Jon Feagain
Data is the future of marketing. Numbers dictate and align business strategies with opportunities in the marketplace. They are an invaluable storytelling tool, and the lifeblood of your business. Consequently, competitive industries rely on quantitative analysis to scope their edge and mold their business accordingly.
Quantitative analysis is often a double-edged sword. These numbers can be quite confusing and overwhelming to many, at the same time a powerful tool for the well-informed. Businesses need a medium to convey and simplify their core message. This is where infographics come in.
What are Infographics?
Infographics are visual narratives that present complex data in a clear and compelling fashion, through the use of creative visual representations. Infographics can be used for fact sheets, presentations, or just-for-fun marketing materials.
Here’s a list of where infographics can be effectively applied:
1. How-to-Guides
These infographics guide audiences through step-by-step processes. They should be relatively comprehensive, explaining the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ around a specific topic of interest. Concepts can range from how to live off the energy grid to how to choose your graphic design typography.
2. Research Results
An infographic is a great medium for publishing your quantitative analyses. Why limit yourself to a dense research paper when you can relay information in a visually-friendly format that grabs the attention of the reader?
For instance, here’s an infographic that connects content marketing vital statistics with user engagement and overarching business goals. Another good use of infographics is to present demographic data that your customers and prospects can relate to.
3. Comparisons
This strategy is ideal for showcasing opportunities, teaching new concepts, and highlighting pros and cons. You can strategically place graphic and data elements to highlight what's important on your infographic. This will help to tap into your target market’s psychology, and hopefully guide their purchasing decision.
4. Education
Seeking knowledge is human nature. Infographics are invaluable tools to engage your audience through education. Leverage visual channels that outline a topic that is relevant to your target market and brand, focusing on the whys and the hows.
5. Flowcharts
Processes can get really complex, fast. Infographics enable you to breakdown the information, map the necessary process concisely, and plug it into an easy-to-follow format that directs the audience to the valuable information they should be looking at. You may ease the complexity of data by giving your infographic a personality of its own, packed with a little punch and humor.
ROI
Infographics vary in price range, but high-end vendors will typically charge between $1,000 to $8,000 a piece. With this level of investment, you need to make sure that you can clearly assess your gains and ROI. Here are the metrics to help you gauge your ROI:
- Inbound links
- Pageviews
- Searches
- SEO changes
- Subscribers
- Return visitors
- Sharing
- Comments
- Social media growth
- Lead growth
- Increased time on site
Key Tips
Distribution is key to your strategy. What value will an infographic bring if nobody’s watching? Here are great tips for making sure that you have the best strategy possible for attracting and retaining viewers:
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Craft a value-based pitch to distribution channels.
When connecting with journalists and partner blogs, make sure to demonstrate the value that is relevant to their audience’s needs. Infographics are a dime a dozen, so distribution is key. Make sure to develop a pitch that stands out by providing unique answers to their audiences’ questions.
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Integrate your efforts with social media distribution.
Push your infographic through public channels like Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter — channels where your prospects and consumers commonly share and feature content. You may also consider integrating advertisements with your promotion strategy through Facebook Sponsored Posts or Twitter Promoted Tweets.
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Submit your infographic to directories and aggregators.
Some good examples are Visual.ly, Daily Infographic, and Infographics Archive. Flickr is another great option.
Remember that infographics are indispensable brand-building tools that enable you to establish authority, and become a trusted influencer in your industry. Infographics also function as effective web traffic acquisition and lead generation tools.
