We’ve all seen infographics. Whether you’re scrolling through your social feeds and stumble upon an infographic explaining an everyday topic or generated by one of your favorite brands; infographics are everywhere. But why?
What are infographics?
It’s important to understand what exactly infographics are in order to understand what makes them so effective. Infographics are visual images used to represent information or data. They can be small, simple, and to-the-point, or they can be lengthy and portray a complex topic. At their core, infographics are made up of a contextually-appropriate and visually-pleasing color scheme, clear and easy-to-read text, and interesting visuals – most often, iconography and graphs. With these three basic elements, you have yourself an infographic.
Why do they work?
Since 90% of external information transmitted to our brains is visual, it makes sense that conveying information in a visual manner would make it a more effective method, and in turn, easier for the viewer to remember. In fact, the brain remembers only 10% of what we hear, and only 20% of what we read, but it can remember 80% of what we see and do. The brain also processes visuals 60,000 times faster than plain text. If you are a marketer trying to convey information that you want to stick, then using visuals is a no-brainer.
Benefits of using infographics for your brand.
There are several benefits to using infographics. Infographics convey a large amount of information in a lot less space, and in a more easily-digestible way. That’s why some marketing experts consider infographics to be the shorthand of digital marketing; they have the uniquely powerful ability to convey a lot of information in a short and effective way. Using these easy-to-remember visuals is the ideal way to keep your brand at the forefront of consumers’ minds.
Further, when built and tested correctly, online consumers generally trust infographics as a reliable source of information, which then positions you as an expert. Last, infographics on social media are highly sharable. Once your audience trusts you and finds the information you’re conveying interesting, you have a higher chance of letting your audience do the hard work for you and spread the word. If the information is interesting, relevant, and presented well, it will be remembered.
In a world where our attention spans are becoming shorter, but our screen times are becoming longer, adding infographics, the shorthand of digital marketing, is a no-brainer for companies wanting to communicate with their target audience on a visual level. If designed correctly, they will catch someone’s attention and hopefully convert them to a customer/supporter. In a world where time is money, why not save time and increase engagement with the new digital marketing shorthand?
Sara is a Social Media Specialist at RDW and a lover of all things related to memes, TikTok sounds, and puns. When she’s not keeping up with the latest social trends, you can find her on a spin bike, baking homemade treats, or discovering new local coffee shops – all documented on her Instagram, of course.