The Power Of Infographics: Using Pictures To Communicate And Connect With Your Audiences

Description

Need to overcome information overload and get your message across? Infographics are your secret weapon. Using them, you can deliver knowledge and ideas visually, so your audiences can understand them quickly - and take action. In The Power of Infographics, Mark Smiciklas helps you understand how to leverage the use of powerful infographics: visual representations capable of transforming complex data or concepts into intuitive, instant knowledge. Writing from a business perspective, Smiciklas reveals how to use infographics both inside and outside the organization: to build brands, make sales, serve clients, align teams behind new strategies, and more. This straightforward, visual, common-sense based book explains: * What infographics are, and why they work so well * How to visualize statistical data, business processes, time, geography, lists, relationships, and concepts * How to communicate the "personal" through infographics * Best practices for observation, processing ideas, creating highly effective infographics, and publishing them * How to plan for and measure the ROI of infographics * And much more...

Author description

Mark Smiciklas is the president of Intersection Consulting, a Vancouver-based digital marketing and communications agency that teaches organizations how to leverage the dynamics of Web 2.0 to achieve business goals. He is an established digital marketing and social media practitioner recognized for his visual thinking and strategic, no-nonsense approach. His service offering is framed by core beliefs in listening, stakeholder engagement, trust creation, and employee empowerment. An interest in the evolution of social business continues to motivate him, as does a passion for teaching. Smiciklas has developed and taught social media strategy classes for undergraduates and adult learners at a number of Canadian universities. He also has spoken about a wide variety of digital marketing topics at corporate and public events and workshops. His genuine love of technology and people continues to ignite ongoing learning and new thinking that aim to help individuals and organizations connect with their audiences. Smiciklas hangs out full-time at intersectionconsulting.com/ blog. He can be found on Twitter at @Intersection1. He is also a regular contributor to socialmediaexplorer.com, the popular digital and social media marketing and online communications blog. He lives in North Vancouver, BC, Canada, with his lovely wife, three kids, and Max the dog.

Table of contents

Foreword by Guy Kawasaki xiii SECTION I: VISUAL COMMUNICATION Chapter 1 Infographics 101 3 What Are Infographics? 3 Infographics Defined 3 Infographic History 6 The Science of Visualization 7 Hardwiring 7 Easy on the Mind 7 Visual Learning 11 Why Infographics Work for Business 12 Easy to Digest 12 Shareability 15 The "Cool" Factor 16 Endnotes 16 SECTION II: BUSINESS INFORMATION NEEDS Chapter 2 Visualizing Numbers and Concepts 21 Statistics 21 Using Data to Tell a Story 22 The Benefits of Visualizing Research 24 Understanding the Risks 25 Ideas and Concepts 26 Using Visual Metaphors 27 Using Cartoons to Communicate Your Ideas 30 Case Study: The Kronos "Time Well Spent" Cartoon Series 33 Endnotes 34 Chapter 3 Visualizing How Things Work and Are Connected 35 Process 35 The Jargon Dilemma 37 Infographics Help Explain What You Do 38 Hierarchy 42 Business Hierarchies 42 Relationships 47 Simplified Systems Thinking 49 Business Models 49 Endnotes 55 Chapter 4 Visualizing Who, When, and Where 57 Personality 57 Brand Humanization 58 Infographic Resumes 60 Chronology 65 Business Timelines 65 Geography 69 Business Maps 69 Endnotes 72 SECTION III: CREATING INFOGRAPHICS Chapter 5 Infographic Prep Work 75 Purpose 77 Understanding Your Audiences' Information Needs 77 Audience Analysis 77 Setting Infographic Objectives 79 The Art of Observation 82 Seeing 82 Listening 83 Endnotes 86 Chapter 6 Processing Your Ideas 87 Recording Your Thoughts 87 I'm Not an Artist 87 Different Ways to Document 88 Info-Synthesis 90 The Five W's (and One H) of Infographics . 94 Endnotes 98 Chapter 7 Designing Your Infographics 99 The Critics 99 Infographic DIY 100 An Infographic Rant 100 The DIY Infographic Formula 103 Outsourcing 108 Going Pro 109 Working with Students 114 Endnotes 118 Chapter 8 Publishing Your Infographics 119 Audience Research 119 Online Publishing Channels 120 Infographic Home Base 122 Infographic Outposts 126 Offline Publishing Opportunities 133 Endnotes 133 SECTION IV: BUSINESS VALUE Chapter 9 Infographics as an Internal and External Communication Tool ... 137 Using Infographics to Build Your Brand 137 The Business of Infographics 138 Content Marketing 139 Promoting Your Infographics 148 Infographics Inside the Organization 153 Internal Adoption of Infographics 153 Internal Communication Opportunities 154 Endnotes 155 Chapter 10 Infographic ROI 157 Measuring the VOI (Value of Infographics) 159 Tangible Metrics 160 Intangible Benefits 163 Chapter 11 Infographic Resources 165 Guide to Visual Elements 165 Infographic Tools . 175 Visualization Tools 175 Design Elements 178 Further Reading 179 Information Designers, Consultants, and Agencies 181 Agencies 182 Freelance Designers 184 Consultants 187 Index 189