4 Tips for Creating Engaging Nonprofit Infographics That Stand Out

Nonprofit fundraisers and marketers are always looking for new ways to communicate and engage with their community of supporters. In recent years new channels have emerged including social media, digital and email marketing amongst a few others. As part of our social media series for nonprofit fundraising, I have written about this in posts like 4 Insights from 2013 Social Media Marketing Report Nonprofits Can Learn From, 6 Tips for End-of-Year Nonprofit Fundraising Email Campaigns for Stronger Results and Strategies to Posting Nonprofit Fundraising Content to Social Media at the Best Times. One creative way that has been popular in recent years to communicate information is through an ‘infographic’ which is defined as: “a visual representation of information or data, e.g. as a chart or diagram” (Oxford Dictionaries). A well-prepared infographic can be beneficial as it can communicate important information while engaging supporters with content that is likely to be shared with their networks. Creating an infographic may seem daunting with finding the necessary creativity and time but with some planning and the right resources, it’s easier than you may think. The following are 4 tips to consider when creating an infographic:

1. Data Driven – An infographic works because it provides your audience informational data that supports the overall message you want to deliver. You may have a well thought out creative concept with images but without the supporting data the finished product will lack in substance and not relay the right information. Collecting, reviewing and analyzing the data are the first few critical steps in the creation of your infographic.
2. Consider Platforms – Prior to beginning your infographic it’s critical to determine which platforms your audience will likely view it on. Infographics have a tendency to be larger images so you’ll want to ensure it can be viewed on mobile devices without distortion. It’s best to optimize the image along with the hosting page/website so all readers can receive the infographic as intended.
3. Story Telling – Ultimately an infographic not only communicates a message but tells a story. It’s important to consider your audience and how to best relate the story to them. Even before considering images and graphics for your piece it’s important to write out a three-part story that includes an introduction, middle and a conclusion while making the story be told by the collected data. Another key aspect to keep in mind is to keep it simple by not over-communicating – only include the key components of the story by showing more and telling less. The KISS rule usually applies here.
4. Image Selection –It’s important to be unique and select images that will be attention grabbing and stand out from the crowd. We often fall back on using common images, charts or graphs that have been used in past presentations, however take the extra time to search for or design new images. Images add to the appeal of your infographic. Much like with infographic story telling , it’s important to keep the selections of your images simple yet relevant and uniform in colour and design.

Once you have the finished product share it with your community through your website, blog, social media networks, including it on an email or newsletter and other communication channels. Once shared it’s also key to keep track of how it is performing in terms of views, shares and other digital marketing metrics. As you create more infographics you will have a basis for comparison and be able to determine which ones performed best and tailor future projects with the same key aspects.  Your first one will likely be the most labourious, but with time and practice you will be able to easily produce quality infographics that will stand out.

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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.