Infographics

Infographics ("information and graphics") have taken the internet by storm. These highly-sharable concepts are perfect for virtually every kind of business and are a great way to spread the word about your products and services and to get your brand under the social media radar. It is much easier in these days of moving from website to website to have an image which relays the information to the visitor quickly.

Infographics are huge just now. They are everywhere on the Internet.

So could this ingenious way of depicting visual information be right for your business? And how might you use them to promote your business through social media?

Perhaps the most appealing quality of infographics (a fusion of the words "information" and "graphics") is that they are considered highly shareable content.

Let's face it, block after block of grey text devoid of illustration can be a nightmare to wade through. If the information you are seeking to impart looks too complicated or time-consuming to your readers many people will simply click on to something else. Most internet users seem to have short attention spans - we are used to jumping from one website to another in an instant.

Whereas pictures that are visually stimulating and intriguing will automatically draw the eye in and we will want to learn more about the story behind them.

Complex data about your company or your products or services (also known as 'Big Data') can be simplified in an infographic so your visitors will 'get you' right away.

No matter what type of business you run it is possible to create a unique infographic that will engage your visitors and prompt them to share with their social networks.

Tips for designing your infographics:

1.Decide on your theme and keep it simple - one main idea per infographic.

2.Choose your colour scheme - two/ three colours generally work best rather than lots of different colours which will produce a 'rainbow effect' and deflect attention away from your content.

3.Before you start compiling your infographic make a list of the sort of facts and figures you want to include so you will know where to begin your research. Once you have completed your fact finding, mock up a storyboard so you can see at a glance your available content. Then you can begin organising it into a logical sequence. Only include information which is highly relevant to produce your 'visual essay.'

4.Add powerful 'attention-grabbing' graphics to illustrate your main points/ facts.

5.Include all references to the facts contained in your infographic.

6.Remember to include your URL so people can share readily.

Should you design your own infographics?

If you have the time, the ideas and the inclination, then there's no reason why not. Infographics can be created using software like Adobe Illustrator, PhotoShop or PowerPoint. Alternatively you can use one of the many custom infographics solutions springing up online such as Piktochart, Google Chart Tools and pretty soon Visual.ly, whose options to create custom infographics are currently under development.

If you do not consider yourself naturally creative or you do not possess a good eye for colour, you may prefer to outsource production to a graphic designer or localmarketing company. In all probability you will not want to create a one-off infographic for your business - more likely a series - so if you know you will have an ongoing requirement for infographics, outsourcing may be a more convenient and cost-effective solution for you.

Either way, marketing your business with infographics is sure to be something that merits a closer look.