Hi there, Emily here!
As we come to the end of 2015 I’ve been thinking about the trends that we’ve seen in social media. Entering the last half of the decade (where did it go??) we’ve seen some big shifts in how and where users are engaging with content.
As of September 2015 Instagram has 400 million users, with 53% of internet users aged 18-29 having an account on the photo sharing site. Visually driven content has increased in popularity and the rise of these platforms has added fuel to the fire!
How do you use these trends to your advantage?
Your followers and potential clients want useful information from a reliable source with a quick takeaway. Imagine scrolling on a smart phone and the kind of information that gets seen and what gets lost. My mind turned first to Infographics. Surely, infographics are still a pretty good way of providing useful info to a wide audience and getting more backlinks to your site?
For sites such as Instagram or Pinterest, you rely heavily on the initial “grab” of a featured image or thumbnail sized visual. Infographics are a good solution for getting your copy content into these image heavy areas. They’re concise, they look fantastic, and they facilitate traffic and backlinks to your site from mere seconds of viewing.
If you are introducing your brand to Instagram or Pinterest for example, it might be a good idea to give prospects an easy to digest infographic. Another upside is they are designed to share, and usually transfer well to other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter (who despite their ups and downs this year remain the heavyweights for social media marketing).
Interestingly, since 2011 the effectiveness of infographics, specifically from a marketing point of view, has fallen. Some bloggers are calling it “infographic inflation”. Essentially it means that there are more out there, and therefore more likely to become white noise. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider them as a great tool for gathering engagement and clicks! “Infographic Inflation” to me means that you can no longer rely on them as the most efficient strategy.
Here’s a rundown of the PROS:
- Concise, Useful and Easy to Digest Information
- Visually led
- Quick takeaway
- Widens reach
- Facilitates more traffic
And the potential CONS:
- no longer an efficient strategy
- Costs can be high – a good infographic needs time, planning and a cracking designer.
However, if you want to give infographics a go without blowing the budget there are plenty of tools online to help you get started:
to name just a few!
So what’s the verdict?
There’s no need to dismiss the infographic. Just be aware that they’re no longer the foolproof generator of leads and backlinks they once were a few years ago. When you are creating an infographic, do your research and don’t let it fall into an already saturated field!
If you’re starting out on Instagram, trying to figure out Pinterest or another image sharing site a well – planned infographic is suitable way in to grow your following and make your mark. Moreover, if you become known for providing trustworthy and engaging material, the chances are users will return to you as a port of call for information!
