62% of B2B marketersused infographics as a marketing tactic in 2015(Source: Content Marketing Institute)

Searches for the term ‘infographic’increased over 800% from 2013–2019(Source: Google)

+800%

1000 words

a picture’s worth

of people retaininformation 3 days later when paired with images(Source: lifelearn.com)

65%

Infographics are a fantastic way to get your audience’s attention, claim territory as an expert in your field, gain followers or build brand recognition. But, there’s an art to creating a compelling infographic.

Follow these five simple steps, and you’ll be on your way.

5 WAYSto create a compelling infographic

Contentwith images

gets 94%more views

than textalone 94%

(Source: kissmetrics.com)

What is an infographic?The term comes from the merger of the words information and graphics. Infographics are used to compress volumes of data or longer texts into a compact visual representation.

Being both visual and textual, infographics are a powerful force to quickly inform a reader. They are used to communicate complex messages and data in a easy-to-comprehend manner.

Quick to share and simple to skim, infographics are perfect for our instant-gratification digital world.

You can use infographics when:

✔ you have a lot of data

✔ when your data is complex and requires visuals to tell a story

✔ you would like to compare data or show a step-by-step process

Most infographics can be categorized into main themes:

QUANTITATIVEStylized statistics, graphs and charts. Focuses content on impactful numbers.

INFORMATIONALCombine icons and short text to tell a story and make it more appealing to readers

SPECIALTYTimeline infographics: Show the passage of time

Geographic infographics: Highlight areas on a map

Technical Infographics: Contain complex and exact information related to a specific subject

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Can we help? Contact us at infographics@accurate.ca2

1 2 3 4 5Show me the Numbers

Less is More

Tell a Story

Think in Pictures

Make it Shareable

Here you will discover

5 ways to create a compelling infographic

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1 Show me the Numbers

Numerically-based infographics are a great way to present a focused visual representation of your data story. However, don't forget: numbers are not narrative. Don't include data for data's sake. Identify the key data points that complement your story.

www.statcan.gc.ca

Source: General Social Survey (Canadians at Work and Home), 2016.978-0-660-28161-2

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Most Canadians eat out or purchase takeout food

The main reasons for eating out are convenience and socializing

Meals eaten out most often are lunch and dinner

When available, nutrition information helps Canadians make informed choices

Always,often,sometimes

Eat out once a week or more

44%

Did not eat out in the past month

6%

Eat out less than once a week 29%

42%

30% No time to cook, for convenience, do not like or know how to cook

As a treat, for a special occasion or celebration, to socialize with friends or family

Main reasons:

8%

23%

39%

EATING OUT:How often and why?

200 Calories per slice

*Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding

47% 310 Calories per slice

170 Calories per slice

Ä Use data. It's powerful

Ä Use numbers to illustrate an overall concept

Ä Fact-check your numbers for reliability and credibility

Ä State your sources or provide a link to them

Can we help? Contact us at infographics@accurate.ca4

2 Less is More

Go easy on the character count. The whole purpose of choosing the infographic format is to give readers a brief visual summary of volumes of data or detailed concepts.

If there's too much content, maybe it can be broken into multiple infographics.

Ä Don't write a book

Ä Summarize content from longer texts available elsewhere

Ä Too much content? Consider creating multiple infographics

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Tips for a meaningful infographic

✔ Keep it less than 70 characters.

✔ Make your titles interesting and simple enough to be understood by the reader.

✔ Incorporate questions into titles as they work very well as teasers that draw readers in.

✔ Keep text block short and allow the visuals or the numbers to tell the story.

✔ Use sub-headings to keep information organized, this way it help to guide the reader through your infographic.

✔ Use accurate and sourced data for credibility.

Can we help? Contact us at infographics@accurate.ca6

3 Tell a Story

Think carefully about the headline. No matter how beautiful the graphics are, a boring and uninviting headline can deter potential readers. A good one will grab the reader's attention and describe what the infographic is about. Questions work very well as headlines, as do teaser headlines that draw readers in to learn more.

Ä Write a great headline

Ä Answer a compelling question facing your audience

Ä Generate an emotional response to your message

Ä Illustrate a process or service model

Genomics for forestryGenomics is making Canada’s forest sector more profitable and sustainable.

$57.1billion in revenues

$26.4billion total wood products exports

192forest dependent

communities

$24billion to Gdp

(1.9% share of Gdp)

Forests: Essential to the Canadian economy*

* Data from Statistics Canada, 2012

593,200direct and indirect

employment

Genomics: The science that aims to decipher and understand the entire genetic information of an organism.

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4 Think in Pictures

Highlight points that you think it can be made into images or data instead of words. A well-functioning infographic needs a balance between text and visuals to create visual interest.

Ä Think visually as you write. Can your words be illustrated?

Ä Use "visual" words to inspire creative. "A birds-eye view" inspires visuals more than "Corporate Overview"

Can we help? Contact us at infographics@accurate.ca8

5 Make it Shareable

When creating an infographic, think ahead in how you want to promote it and reach your audience.

Ä Format graphics to fit each social network’s dimensions

Ä Short & sweet—less is more, especially on social media

Ä Maximize your social media presence by dividing larger infographics into multiple posts

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Looking to create a compelling infographic?

Our agency is a full-service firm, lead by a team of seasoned professionals that help you overcome the toughest communication challenges.

It's all about helping our clients achieve and exceed their business objectives. Our clients are local, national, and international, and they also value our commitment to their goals. They know us well for delivering top-quality results—specifically: on time, on target and on budget.

Do you need more than infographics? Our key differentiator is full service.

✔ Strategic Planning

✔ Communication Audits

✔ Project Management

✔ Copywriting

✔ Branding

✔ Corporate Identity

✔ Web Design

✔ Web Development

✔ Motion Graphics

✔ Photography

✔ Print Design

✔ Video

✔ Multimedia

✔ Campaigns

✔ Exhibits

✔ Animation

✔ Social Media

✔ Accessibility

Please contact us with any questions.infographics@accurate.ca or 613-723-2057

We can give your data a BIG transformation!