So, you hired an infographic design company thinking that it would drive traffic to your website, increase your brand awareness, and attract all kinds of authority links but it just sat there. No social share, no links, and no love. This is a common occurrence even though everyone tends to assume that every infographic created automatically turns into marketing gold.
We have put together a list of 10 signs that you used the wrong infographic design company to handle your project.
1. The infographic concept was created by someone unfamiliar with what it is your business does
If someone that isn’t clear on what it is your company does throws the concept for your infographic together then the project is destined to fail from the beginning. While the infographic needs to show some personality and character, it also needs to include relevant information that will help attract customers and work to build your brand awareness.
2. The idea isn’t fresh — it has been done a dozen times
If your infographic design company just rehashed a concept that has been done before then it is very unlikely that it will gain momentum in terms of social sharing. While the same topics can be addressed, make sure that new inspiration is mixed in along with a new angle to create something truly interesting and unique. You want an infographic that represents your brand and stands out to attract the kind of attention you desire.
3. Your infographic topic doesn’t interest your target audience
The whole point of an infographic is to present your target audience with information they will find useful and informative in a visual manner. If the topic that your infographic design company comes up with doesn’t interest your audience it is not going to produce the results that you had hoped for.
4. They used a template design
Unfortunately there are infographic design companies that simply use premade templates for their infographics, resulting in multiple pieces looking exactly the same. You need a custom unique design to stand out and attract interaction. Simply tossing data into a template doesn’t do the trick. An infographic is supposed to be an impressive visual piece of content. A great design draws attention to your most important data points.
5. The headline doesn’t attract instant attention
An effective infographic headline is short and to the point. A great example of this is an infographic we created with the headline “The Power of Visual Content” – it is to the point yet grabs attention. Your infographic heading sets the tone so you need one that literally stops website traffic and gets them to engage with your content.
6. The point of the infographic is all over the place
An infographic tells a story, and a story has a beginning and end complete with supporting information. The main point of your infographic needs to be consistent throughout and not branch out into too many sub-topics. Having supporting details is great, just make sure they don’t cause the topic of your infographic to drift off course.
7. There was no outreach plan
If your infographic design company simply created an infographic without an outreach plan in mind then the project was doomed from the beginning. You can’t simply publish an infographic on your website and expect to sit back and let the traffic and buzz pour in — it just doesn’t work like that. Developing an outreach strategy can result in a long-term content asset. An infographic we created about why local businesses need to be found on mobile devices has generated thousands of social shares and continues to drive traffic to our website every single day. This is because we have a well thought out and executed outreach plan.
8. Too many colors and the design is too busy
It is important that your infographic maintain a similar style throughout the entire piece. Combining several styles and a rainbow of colors will result in an infographic that is too busy and hard to focus on. Remember, while design is important the goal is to have people interact with the infographic.
9. The size just isn’t right
Take a look at some of the most popular infographics to see the ideal “sweet spot” in terms of length. An infographic that is too short isn’t going to command attention and if it is too long and drawn out it isn’t going to be able to hold the viewers interest long enough for them to get through the entire piece.
10. It includes incorrect facts and inaccurate data
Not every infographic design company is going to put in the effort required to harvest compelling factual data. The last thing you want is an infographic with a bunch of random data that isn’t even correct. Quoting authority sources is a great way to build credibility, so make sure that whomever is researching the data for your infographic has a team of experienced data miners that are going to dig up the best information about your topic.
Hiring an infographic design company that understands who your target audience is and exactly what your brand is all about is the first step. A successful infographic requires an amazing idea along with compelling data and design – and this will only be accomplished if your infographic designer has a grasp on who they are targeting.
Read more: 10 Reasons Why Some Infographics Fail