The average attention span is just a few seconds—and yet that’s how little time marketers have to grab consumers’ attention and drive engagement. 

For online marketing, this adage rings true: the simpler the better. Online consumers typically have a very low tolerance for long, drawn-out content that isn’t aesthetically appealing. The easier content is to consume, the better conversion rates for sales and sign-ups are for online marketers.

Cue the infographic. Create the perfect one in five steps.

Decide what you want to say.

First and foremost, decide what you want your infographic to be about. Don’t just throw together random information and hope it comes together. Consider the story you want to tell in your marketing. What do you want consumers to know about your brand, and how can this infographic tell them that? 

For example, a professional marketing company might want to position its brand as the expert on all things related to online marketing. So, their infographic could share insights into how online marketing differs between desktops, tablets or smartphones. An infographic like this simultaneously tells an interesting story for consumers and benefits the brand that created it.

Collect your information.

Once you have an idea about what you want your infographic to say, collect the data and information necessary to support it. Do not shape information to fit what you want to say. Shaping your thoughts to fit the information avoids your infographic looking biased or untrue. If you find data which strongly contradicts what you hoped to say, then reconsider your position on a topic. Valuable, research-driven info from sources worth citing will enrich your infographic.

Choose a template.

Next, choose an infographic design to display your information. If you or your team isn’t capable of creating your own, you can choose from a variety of different templates online. If you have a graphic designer in-house, have them devise a smart layout that emphasizes the most important takeaways with a clear hierarchy of the most relevant information. Be sure to cite your sources and stay on brand.

Customize your content.

Now it’s time to write and plot what’s going into the infographic. Here’s where you include all of the information and data you gathered, but in a simplified, easily digestible way. The infographic should tell a story 1–2 simple sentences at a time, from point A to point B all the way down to point Z. Make sure your content is easy to understand, while at the same time sharing significant information consumers should know. Look up additional infographics online for ideas for how best to simplify your content.

Share it with the masses. 

Finally, once your infographic is created, saved and ready to go, it’s time to share! Use your infographic as a source of content to promote your brand—through your website, blog, social media or email marketing. Share the infographic with current or potential clients as a way to promote your services and establish your brand as the expert in your field.