By Allen Haynes, Director, Public Relations

Infographics have been a prominent communication tool for a few years now, but should you turn your info into a graphic? The simple answer is yes. Here are three reasons why your brand should be using infographics.

1) Concise, engaging messaging

Not only do graphics communicate a message, but they can be more engaging than a press release or byline article – especially when your message is restricted by a condensed word count. If your subject matter is complex – or you simply have a lot of it – use an infographic to help make the material less complicated. This is also a good approach when demonstrating how a new product works.

2) Re-package archived writings to tell your story visually

If you already have written resources that support your message, these digital depictions give you multiple ways to tell the same story. And considering the amount of people with short attention spans, sometimes graphics are the only way to reach those suffering from information overload.

By giving a visual option, someone who wouldn’t think twice about passing up your five-page white paper, may be intrigued by a colorful, and crisp infographic. The goal? Provide just enough information in your graphic so that after seeing it, your audience wants to read additional related materials.

3) Shareablity -- people like photos

Perhaps the most important function of an infographic, however, is that they are easy to share – and I’m not just talking about the button on Facebook. Social media, blogs, collateral, and both online and print media utilize infographics. Sometimes the graphic is used alongside an article, while other times, they stand alone. The point is, give the reporter or your audience options so that no matter which medium is selected, your message is still heard.

Communicating an idea to a target audience is everything in the world of PR. Having your message shared through a graphic across multiple channels is like, well, hitting the mother load.