digestible format.
This adoption has helped many marketers to increase their website traffic thanks to backlinks, searches, and viral shares. These attractive results made infographics so popular and the number of them increased exponentially between 2012 and 2014. I felt it and so did this guy.
Things slowed down a little bit in 2014 because the market was saturated with infographics that brought no value. There was not enough data and too much focus on illustrations.
In 2017, Infographics were popular again. Because Infographics are social media friendly, especially on Pinterest, they gain marketer’s trust again. In 2018, Daily Infographics suggested that Infographics are coming back to life. It almost felt like the Industry got over the “1 minute " infographics tools for non designers and focused more on value and data.
2019 is looking good for infographics, but they are not your regular infographics. The 2019 Infographics are not just images, they are interactive and coded. Html5 infographics and interactive infographics are gaining popularity thanks to the entertaining value they bring.
Looking into the future, all industries are going to benefit from this new technology, but one in particular will benefit the most - the education industry. Learning will become fun and easy.
Fun fact: Google searches for Infographics: About 339,000,000 results , as January 5th, 2019.
WHY TO USE INFOGRAPHICS IN YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY
Used right, infographics are a great tool for your marketing campaign, especially if it is digital. I mean, they can be used for print as well, but you will get measurable results for digital.
I would use infographics as part of a strategy. In other words, do not focus just on infographics if you need specific results.
For instance, a blogger can use infographics to sell an eBook, an agency can use it to sell their innovative services, and a store can use it to explain how a product works.
Here is an infographic that was created to help sell an ebook:
To draw readers attention
Good illustrations and a good set of data can create a visual story that resonates with your audience, therefore engage them even more. Let’s be honest, there is so much noise out there and nobody has time to read paragraphs of text (unless they are very interested in a topic). Pinterest is a great place for infographics because of the layout structure of the platform allows the infographic to be fully displayed. This means the users get the information directly, without having to work for it (click, click, click).
Of course, the only way to draw people’s attention is to create relevant content. You can create 100 infographics but you will only see results for those that your audience is interested in. You must know your audience and you must serve them well.
To drive visitors to your website
Did you know that Pinterest is the main traffic source for bloggers? Pinterest is a great place for infographics… I will let you make the connection.
Posting an infographic on this beautiful platform, can bring thousands of visitors to your website.
In general, Infographics generates shares, which is almost like free advertising.
To set your brand as a thought leader
Not many brands put in the effort to gather relevant data for their audience or customers, but those who do, they see great results. . I find it thoughtful when brands put the time and effort in running surveys and dig up data and offer insightful results.
This infographic is a really good example of how WebPageFx set itself as leaders in the marketing Industry.
To create a stickier website.
Yes, infographics create a stickier website and not in a messy, nasty way… in a good way.
A sticky website means that visitors get to spend more time on your website because you are engaging your visitors in a visual conversation.
In conclusion, I believe Infographics are still a great tool to use in your marketing strategy, but you must be funny, be interesting, be engaging, tell a story, or inform though amazing visuals and good data.
What do you think? Are infographics still relevant for your marketing strategy?