Lisa Yates

By Lisa Yates lisayates

In an age where we are inundated with adverts, statistics, stories and social media via the internet, mobile phones, television and newspapers, there is no doubt about it — we live in a world of information overload.

According to an article from The Guardian, we’re bombarded with the equivalent of 174 newspapers of data a day. This means that any information you want people to remember has to stand out from all the other bits of material available – which is an estimated 29,500,000,000,000,000,000,000 pieces of data.

Using infographics within a marketing strategy can be extremely beneficial in capturing and retaining people’s attention while breaking through the clutter.

Infographics are a visual representation of data and knowledge. They combine design, text and imagery to display information in a simple and clear format. When done effectively, infographics tell a story with engaging visual elements that spark interest and allow information to be absorbed at a glance.

Interactive infographic: Why your brain craves infographics

Using infographics are beneficial to your organisation for several reasons:

Position yourself as an expert

An infographic implies research and substantial knowledge on a topic, which in turn suggests that you are a specialist in that area. They can be used by any organisation, in any field, as the data can vary from company statistics to industry information.

Attractive and engaging visuals

We all respond more positively towards visual content than long worded documents, and a stylish infographic will attracts the attention and is more likely to be remembered than an article or blog post.

Viral capabilities

Similarly, eye-catching infographics will also increase the chances of your content going viral. Users are more likely to share a graphic than a copy heavy link or post — especially if it excites them and includes interesting facts and information.

Brand Awareness and Increase Traffic

Due to the ease of sharing and viral opportunities, make sure you embed your company logo and website into the infographic. This will increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your website.

A word of caution though: infographics need careful planning, and it is important that time and effort are spent on the design, as this is what will capture the audience’s attention.

Do you use infographics in your marketing plan? Let me know what you think at [email protected] or @lava_lisa.

Lisa Yates is the design manager at Lava, an award-winning marketing agency in Lincoln.

By Lisa Yates lisayates

Over the last five years, the number of businesses using social media has risen enormously, with companies keen to showcase their brand and increase traffic to corporate websites.

This rise has seen the development of a number of new social sites, including Pinterest – an online pin board allowing users to share their likes and inspirations. The site has become a shopping sensation with millions of active users driving traffic and sharing purchases with friends.

Pinterest has become a shopping sensation with millions of active users driving traffic and sharing purchases with friends.

But it’s not just retailers that can benefit from Pinterest, businesses offering services can use it as an effective marketing tool to engage and persuade customers.

So what can you do to maximise the benefits of Pinterest for your brand?

Showcase your products

Displaying products through interesting and engaging mood boards gives customers a shopping experience that can influence purchase behaviour. For example, a clothing brand may create different boards for occasions such as weddings or holidays, or be accompanied by accessories or locations to inspire customers into a purchase.

Build your brand identity

The images pinned on your board should represent the personality and values of your company. It should portray a lifestyle that customers can relate to. The images should be thought provoking and inspire customers to question how they can have this item and transform it into their reality – a Pinterest image should “sell the dream”.

Interact with customers

Pinterest is about creating conversations. It can be a powerful word of mouth tool – it generates interest in your company and gets people talking about all things relevant to the brand, with the opportunity for content to be shared virally amongst members.

However it is important to evaluate Pinterest’s target audience with your companies own market. Currently the primary audience is female, with the most popular topics relating to interior design, arts and crafts, fashion, food and gardening.

But what do you think? Does your company use Pinterest? Have you seen the business benefits, or are you loyal to the more traditional social sites?

Why not let me know your thoughts – drop me a line at [email protected] or tweet me at @lava_lisa.

Lisa Yates is the design manager at Lava, an award-winning marketing agency in Lincoln.