Infographics are amazing on their own, but imagine adding a bit of interactivity to them. The future of content lies in interactivity, and what better place to add this design element than to infographics?
In this post, we’re going to explore eight reasons why you should be using interactive infographics as part of your content marketing strategy.
Let’s get started!
1. The Brain is Visually Wired
The brain is wired to prefer visual learning. That’s why it gets excited when it sees images over text.
As the infographic 13 Reasons Why Your Brain Craves Infographics explains, almost 50 percent of the brain is involved in visual processing. Seventy percent of sensory receptors are in the eyes. In 1/10 of a second, you can scan the scene ahead of you.
2. The Brain Learns Visually and Kinetically
Visuals aren’t the entire kitten caboodle. They can only go so far in helping the human brain retain information.
Another vital component is kinetic learning, which means that people are better able to make sense of information through a physical activity. When you combine both visual and kinetic learning, you have a recipe for success.
An interactive infographic contains both types of learning approaches, making it memorable and effective. The visuals capture the user’s attention and draws them in, while the interactive elements help them to absorb and retain information. Any control you can give to the user is a good thing.
3. We’re on Information Overload
Another reason why you should consider using more interactive infographics is because your readers’ brains are tired.
We receive roughly five times the amount of information as we did in 1986, and people are shutting down. The brain can’t handle all of this information, let alone make sense of it. That’s why people tend to skim through content or only read the titles.
At the same time, people do care about being educated and learning more about the things they love. So we need to find new ways of delivering information. Interactive infographics fit the bill. They’re engaging, accessible and easy to share with others.
4. Following Directions is Easier with Visuals
Did you know that people following directions with text and illustrations perform 323 percent better than people without them?
If you’ve ever put together a piece of furniture or a children’s toy, you know just how important illustrations are! The same holds true for your readers.
Think about how hard it can be to get people to follow through with your desired request, whether it’s filling out a form or signing up for a newsletter. An interactive infographic can increase conversions by encouraging users to follow directions and complete the action.
5. Scrolling (a Staple in Infographics) Comes Natural to Us
One of the first actions that we take when jumping on our news feeds or a website is scrolling. Scrolling just comes naturally. Luckily, you can use this to your advantage. When scrolling triggers an animation or action, it encourages users to continue doing what they started. This way, they are more likely to interact with your infographic.
Scrolling is ideal for storytelling, but it can be used for other purposes. The intent is to make the user feel engaged and excited without presenting them with too much information at once.
6. We Need Time to Digest Information
When we’re given too much information at once, we can feel overwhelmed, which leads to frustration. To prevent this from happening, interactive infographics display a small amount of information at one time, giving users an opportunity to digest what’s there before moving on.
To make this successful, the elements on each page should be interactive so that the user has to click through them rather than scroll. Not all topics will benefit from this type of design, but some will, particularly those that share a lot of facts.
7. Infographics Minimize Confusion
Infographics do an excellent job of sharing a lot of data at once without overwhelming readers. They also present information in short blocks of text, minimizing confusion.
The way information is presented plays a large role in how well it is understood and remembered. Interactive inforgraphics cut out unnecessary noise and clutter and only focus on key facts and figures.
Not only is information delivered in a straightforward way, but also infographics can utilize color, images, maps, graphs, charts and more to illustrate the main points.
8. We Like to be Active Participants
Let’s talk about rollover functionality. An interactive infographic that offers rollover functionality allows users to actively participate in the experience, helping them to retain information better. By rolling over different parts of the infographic, users can pique their curiosity and explore the areas that interest them.
Moreover, rollover functionality personalizes the user experience. Rather than offering the same experience to each user, they can make their interactions unique based on their preferences and interests.
Conclusion
Interactive infographics are the future. They’re engaging, persuasive and just plain fun to read. With interactive properties, users have more control, allowing them to personalize their experience and absorb information in a way that relates to them. As you look to expand your content marketing strategy today and in the future, be sure that interactive infographics are a part of it.
