Blog posts, podcasts and videos aren’t the only options for sharing content on your law firm’s website and social media platforms. Infographics offer an easy way for readers to review — and quickly grasp — visualized data. They are an engaging way to educate clients and prospects and share your knowledge. Quick examples:
- An Illinois law firm uses infographics to share legal facts about bicycle accidents.
- A California firm uses an infographic to suggest how to give good testimony.
Infographics are easy to share through email, on your website or through social media. To get the most out of infographics, though, you’ll need to follow a few best practices.
Use an Infographic Creator App
You could pay a graphic designer or visual data expert to create your infographics, but there are apps that allow you to create infographics less expensively and with minimal design skills. Infographic creator apps such as Piktochart and Venngage are a good place to start.
Pick the Best Format
Before you go through the trouble of creating an infographic, ask yourself if this is the best way to share this particular data. Not every piece of data is best shared in an infographic. Would your content present better in a chart or even in the text of a blog? Generally speaking, any content that is complemented by images and a story-style format will probably benefit from being presented in an infographic.
Tell the Story
Infographics must have a very clear and focused message. For example, if you’re creating an infographic about the rise in bankruptcy filings, you might include data on past bankruptcy filings, present bankruptcy filings, and predictions about future bankruptcy filings. That’s a clear beginning, middle and end.
The same storytelling style can be used to visually convey how a client progresses through the legal system for their case — all illustrated with clip art or other graphics, of course.
Check Your Facts
Do your research and cross-check any data you find. Nothing will be more annoying to your audience than reading an infographic with inaccurate information — and it can be harmful to your reputation. You should also list and include links to your sources — for your reference and the reference of the reader.
Stay Focused
No matter how much interesting data you uncover, don’t share data that doesn’t reinforce the main theme and story of your infographic. For example, when you’re creating an infographic about the rise in bankruptcy filings, don’t include stats on celebrity bankruptcy filings just because you find it interesting. All data must be directly relevant to the infographic.
Know Your Audience
If you’re designing for other lawyers, information should be presented in a way they will understand and respect. The same rule applies to clients. If you’re designing an infographic for clients, the data should be easy to understand: No legalese.
Brand Your Infographic
Be sure to include a link to your firm’s website on the infographic so that readers know your law firm created it. Consider designing your infographic using your logo and colors so that it aligns with your overall brand and personality.
Make It Shareable
Your infographic should include social media buttons, along with an ability to text or email the infographic to a friend. The more readers share your infographic, the more exposure your law firm will get — especially if the infographic gets any type of significant attention online.
Add Variety to Your Content Marketing
To keep your audience engaged, you can’t just share the same types of media continuously. Sometimes you have to mix things up. Experiment with infographics and see how they enhance your marketing.
Lynn Luong is Digital Marketing Manager for Smokeball, a case management software that increases productivity and efficiency for solo attorneys and small law firms. Lynn has over eight years of experience in marketing with a focus on digital, by developing successful strategies and managing many areas of marketing. Follow her @LynnLuong.
Illustration ©iStockPhoto.com
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