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June 1, 2020 Content Chat Recap: Are Infographics Still A Successful Visual Content Strategy Element?

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Most marketers know the value and importance of including imagery with their content, but how do infographics fit into a successful visual content strategy?

In this #ContentChat, we were joined by Chloe West (@ChloeWest28), content marketing manager at Visme, to explore whether infographics are still relevant (spoiler: yes, they are) and how marketers can create them. Read the full recap below, which includes tools we use to make infographics, tips for keeping your infographics engaging, and examples of high performing infographics that serve as inspiration for your next creation.

Q1: Have you created an infographic in the past 6 months?

More than half of our poll respondents (54.5%) have created an infographic in the past six months, with another 6.8% working on one now.

Remember that infographics come in all shapes and sizes—there are more options than just the long and skinny rectangle.

Infographics can be used on any site that accepts images (most commonly blogs or social media channels), as well as for visualizing internal processes or chains of command.

Some teams are infographic-making machines, leveraging templates to streamline work.

Q2: For those who haven’t created an infographic in the last 6 months, why hasn’t this been part of your content strategy for 2020?

Marketers have a few reasons for why they may not create infographics, including not knowing how to make them, focusing instead on written content, servicing clients who do not see the value of infographics, or simply not having enough time to create them.

However, as Chloe said, creating an infographic can actually be a very simple process that significantly boosts the value of your content (if approached right). Let’s explore some best practices in our next questions.

Q3: For those of you who have published an infographic this year, what was it, and how did it perform against your goals? (Share a link if it’s public)

These examples showcase a range of ways you can approach infographics, and most of them performed well with their audience.

Q4: What are the characteristics that separate a ho-hum infographic from one that gains traction and earns social sharing?

What makes an infographic perform well? Start with the basics: what is the goal of your infographic, what channel is it intended for, and how does it fit in your greater content strategy? Everything you create must provide value for your audience, and both third-party and proprietary data can help create a well-rounded story.

Regarding the actual design, your color choice is crucial…

Incorporate your branding so your audience automatically recognizes the infographic as something you created…

Stay light on text, preferably distilling a complex topic into a few key points. Remember that the infographic is likely a supplement to another piece of content, so you can choose to spotlight specific topics or ideas instead of rehashing the same concept verbatim and in its entirety…

And bonus points to infographics that take the path less traveled to display information in a unique or new way.

Masooma, Jessica, and Kim captured everything above in their responses.

Q5: What are some resources for creating compelling infographics for those of us who aren’t graphic designers?

Visme and Canva are two of the most common tools to create infographics. The community also recommends Powerpoint/Google Slides, Venngage, Piktochart, Illustrator (for full design control), Nowsourcing (an infographic design agency that also posts great tips and tricks), and Diagrams.net (for flowcharts).

Q6: Where can we find infographic inspiration?

Inspiration can come from a variety of sources, including Pinterest, a Google search, or on social media with #dataviz or #datavisualization.

And Chloe recommends a handful of other outlets to check out.

Q7: Have any burning questions about infographics? Ask them now!

How much information is too much for an infographic? Look back at your goal and keep your content strictly focused on that goal. The limit will also depend on the style of your infographic, and use design elements to help break up text if your infographic starts to look like a blog. Some of the best infographics use no more than a few sentences total (if they even use complete sentences).

Chloe and the #ContentChat community are here if you need help.

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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