Infographics are a proven way to showcase your message, raise brand awareness and establish authority in your niche. But what makes a knockout infographic that gets more shares, drives traffic and attracts quality links from quality, relevant websites? In this infographic we share proven tips for creating an infographic that gets results, by revealing 7 elements or “superpowers” that you need to consider across your infographic design, story and promotion – with all tips and strategies featured on an infographic for your reference. Traditionally “visual” platforms like Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook are leading the way in this trend towards Visual Social Media, but it is no longer just those platforms that are integrating images into the mix. Even sites like LinkedIn and Twitter are embracing images. There are 3 elements to a successful infographic that gets shared and drives traffic: Storyboarding, Design and Promotion Each element is equally as important as the next. Without a story or message that is relevant to your ideal audience or “viewer”, your design will fall down.Without great design, your story is not effectively showcased…and it goes without saying that without strategic promotion of your infographic, it won’t be seen by the right audience. Each element is equally important. None of these elements stand alone, for instance: Storyboarding happens early on when you are planning your infographic but it also happens throughout the design phase. Sometimes your message might seem great on paper, but when it is turned into visuals, you may need to tweak the wording, imagery, positioning or even overall message. Design of an infographic takes into account your promotion phase as you are doing it. Consider who you will be reaching out to about your infographic? Are there brands or websites or industry influencers/leaders who you can reference in your infographic? Can you “feature” them with quotes, stats, industry case studies or source references? Everyone likes to be showcased in a positive way! Put simply, from start to finish, your infographic will see the intertwining of Storyboarding, Design and Promotion. In this infographic we showcase 7 elements or "superpowers" of an effective Infographic: 1 Story 2 Style 3 Simplicity 4 Size 5 Stats 6 Shareability 7 Source Please note: Not all elements are required for all infographics – this is merely a collection of elements or ideas that you can include. And remember that there are no rules with infographics. You are only limited by your creativity and the elements mentioned above. Some infographics are “traditional” or data driven, others are summaries of blog posts, or more “how-to” in nature. One of our most shared infographics was a simple representation of a real-life Linkedin Profile.

1. Grabs
attention
[Infographic]
keyword
@SociallySorted
of
a
story
...Every infographic
conveys a main idea
or concept
What’s
The Big
Idea?
images
data
text
connect the
dots to share
your story
help, educate
or inspire your
target audience
Showcase your
provide
support and
structure
to your
story
graphs
maps
WOW!
Stats
Infographic posts are shared more
readily than traditional posts on
Twitter, Linkedin and Stumbleupon.
It’s not
about the
pie graph:
53%of the
most-shared
infographics
do not
actually
contain data
visualization
most popular
infographic
topics
Stats should be Current,
Topical, Factual, Helpful
and Reliable
TIP:
1
2
3
technology
business
social media
the economy
health
optimize your
Infographic
for Sharingshareability
Embed your
infographic in a Blog Post
Share with influential
bloggers in your industry
Share on social media
Include an embed code
• Include Source Info & URL
• Overlay your Company
Logo/Twitter/Info
• Add Pin It Button to
your website + images
WEBSITE
KA-POW!
INCLUDE A FACEBOOK-
READY IMAGE IN
YOUR BLOG POST
FOR eASY SHARING
Use Short, Attention-
Grabbing Headlines
that Tease
After initial traffic spike,
share infographics
on SlideShare
• Share Infographics
to LinkedIn
• INFOGRAPHICS ON
LINKEDIN GET HIGH
CLICK-THROUGH-RATE
& DRIVE TRAFFIC 4 infographic
posts attract
448% more
“actions” than
traditional
posts. 5
TIP:
Always drive
traffic back to
your website
s
A well-styled
Infographic is...
POP!
Hierarchial
- Use size,
colour
& images to
make important
information
Digestable
– bite size
chunks of
information
Visually
appealing
Balanced
and
consistent
STYLE!
Visual.ly: http://blog.visual.ly/top-30-viral-infographics/
Mashable (via Top Marketing Schools):
http://mashable.com/2013/01/26/infographics-marketing/
Bit Rebels:
http://www.bitrebels.com/social/social-media-analytics-
impact-infographic/
Source
1
4&5
2&3
Created with X-ray Vision by sociallysorted.com.au
Soci
Sorted
s
Use
reputable
sources
Confirm
your
facts
be consistent
and limit
your fonts
restrict your
colour palette
simplicity
Establish flow and
connection from
section to section
stick to one
style for images/
graphics/photos
BOOm
images
blue
ORANGE
GREEN
RED
White space
is powerful
the size should
fit the medium
Host a preview
image and a
full
infographic
on your blog
Use a
Compressed
JPEG image
to reduce
load-time
SizE!
Size Does Matter.
Experiment with
shorter lengths
(1000-2500 pixels)
TIP:
pow
bam
Ideal Horizontal Width is now 735 pixels
- Don't go wider than this to avoid resizing
keepitunder5000pixelshigh.
Toolongandyouloseattention
Always check
current dimensions
- subject to change
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1000
500
1500
2500
3500
4500
2000
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4000
5000
100pixels 200 300 400 500 600 700
pixels