There once was a time where infographics were the go-to medium when it came to content marketing. Informative, engaging, and easy to share, they present the ultimate trifecta for attracting traffic, gaining links, and generating leads.But the raving about infographics has seemingly died down a bit. They aren’t a fresh concept anymore.It takes a bit more effort to get users psyched to download, share, and link to an infographic; even more effort to make it go viral.How do you create infographics that stand out from the rest and drive traffic to your website?Here are 10 ways to step up your infographic game.
1. Conduct Market Research:
There’s no sure indicator whether your infographic is going to get your audience hooked, but conducting market research before you start creating the graphic will get you close.You want to come up with a concept that your audience is, in fact, interested in.You can conduct market research by surveying your audience regarding their most burning industry questions. The goal is to figure out what they really want to know. Some questions to ask them include:- What’s the #1 question you have about [topic/industry]?
- What’s your biggest struggle when it comes to [accomplishing goal]?
- If you could sit down with an [industry] expert, what would you ask them?
- What 3 things do you find most interesting about [topic/industry]?
2. Identify Viral Topics:

3. Lay Out a Content Marketing Plan:
Before actually creating your infographic (which takes time and money), it’s best to lay out a marketing plan to ensure that you will make a return on your investment.Creating an infographic and waiting for traffic to trickle in isn’t the best approach.Even if your primary goal is to gain organic traffic, you at least need to determine how you plan on optimizing the page or post in order to rank in the search results.But beyond that, it’s worth laying out a robust marketing plan that gets your infographic in front of as many eyes as possible, using social media, email marketing, and even paid ads.If you previously reached out to your audience for market research purposes, it’s a great idea to send the finished product out to them.You may even consider which trending hashtags you should use on social media.Should you create a roundup post of industry experts in order to encourage backlinks?These are all things to consider before ever even creating your graphic.4. Think Outside the Box:

- How can you make your chosen topic more exciting?
- In what new ways can you visualize the data?
- Are there any symbols or graphics that would catch readers’ attention?
- Can you incorporate humor into your infographic?
- What’s something others in your industry haven’t dared to do before?
5. Dig Into the Data:
While many people focus on the graphic part of the infographic (i.e., how to make it look pretty), it’s just as important (if not more important) to focus on the info part.Dig into the date first, then create the graphics around the data to make it interesting.People don’t want to read a rehashing of old concepts and statistics they have seen before.If you have new data to share, some study results to publish, or an exciting case study to present, now’s the opportunity to do just that. Share information that your audience is unlikely to find anywhere else.Once you have this data (and you are sure it’s of interest to your audience), your job is to visualize the data in a way that makes sense.- Is there a creative way to display this information?
- What can you do that will make the data more meaningful and memorable?
6. Create Content That Tells a Story:

7. Set the Mood:
Similar to creating content that tells a story, you want to create content that inspires some kind of emotion in the reader. Intrigue, surprise, shock, and even confusion are enough to get people talking.Of course, you don’t want to create anything that is going to attract negative publicity to your business. Be considerate of controversial topics before you release your infographic into the world.Your goal is to get people interested and sharing your content, not bashing your brand and drumming up a bunch of negative attention.Infographics that inspire emotions are those that get remembered and shared. Capitalize on human psychology to make your graphic go viral.8. Build Out a Sleek and Interesting Design:

- Does the way the information is organized make sense?
- Are you visualizing the data in a new way?
- Are the graphics clear and crisp?
- Is the text easy to read?
- Is the image web-friendly?
- Are the colors and fonts on-brand?
- Does the graphic include your logo and/or brand name?
- Does the infographic have a catchy, bold title?
- Is the image optimized for social sharing?
- Is the image viewable on a mobile device?