Conducting research for an infographic can be a daunting task, but with the right approach, it can also be incredibly rewarding. In this ultimate guide, we will explore some of the best practices for researching content for an infographic. From defining your audience to sourcing reliable data, we’ll cover everything you need to know to create an infographic that truly resonates with your target audience. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting, this guide will guide you on how to conduct research for infographics and provide valuable insights that will help you craft engaging and informative infographics that get noticed.
What is an Infographic?
An infographic is a kind of content that contains information that customers can quickly read and understand. Infographics offer readers rapid learning opportunities by clearly presenting data and statistics. To effectively communicate the information provided, they may also contain images, charts, different colours, and other elements. They illustrate to be valuable and practical pieces of information.
The Different Types of Infographics
- Static Infographics: In contrast to lengthy written material, this kind of infographic emphasises visuals and visual information. Static infographics are designed to look good on computer screens and mobile devices. They are mostly employed to showcase goods and other services. Additionally, it is utilised to distribute and display information on social media.
- Animated Infographics: This kind of infographic is used to tell stories or visually display information and statistics. As is the case with action-based infographics, they are typically used to explain a process or the operation of a system. They make it possible to manage the user experience
- Interactive Infographics: You may visualise massive quantities of data and information using this sort of infographic. Infographics with interactive elements are frequently used to encourage user participation. They enable you to concentrate on certain information while visualising vast amounts of data. To attract users and encourage them to visit the website, these types of infographics have a very appealing and user-friendly profile.
Why are Infographics Still Effective?
An infographic is a visual representation of text that assists you in creatively and quickly conveying a complicated message to your target audience.
Why are they so important, then?
- Infographics effectively and attractively convey your quality content, and they also help you keep readers’ interest.
- Infographics aid in improving a website’s position in search results when used in conjunction with other web elements.
- Infographics make complex topics attractive and easy to understand.
- Because of the constant advancements in technology, many people are using their cell phones to look up information or websites. One of the best ways to distribute the material to smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices is through infographics.
A well-designed infographic has a lasting impression on your target viewers.
How to Conduct Research for Infographics?
Target your Audience
It’s essential to consider your intended audience before you begin your topic’s investigation. Market research is crucial because it forces you to consider the impact of your content rather than just one particular piece of material.
Before beginning infographic research, content creators should consider the following questions to ask themselves to make an effective one.
And the questions are,
- Who does information searches on this subject? What are their ages, occupations, and characteristics?
- What feelings do you want your infographic to bring up?
- What action do you want people to take after viewing your infographic?
Utilise Keyword Research to Discover the Image
When it comes to optimizing images for search engines, one of the best places to start is keyword research. By identifying the keywords that your audience is using to search for content related to your infographic, to better serve their needs and boost the likelihood that your material will appear in search results, you can optimise your photos.
Once you have identified your target keywords, use them strategically throughout your infographic. This includes using them in the image file name, alt text, and caption. Additionally, be sure to include your targeted keyword in the meta description of your webpage where your infographic is hosted, as this can also help boost your image’s visibility in search engine results pages.
By leveraging keyword research to find SEO opportunities for your images, you can increase the likelihood of your infographic being discovered by your target audience and drive more traffic to your website.
Expand Your Search Phrases
Don’t constrain your content once you’ve started your study on the subject of your infographic by the perspective you believe it should take. It’s a good idea to undertake some general research on a subject to get a general understanding of it but keep in mind that this research may affect the information you find.
For instance, if you intended to create an infographic about how to monetize your blog and simply looked into advertising as a way to do so, the information you gathered wouldn’t be sufficient to produce an exhaustive infographic. Research a subject, not a particular narrative or viewpoint, until you have more specific information.
Extract Information From Reliable, and Verified Sources
When deciding whether to use data you discover during your research process in your content, we advise using the following criteria:
- If you come across any statistics while conducting your research, find the original data source. Due to the abundance of blogs and news sources, the same figure might be cited on numerous websites without referencing the source. Locate the original research source of any intriguing data points you wish to use in your infographic.
- When conducting research, you should also consider the location of your study. Anybody or any organisation can launch a website and publish content, but that doesn’t mean that everything you read online should be taken as a revelation.
Utilise Current Information
You invested time and money into gathering information and creating a fantastic infographic.
For other sites to be interested in referring to your graphic once it has been published, make sure you cite current data. To ensure that your graphic remains useful for several months to come, we advise sticking with data that is one to two years old.
With that said, some of the original study data that would support your infographic might have already been the norm for its sector more than two years ago.
Consider Different Visualisations of Your Data
The average word count of the most popular infographics was just under 400. This means that to convey the meaning of the data, the graphics depended on data visualisations, charts, and illustrations.
Since readers of blogs typically expect to read them, but not necessarily to closely examine them, research for blog posts differs from research for infographics.
While conducting your research, consider the data that can be represented visually. Graphs and charts make it simple to visualise numerical data, including percentages, survey findings, and changes over time.
Build a Story Using the Information
When you believe your research is complete, try to organise the narrative your graphic will convey. possibly you should even storyboard your infographic: Your data points should be written out and organised in the order that they will be shown in the infographic. Is the plot coherent? You haven’t finished your research if the story isn’t obvious.
It’s simple to become mired in the narrative you believe your visual should convey, but does the research data support that narrative? According to Vertical Measures, you should allow the infographic’s topic and story to be guided by the research.
Conclusion
In conclusion, conducting research for an infographic is a crucial step in creating a successful and informative visual representation of data. This ultimate guide highlights key steps in the research process, including defining your target audience, determining your information sources, selecting relevant data, and organizing and analyzing that data. By following these steps, you can ensure that your infographic is accurate, informative, and visually appealing to your intended audience.
