Well, not exactly, but with the plethora of media and communication that everybody is subjected to on a daily basis, statistics and data can become harder to make sense of or, just as importantly, put into a tangible context.

No more so than in customer evidence, where statistics or ROI measurement is usually the bedrock of a customer story, but where even the most mind-blowing set of results can easily get, well…lost in the noise.

This is where information graphics, or ‘infographics’ as they are often referred to, can cut through and offer a stunningly simple visual interpretation of what can, let’s be honest, sometimes be a dry and at first glance uninspiring set of statistics. 

But what exactly are Infographics? Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education.  As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so to illustrate my point, here's a great infographic which shows why you shouldn't feel too guilty if you've not updated your twitter feed over the Christmas holiday...

(with thanks to David McCandless)

Also, here's a link to some of the best Infographics around, as selected by Visualisation Magazine - http://visualisationmagazine.com/100datavis.htm

Customer Evidence and Infographics — the benefits

So how does the use of Infographics translate to customer evidence?

• Infographics explain a situation more easily and save time: they can convey a lot of information in just a few words and it is easily understandable, it saves time that may be used to explain a complex situation that may not be easily understood by employees or customers
• Infographics can provide measurement: by creating an interactive image whereby clicks and audience behaviours can be mapped.

Infographics - using data visualisation for SEO

Images in general have a lower SEO impact than text copy, but there are a few ways they can be used to benefit a site’s search engine optimisation and this mostly comes down to the link bait potential that InfoGraphics represent.

For customer evidence, an InfoGraphic can have roll over ‘hot spots’, with pop ups linking to other media such as a podcast or video, or to link to a quote, summary or paragraph of interest within the body copy. 

Maximising Infographics SEO benefits:

• Promote the Infographic using social media bookmarking and networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
• Submit the Infographic to data visualisation directories, to generate attention from designers and additional links
• Name the Infographic file with relevant, hyphen-separated keywords, to try and influence anchor text for any links generated
• Host the Infographic on image directories such as Flickr.

Metia produced graphics

Here’s an example of work Metia has produced for clients which involve the use of graphics.

Make the Most of Your Time on Earth website: http://makethemost.roughguides.com/

Next blog…How NOT to use infographics…