Dynamics of content marketing are changing rapidly with the rise of “visual web.” Visual form of content is much more powerful than simple text and rising statistics suggest that consumers find it more engaging. Per Hubspot, the number of searches for infographics on Google has increased over 800%. Some statistics even tout that the Infographic production rate is expected to increase by 1% every day.
Nowadays, digital consumers seek simple yet meaningful information that can be read in a short span of time over the Internet. Owing to this change in consumer behavior patterns, marketing experts have widely taken to this medium to build online brands. When it comes to healthcare, understanding difficult terms can be an arduous task for a layman. Infographics can provide respite as they display data and information in an easily intelligible visual display.
You can create powerful infographics that inform and engage patients while spreading the word about your brand. Read below for some quick tips to create “healthy” healthcare infographics:
Do some good research to gather trending topics
Infographics will deliver successful leads only when people find them interesting. A smart strategy is to create infographics on contemporary trends and topics. For instance, during the recent outbreak of Zika virus social media and search engines were flooded with information for millions of people seeking knowledge about the disease, its outbreak, prevention measures and medicinal cure. If your hospital/practice takes up the initiative of creating useful infographics which educate, inform and engage people, it definitely creates a sense of trust and credibility.
Make sure the data and statistics are accurate and come from reliable sources
When patients refer to infographics, they rely on the information provided to them. As infographics serve the purpose of presenting complex medical information in a lucid way, patients refer to them to educate themselves on their health conditions. Make sure to double-check the information for scientific relevance, accuracy and reliability of statistics.
Design the infographics keeping simplicity in mind
Infographics come out to be the best when they explain complex data in simple form. The design and layout play a very important part in creating a meaningful infographic. It should have a clear purpose and should be designed specifically for your target audience. It’s always a good idea to limit the use of a number of fonts and stick to a few colors while getting an infographic designed.
Strictly stick to topics designed for your target audience
While drafting the idea for an infographic, make sure to streamline the information and customize it to your target audience. For instance, an infographic for educating patients about preventing diabetes with lifestyle modifications should focus on practical ways in which healthy eating and exercise can help prevent the disease/manage its symptoms. Here providing information about the disease will be redundant. Infographics provide the advantage of distilling complex ideas into simple visual forms that can be understood by one and all. Maintain their natural form by keeping them as simple and specific as possible.
Choose the right size for mobile devices
A large majority of people use mobile devices for reading information on the Internet. If the infographics are too heavy, your website will take a long time to load on the mobile screens and you may lose visitors. So, it’s always a good idea to use a compressed JPEG format to reduce the size of the infographic. Also, ensure that the infographics are responsive, i.e. they should automatically adapt to any screen size to facilitate easy viewing experience.
Content marketing has started becoming more image-centric, a trend that is likely to gain more momentum in the coming years. Infographics can be leveraged as one of the most effective ways to communicate with patients, establish authority, gain online visibility and increase shares across social platforms.