How to maximize your infographic’s impact in gaming

Infographics are undoubtedly a great way to broadcast your message. They allow you to get across vast amounts of complex information in a visually appealing and easily digestible way.

That said, it’s not a case of one size fits all and there are some key dos and don’ts when it comes to making sure your infographic has the biggest impact on your audience. To ensure this is the case, you might want to ask yourself the following questions. Is your infographic to the point? Is the information clear? Does it attract your audience? And what kind of message is the design trying to get across? The beauty of an infographic is that no matter how complex a topic, it can present it in a way that will sustain your audience’s interest. So, don’t over complicate it. Infographics can cover even the heaviest of subjects in an attractive and enjoyable way. It’s all about combining the key messages of your content with attractive visuals – which is proven to help readers process information more efficiently. Visual information is also more likely to be retained by your audience. So, baring all that in mind, where should you start? Take a look at these 5 key features and follow these tips to ensure your infographic has the maximum impact.

Think about the theme

An infographic can tell any story you want it to, you just need to identify it and stick to it. Don’t get distracted by trying to achieve too much with your design. For the message to be clear pick an infographic theme that’s right for your content. Just ask yourself, what is your infographic going to show? Is it going to prove a point using figures and statistics? Or will it tell a story through short hard-hitting facts? One particularly popular infographic theme — which is used to show stages of development or progression — is a timeline. They are especially effective as their linear format is well suited to punchy copy and corresponding graphics which the audience can follow with ease. These are commonly used to show company growth or the impact of certain actions over time. Infographics are also a great way to emphasize any benefits you want to discuss in your content.

For example, gaming companies can use infographics to highlight any unique features that will attract players. Online casino Caesars Games used this eye-catching infographic to show off the variety of themes, game types and bonus levels you can enjoy by playing their free slots.

Alternatively, if your aim is to use an infographic to support an argument you might want to try data visualization. Hundreds of words of copy can instantly be summarized in one colorful diagram. Other great infographic themes include anatomy of designs and products, how-to demonstrations, comparison diagrams, lists and maps. You can always use a combination of the above themes if that’s what suits your content. Just remember that the busier the infographic, the harder it is for all the information to be absorbed by your audience. If you’ve a lot to say in a small space, try breaking up your infographic into different sections and follow a specific design pattern or trend for each. Ensure you can distinguish between the themes and points of each section to keep its overall message clear. Using an appealing color scheme is a great way to do this.

Visuals are vital

Infographics are all about visual learning. Back up your content with interesting and eye-catching graphics and illustrations to get the most out of the piece. The combined effect, if done right, will help your message be retained by your audience far longer than a simple piece of copy. In fact, adding visuals to your content can help improve audience recall by 65%. Infographics are also 30% more likely to be read than a piece of text copy, so every aspect of the design is vital if you want to maximize its impact. Don’t overlook the importance of colors. After all, a particular color scheme may not detract from your message, but there may be another option that will reinforce it. Consider using a visual metaphor playing on colors to highlight key facts in your data. Take, for example, an infographic highlighting the terrible statistics surrounding ocean pollution. Colors which evoke the sea contrasting with darker shades widely associated with waste will tell the story before your statistics have even been taken in. Think about the entire journey of your infographic from beginning to end. Delivering an understanding of your message through color will only spark a bigger reaction from your audience. Alternatively, if you’re looking to get across a simpler or data-driven message you can also use color coding to get your point across. There are so many attention-grabbing ways to do this. Colour-focussed diagrams, which can stand by themselves or as a group, are great for portraying your statistic-focused message in a clear and concise way.

Image credit: Pixaby

Keep copy clean

There’s one main rule when it comes to writing copy for your infographic – keep it simple and to the point. Focus on your main message and ensure it’s as concise as possible. The reason infographics resound with audiences far longer than entirely copy-focused content is that they are easily digestible chunks of information. ‘Less is more’ is a great rule to follow when drafting your infographic. Firstly, decide on an intriguing or attention-grabbing headline that’s going to urge your audience to find out more. While they may be initially distracted by the colors or design of your infographic, the headline is likely to be the first thing they actually read. Keep it creative, interesting, even funny, if that suits your topic. After all, you want your audience to want to find out more so write a headline that will draw them in. Don’t give the game away too soon. Secondly, you may need some explainer text, particularly if your infographic is heavily data and diagram focused. There’s no point having fantastically displayed statistics and amazing visuals if you don’t provide any context, so make sure the audience knows exactly what you’re talking about and why. When it comes to context, graphs and charts are also pretty useless unless they are clearly labelled. Focus on creating appealing visuals with a crystal-clear message. Stick to action-focused and strong verbs that evoke feelings of activity and movement, rather than unnecessarily wordy sections. It’s also essential every aspect of your design is clearly linked to the other visuals, as well as to the overall conversation. Tying features of your infographic neatly together is a job for both the copywriter and the visual designer, so the message flows clearly.

Display your data

When it comes to data, the rule is the same as copy. Don’t over complicate it. Data and figures give your message authority but including too many statistics will only disrupt it. While it can be tempting to throw as many supporting figures in as you can, it can likely do the opposite of your desired effect. Hand pick the statistics you think broadcast your message the best and stick with them. Also, ensure all your data is presented clearly. Don’t be tempted to over-embellish key points. If there’s too much going on in the design, it may detract from your message or the instant visual appeal of the infographic. Color choices are vital in letting the important data pop from the paper or webpage. Stick to well-known formats as they are easy to read. While your headlines and other visuals can be eye-catching and intriguing don’t get too creative with data where it’s not needed. If a simple pie chart has the most impact then that should be taken into account. Finally, infographics want to inform the audience, so highlight facts or statistics that may be unusual and uncommon. If a fact is unexpected it’s likely to have a greater effect on the reader.

Know your audience

Put simply, if you know what your audience wants then it’s easier to tell them a story. It’s a pretty safe bet that, no matter how niche your audience, one thing they will be interested in is saving time. Through an infographic the reader can absorb all the information they need in a matter of seconds, as opposed to painstakingly reading through an entire blog. As well as its time-saving appeal, the visual aspects of infographics are vital. Images are processed 60,000 times faster by the human brain than plain text so coming up with a design that is going to speak directly to your audience could push the impact of your infographic up to the next level. So, who are they? Identify your audience and tailor each feature to suit them. Are they millennials looking for inspiration or advice? Are they busy mums looking for a quick how-to guide? Whichever demographic is your focus, make sure your tweak your design to speak to them directly.

Finally, if your infographic sends the right message to the right reader, then there is a good chance they will want to share it with likeminded people. So, make it easy for them to do so. Can your infographic be downloaded and printed by your subscribers or customers? Have you shared it out across your social channels? Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest are all great platforms for promoting your Infographic and sharing its message.