Infographics Mania! (and beyond…)

Let’s get into the topic. Infographics (or information graphics) are graphic visual representations of information, data, knowldge, ideas… Their aim is to communicate complex topics or concepts in a simpler way, making comprehension “quick and clear”.

Nothing new, since the first samples are the same age of the human race. But living a new life, these days, thanks to the wide use of digital graphics and the circulation potential given by the Social Media.

According to Google search data, the term “infographic” grew more than 800% over the last 4 years. A successful information graphic is simply viral: people like it, or find it useful, and can’t resist to share it. Besides, eye-catching graphic solutions are very easy to remember and to relate to a brand image.

So, the use of these tools is becoming an interesting component for brand and marketing development strategies.

How? The good news, is that the game is very simple!

1. Choose a relevant topic related to your business – you can use interesting statistic data, flowcharts, maps…
2. Try to figure, using pencil and paper, how to explain it graphically: keep it simple, logical, straight to the point.
3. Turn your paper to digital – you can use a software for graphic design, but there are also many online tools that can simplify this job. Just draw it nice.
4. Put your branding at the bottom of the image. Publish it on your blog or website, and add “share” buttons.
5. Share your infographic on the Social Media… and enjoy the feedback!

Here you are some online tools that you can use to create infographics:

http://visual.ly/ for stunning graphics in a few seconds
http://chartsbin.com/ to create map charts
http://creately.com/ to create diagrams
http://www.wordle.net/ to create “world clouds”

And a website presenting stunning infographic samples: http://infographicsmania.com/