What is an infographic?

When scrolling on social media, which is more likely to draw your attention– text based posts or striking visuals? With shrinking attention spans, businesses are being drawn towards infographics to make a large impact in seconds.
As digital media has grown, social media marketing infographics have also developed into the second most valuable visual content available, at a 37 percent engagement rate. Infographics have become a huge aspect of nearly every single company’s marketing plan in recent years.
An infographic is designed as a visual representation of information, taking complex concepts and creating an engaging and understandable design. Many include graphs, icons, photos, and small amounts of information that engage a viewer into reading the information provided.
What are the different types of infographics?
There is a large variety in terms of the type of infographics that one may encounter. Some of the different types include:
- Statistical: Focused on presenting numbers or visualizing data.
- Comparison: Taking two options and presenting them side by side, allowing the viewer to compare the two.
- Geographical: Using maps or location information to enhance social media engagement.
- Process: Taking a complex task and breaking it down in a step-by-step process for the viewer to have a clearer approach.
Where are they seen today?
Infographics are widely used in a variety of different fields, but are commonly seen in social media, business reports, social media marketing, and education.
For social media marketing specifically, they are often used to showcase a product that a brand is attempting to increase revenue on, or comparisons between their product and a similar product of a different brand.
For example, there are many infographics that compare Apple and Samsung, which are two of the biggest technology companies in our modern day. Some infographics will show features that are exclusive to the marketed product, such as Apple focusing on their phone design, unique to their brand.
Some marketing companies will use infographics within their own companies, as a way to educate employees on parts of the existing marketing strategy that are working, compared to those that are not. By creating an infographic, a person is more likely to glance at and study a piece rather than the statistical data in its own format.
Development of Infographics
Why use infographics?
Social media marketing infographics have become a major marketing tool for companies to rely on, as they combine digital marketing visuals with essential information. There are many reasons why companies should continue to adapt and incorporate this method of outreach.
Some reasons include:
Enhanced Social Media Engagement
One of the main reasons includes enhanced social media engagement. For example, industry and business reports can be hard to approach due to the vast amount of data that is offered. By having someone on the company team create a graphic for the rest of the company, this information can be translated to the viewer through the use of graphics.
Information can often be easily approached if the infographic offers a simple approach to a complex issue. Infographics are also incredibly versatile and can be used on all levels of a marketing plan, such as informing employees, investors, or consumers. Consumer engagement has become vital to the success of a company, meaning it cannot survive without it.
Social media marketing infographics have become an essential tool for information outreach. In order to attract an audience, having an infographic that conveys some aspect of the marketed product, such as the product or service design, distinction from competitors, or statistics on revenue/profit, has to be used.
Concise Information
Many social media marketing infographics are used by companies to break down complex data into digital marketing visual pieces that engage a viewer. Digital marketing visuals are much more likely to be read and understood compared to lengthy reports that are mainly data-driven.
Headings, bold fonts, and strong colors can catch a reader’s eye, compared to the strict analytical information that is likely to be overlooked. According to research done at the 3M Corporation, it has been proven that humans process digital marketing visuals 60,000 times faster than text, meaning that using a visual representation of the information with small amounts of text is more efficient than any other approach.
Boosted Awareness
If a company is using a social media marketing infographic for a unique product, an infographic has the potential to allow the company to establish itself from its competitors. Advertising using a custom-designed infographic can allow a company to establish a brand identity with consumer engagement, making them more recognizable for company growth.
People are much more likely to purchase from companies that have an established identity, meaning that social media marketing infographics can be a great start towards refining the image a company may want a prospective consumer to see.
Increased Retention
The importance of any marketing plan is to sell a product or service, which requires consumer engagement and the ability to retain essential information about a brand. People are much more likely to remember information if it is in the form of an infographic. According to recent studies, people retain up to 65 percent of visual information, compared to 10 percent of text-driven information.
With the acknowledgement of this information, it is clear that to get consumer engagement to see and remember your company, you must incorporate some form of imagery, alongside vital information to attract an audience.
As the average attention span continues to shorten, it is essential that companies use social media marketing infographics to capture a prospective consumer’s attention right away, which can have a positive effect on all aspects of a marketing plan.
Improved SEO and Increased Website Traffic
A high-quality and shareable infographic can increase backlinks, driving more consumers to a specific website. Digital marketing visuals are a key piece of keeping people on a specific website. If a website lacks engaging content, people are much more likely to click away without consuming the desired information.
Social media marketing infographics can also reduce bounce rates, which is the term used to reference people leaving a website quickly. A lower bounce rate can boost SEO and make the website more approachable.
Social media marketing infographics also can be used in a Google Image search, meaning that there is an entirely new traffic source that can find a desired audience for a company. By having increased website traffic, one can maximize consumer outreach.
Encourage the Sharing of Information
Social media marketing infographics can be utilized on virtually every single social media site, such as Instagram or more business-driven sites like Linkedin. In order to increase revenue, it is essential to expand a brand, which social media has been proven to do.
Infographics are key tools to drive traffic towards a cause, product, or service. By relying on these rather than text-driven data, a company will likely see a drastic increase in outreach and consumer engagement.
How to Incorporate Social Media Marketing Infographics into Your Marketing Plan
There are many ways to approach the creative process that comes with creating a social media marketing infographic. One of the most common sites is Canva, which allows a person to freely access tons of templates. This is a great starting point, as they offer tutorials on how to create on their website and it is widely used by millions, making it easily approachable.
Another great source is Visme, which offers a more advanced database for a company to incorporate some level of social media marketing infographics into their site. This allows for custom branding and is known for its good reputation for helping businesses publish content. They offer a free version and a paid version that will offer more unique tools.
Infogram is commonly used for data-heavy social media marketing infographics, which are seen a lot for business reports or marketing data. This tool could be good if a company wants an interactive infographic using existing data. This company has a wide range of templates and assistance through task automation if a company is looking for an efficient tool.
The Power of Infographics for Your Business Growth
As businesses compete for consumers, infographics have proven to be a powerful tool for increasing engagement, driving website traffic, and establishing a brand identity. By incorporating well-designed visual content, companies can effectively communicate their message and stand out against competitors.
To maximize the impact of infographics in your digital marketing strategy, working with experienced professionals can make all the difference. At SalesEra, our team specializes in crafting data-driven, visually engaging infographics that boost brand awareness and consumer engagement.
Looking to enhance your marketing with high-impact visuals? Contact SalesEra today to discover how our customized infographic strategies can help your brand grow.