How Infographics Can Help Boost Your Social Strategy

The internet has a lot of information. Like a lot of it.

In our busy day to day lives, be it the daily news or a list of the cutest cat videos this week, we’re increasingly wanting that information easier and quicker. From a business perspective, that means the information you put out on your social profiles needs to easily be able to put across what you want, and fast.

But just how do you do that without losing out on all the important bits? A picture may be able to tell a 1000 words, but sometimes an image just won’t cut it. A video might help, but they take time to make and you might not have the resources available.

If only there was a format that combines the best of visuals and text into an eye-catching and easily digestible way… oh wait there is! Let us introduce you to infographics, and show you how they can help boost your social media strategy.

What’s in an Infographic?

First things first, what exactly is an infographic? Put simply, it’s a graphic that presents data and information in a condensed and easy to read way.

Let’s say you own a dog adoption centre, and your social profiles need some jazzing up. You’ve also just acquired some great dog facts, and want to put them out on social in a fun and engaging way. Instead of simply listing them in a post, why not display them in an infographic like so?

The breakdown of an Infographic

Cute dogs aside, there are some things that all infographics should include in order to ensure the best chances of success of social.

A snappy title that explains what the information will be about should stand out and be located at the top of the page. When it comes to the font, sometimes simple really is best. Don’t be eager to use the most outlandish font out there because you think it looks ‘cool’ if it sacrifices readability.

As for the info and data itself, an infographic gives you the freedom to present it in different ways, but certain ways lend themselves better to particular types of information.

Our Doggos R Us info is made up of simple facts containing numbers. The numbers are the key thing to take away, which is why we’ve circled them and used them as headers to introduce each fact.

However, let’s say we were also given the average height of the top 10 most popular dog breeds. Immediately, presenting this information in our current way won’t work. however, the use of a graph could help make the information far more digestible, like the guys over at Canine Journal, have done here:

Alternatively, if you have information that compares things to one another or to show change over time, a bar or pie graph is a better choice to display the information. Don’t just pick the style that looks the nicest – pick the one that will help show the information in the best way for the user.

Finally, you want people to know that it’s your infographic! Always ensure your infographic, at the very least, includes your brand’s logo somewhere that can easily be seen.

Why infographics?

So infographics can help make information easier to read, but is it really worth all the trouble?

The short answer – yes.

The long answer? Aside from presenting information in an easier format, infographics are also much more likely to be shared on social as opposed to say, a blog. More shares mean more awareness of your brand, which in turn leads to more traffic to your site.

What’s more, showing your audiences you know your stuff helps to establish your brand as an expert in your particular field. This naturally helps build audience trust, meaning people will be more likely to turn to you when they need your services.

Making an infographic

Now we hear you asking – but how do I make an infographic? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

There are plenty of tools out there, be we recommend Canva. Not only is it a powerful but simple online tool that can help you make infographics, but its free! We even made our Doggos R Us infographic on it!

For the more creatively inclined (and those with a bit more cash), tools such as Adobe Photoshopcan really help you make professional looking infographics, even if there is a bit of a learning curve.

Boost your social skills

Now you know how to make infographics, why stop there? Learn how to become a social whiz just like us by coming along to one of Social Animal training courses here at Giant Towers!