Evolution to Revolution: The Rise of Infographics
It was 1993. Having settled down to the computer, a super-fast P-90, I opened AOL and navigated to my favorite site, a web forum for Highlander fans. It was early social networking: all text, lots of imagination (like you wouldn’t believe), and keywords ruled if you wanted to find anything. (Insert sounds of modem dialing.)
It didn’t take long for the text-based interwebs to transform into rich media, likely because adding images and video seemed like such a natural progression. If Blakestone could have kick-a** graphics, then so could everyone else.
Why should social media be any different?
It’s not.
In March 2015, Social Media Marketing World declared it the year of native video. In addition, media now loaded directly to applications such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and were getting preferential treatment.
With so much social sharing, text posts lost traction and visuals pulled audiences to the side to entertain, inform and educate.
The psychology of infographics.
Our brains are trained to scan for what’s relevant. We make snap decisions without even being aware that we’re doing it. Your next social post and caption will be judged in under :02 seconds.
An infographic makes information easy to mentally process using a progressive approach that breaks down concepts, shows their relationships, and wraps it in a visually appealing package.
Clever digital posters that step you through instructions or ideas and plot the history of something that otherwise would not be very engaging is user friendly no matter what you’re trying to say or who you’re trying to reach.
With so many online tools available, you don’t need special skills to polish your images. Just start with an idea.
Make your blog post Pinterest worthy.
Below are a few approaches you can use to organize your post or article content to match an infographic format.
- Key Point(s)
- By setting aside a line or key point as a graphic, you draw attention to it that’s fast and readable in seconds.
- Bullet Points
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- These are perfect for Pinterest & Twitter shares linking back to your post.
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- Book promotions & Launches
- Lay out the buying process or how to find your titles. Got a series? Show all your titles & covers so readers recognize them when they go to buy.
- Lists
- Take your next “Best Of” roundup to a new level.
- Instructions & “How To”
- Anything that is a step-by-step process is a natural fit for an infographic.
Tools
If you have a graphics editor program like PhotoShop or Gimp, and feel comfortable starting from scratch, then you’re on your way. If you’re short on time or skills, you’re in luck. These sites have templates that can make your content look polished within minutes. A quick browser search will deliver even more options to get you started.
- Canva Free with fee-based image purchases
- Easel.ly Free templates with more paid templates available.
- Meme Generator Find quick memes & custom caption.
In an endless social media stream of reality TV updates and spam tweets, a custom image will catch the eye of your audience and draw them to follow your link.
Infographics give your audience relevant, usable, snackable content at a glance.
Do you know a great site for making memes or web graphics? Have a time-saving tip in your back pocket? Leave a comment and share your ideas.