Punch up Your Communications with Infographics
If you’re like us, you’re always looking for ways to get your message across in new, unique, and interesting way. One form of communication that you might not have considered is the use of infographics. What exactly are infographics you might ask? Infographics or informational graphics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge that present complex information quickly and clearly. Many of your colleagues are visual learners and a graphic representation of complex information might be just what is needed to communicate your message.
Think about it. Which would you rather read– a multi-page word document or a one-page graphical representation of that data? Studies have shown that people remember more of what they see than what they read. Images grab your attention and are more engaging than plain text. Seizing and retaining your audience’s attention is crucial. Once you have their attention you can get down to the data.
There are many ways you can graphically represent data. One of the quickest and easiest ways to present large amounts of quantitative data is through graphs and charts. Infographics put a fun, colorful twist on a typical bar graph or pie chart.
Quantitative data seems like an obvious match for an infographic but what if the data or message you want express is qualitative? Maps are often used in infographics to express step by step directions. This can be a great tool if your business is introducing new policies or procedures.
Visual stories are another type of infographic that give your audience a large amount of data without having to read large amounts of texts. A few areas where you might want to consider incorporating infographics include: recruiting, simplifying complex information, recognizing achievements, raising awareness for company changes, presenting data and promoting events.
There are really no limits or restrictions to how you incorporate infographics into your company’s communication plan. Think outside the box and see what ideas you can come up with. For smaller companies that might not have the budget to pay for design work check out canva.com and explore their free design tools.
Has your company used infographics before? Share any insights and ideas with Ben: [email protected]