An Infographic Is Worth A Thousand Words-Nazar Kamangar/bridge consulting blogs

In the past, we’ve discussed the importance of using graphics in your social media (for instance, using Images to make your Facebook timeline pop). While photographs tying into your text are a great way to engage your audience visually, you can also make your images more educational. Today, we will talk about infographics.

Image From: elixirofknowledge.com

Infographics (short for information graphics) are graphic visual representations of data. They quickly and clearly express complex information in a manner which a layperson can easily grasp. You see them all the time around you; in road signs, maps, and instruction manuals. They are not a new development; prehistoric cave paintings are actually considered to be infographics. But of late, they have also become more prevalent in media as a means to convey statistical data in the form of tables, flowcharts, diagrams, bar graphs, pie charts etc. This is such an integral communication method, that a panel consisting of decision makers from CNN Money, Huffington Post, Mashable, and The Associated Press among others, recently convened to discuss the phenomenon.

Image From: tastyretreat.com

Just like a retailer must carefully select the best photographs to advertise their wares, a small business dealing in information must make sure their infographics are visually striking. You want colors that are bright enough to attract readers, but still easy to read. Fonts should be small enough to contain a wealth of information, but large enough that a reader can easily read it without squinting. Because the whole purpose of an infographic is to convey data, you should be sure your data is accurate and recent. And don’t be afraid to think outside the box; instead of doing a standard pie chart, try representing your data with a visual metaphor that relates to your information. You can find great examples of unique infographics at blueglass.com.

Image From: beautifulplacestovisit.com

Infographics are a great way to present dry data in an original and engaging manner. A clever visual representation is far more likely to go viral and land in front of more people than standard text. So the next time you want to share data on your site think about representing it visually. Even the most pedestrian subject matter can sing if you present it in a visually enticing manner.