Join Brian Wallace for Using Infographics as a PR Strategy at the PRSA HyperConnections Summit, presented by the Technology Section in Atlanta, Sept. 27–28.
In a day when content is king, it is no surprise that infographics have most certainly had their reign at the top. Now, with Google cracking down on what should and should not count as good content, the importance of infographics is coming into question. Some feel they should be eliminated from the SEO chain altogether. Others believe there is still quite a lot of value in infographics, granted they are done correctly. So, what side are you on? Is there really such a thing as a good infographic? And if so, have they been devalued?
Infographics exist for a multitude of reasons. Essentially, they help us deal with information overload. They exist to tell a story and often times, clients have products and services that to most would seem uninteresting. These clients bring their information to a team of creative minds who can translate their ideas into jaw-dropping visuals and articulate facts. By creating a visually stunning infographic, these usually boring ideas are translated so that the average Joe will not only understand the information being presented, but will also be entertained.
Delving deeper, it seems infographics catch the eye of more bloggers and social media fiends than regular text articles. Visually striking infographics have more likelihood of being shared, and by linking back to the client, their traffic increases. This makes the client more visible and gives the public a better understanding of what they are offering.
Amongst this, we can not forget the existence of those that seek to prey on the uneducated. There are always those that see the value in a particular industry and slip in only to cash in on what they see as a quick buck. They provide dreadful to mediocre services and muddy the waters for the companies that truly offer a great product. This is where the problem lies. Because of this, infographics are popping up all over the Internet and frankly, most aren’t that good. But, is this grounds for their complete dismissal?
I encourage those in charge to reconsider. Don’t punish the companies that provide quality content to the masses. There must be some way of weeding out the bad to only include the good. Infographics have their place, and must not be swept away because of a few bad apples.
Brian Wallace is the president of NowSourcing, Inc., a social media agency since 2005, serving everyone from startups to the Fortune 500 and everything in between.
