info graphics tips: how to get your infographics memorized

Infographic  submissions can be a time-consuming process. Therefore, it is important to follow some general guidelines to ensure your infographic will be published.

First, be sure to mix up your infographics title as much as possible through submissions. You don’t want to cannibalize your original infographic on your website. And further, many infographic submission sites have stringent submission guidelines – which brings us to tip two..

Write an original description for your infographics. Infographic directories/blogs do not want duplicate content on their website, and therefore, require unique content. Some will even run your description through plagiarism tools like Copyscape to ensure uniqueness. Though this can be time consuming, it will pay off in the long run.

Read guidelines thoroughly. These websites tend to get a lot of submissions, so they can be picky. To increase your chances of getting published, read over all submission guidelines before starting. Many have content, size, or format requirements.

infographics

Perhaps one of the most popular forms of link bait is infographics. While infographics had been around for a while, it was GOOD magazine who made an art out of them, some of their best pieces being Drugged Culture and The Almighty Dollar.

The best infographics are the ones that you can scan and get the relevant information quickly. LinkedIn’s 100 Million professionals  is a good example.

WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO RUN AN INFOGRAPHIC IN BI?

Would I read this, and would I care enough to share this? That’s the primary criteria. Every graphic we publish should inform, amuse, entertain, or otherwise create value for readers.

WHAT VISUALS GET THE MOST SHARES OR ENGAGEMENT ON BI?

The visuals that are most clear and intriguing are always the most popular. Our readers love narratives they can learn something from. 

WHAT ROLE DO YOU BELIEVE DESIGN PLAYS IN INFOGRAPHICS?

For us, the overall quality of an infographic rests on the right mix of good design and good content. Design alone isn’t enough to make people care about boring content. I see so many infographics out there that are beautifully designed but are about nothing—or something so niche that you have to wonder, “Who are they making this for?” So start with a solid story, then just use all your tools as a designer and illustrator to bring it to life. 

WHAT’S MOST LIKELY TO GET AN EDITOR’S ATTENTION?

A not-boring infographic will always grab our attention. Big percentage signs, lots of little guys in a grid, colorful pie charts—over it. I want to see something that I’m still thinking about one hour—or one day—later. Graphics that showcase the designer’s personality are the most memorable, and idiosyncratic design decisions are usually preferable to clichéd ones.

Overdesigned and otherwise fussy graphics are my biggest pet peeve. At BI we have a modern and straightforward aesthetic. We’re incredibly economical about every design decision we make. The fewer decisions the better! In our view, a simple and airy template is the ideal stage to let our content and creativity shine.

WHAT ARE SOME TIPS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET THEIR INFOGRAPHICS PUBLISHED?

First of all, the content has to be interesting enough on its own. Consider if this is something you would read and care enough to share with your friends or network. And it’s important to be mindful about how you felt while making it. Was it fun? Are you excited to see how people (not just designers) react to it? Are you proud of it? There’s no excuse for more boring infographics, so if you push yourself to think a couple layers beyond the obvious, yours will stand out. 

WHAT TRENDS DO YOU ANTICIPATE FOR THE FUTURE OF VISUAL CONTENT ON PUBLICATIONS?

Interactives, mobile-first, and more bite-sized graphics are a newer area of focus for us. Interactive data-based maps and charts are incredibly popular and will only get more robust and compelling in the coming years. The idea of the static, tall, and skinny infographic is falling by the wayside. They don’t scale well on mobile, and the format is stale. Our solution has been to take a deconstructed approach to the infographic. Our templates are modular, which gives us the flexibility to easily excise certain sections to use in more abbreviated contexts, like Instagram.

some references:

• http://www.modernmarketingpartners.com/top-20-free-infographic-directories-and-submission-tips/
• https://www.searchenginejournal.com/a-quick-and-dirty-guide-to-modern-day-link-baiting/37115/
• http://www.columnfivemedia.com/tips-how-to-get-your-infographics-published