Justin Beegel, CEO of Infographic World — yes, there is such a company — has identified the top five mistakes companies make when creating infographic campaigns. And, of course, what you should do to avoid those mistakes.
According to Google, searches for infographics have increased 800% in the last two years. with so many infogrphics floating around out there, you might want to takes every possible step to insure yours stands out from the crowd.
Top Five Mistakes to Avoid:
1. Make it About a Topic, Not the Company: The number one turn off is having too strong a company presence on the infographic. It is only natural for brands that pay money to create a campaign to want as much exposure as possible. However, they must ask themselves whether you would rather have 10 logos on a graphic that only lives on their homepage, or one well-placed logo on an impactful graphic that is being shared around the world?
2. Playing it Too Safe: As social media gaffes steal headlines and damage careers, companies are very careful about what they put out, and they absolutely should be. At the same time, when constructing an infographic you have the opportunity to walk the fine line on controversial issues. Smart and controlled depictions of issues will spur debate and kick start a viral campaign. Make sure to consult with the experts before releasing anything that could be damaging.
3. Overcrowding: Cramming too many facts and angles into your infographic is a recipe for disaster. The beauty of infographics is that they take complex subjects and visually tell the story in a succinct way. In the new 140 character world, we must keep it short or loss the reader. Keep is simple.
4. Being Inaccurate and Outdated: If even one statistic is wrong or outdated, media outlets and readers alike will dismiss the graphic and create a bad taste about the brand in general. Getting it right is crucial. Citing stats from 2009 when we are heading towards 2014 will make visitors close out, not forward.
5. Poor Planning: As Thanksgiving approaches, a light bulb may go off about a great infographic that ties into turkey day. Great, right!? In theory, but the problem is that infographics will require sound research, creativity, editing and approvals. Scrambling to create something last minute will not give you appropriate lead time to promote it and let it go viral. Nobody wants to run the Thanksgiving graphic after the last bite of turkey. It is crucial to plan ahead and allow the infographic time to pick up speed.
By identifying and mitigating these five common mistakes, you will be closer to producing an informative infographic that is much more likely to “go viral” and create the awareness you need for your brand.
