How Infographics can help you to Build tons of Links
Style. Data. Viral connections. Like the tendrils of a well-ordered beasty, content marketing has found a way to adapt in the digital age – it’s called infographics. Infographics are a hybrid of eye-popping design, pop culture relevance, and well researched info. A great infographic contains style and substance, a beginning, middle and end (like a good story). Your biggest task will be finding a home (or several), for your prized creation.
Reach Out, Someone Will Be There
The key, really, is to reach out. But where? Bloggers and journalists are always on the look-out for new content, especially when it can help drum up page views and interest advertisers. You should start by compiling a list of publications that might benefit most from your infographic. If there’s an entertainment angle, go with an entertainment publication. If it’s business, go with a trade journal, etc. The point is to target your best chance for visibility.
Making a list of possible contacts is a good idea. Though it might seem a logical choice to send your work to a editor or editor-in-chief, your best shot at getting noticed is usually by either contacting a “beat” reporter (someone whose focus is on a single topic or region) or a blogger. Given that an editor has busy schedule and less time to view pitches might not actually see your pitch, but a staff writer might (they’re always on the lookout for new content, after all!)
Get the Right Fit
Your best shot at getting your infographic in front of the right crowd is all about finding the most receptive outlets. Creating and maintaining a list of e-mail addresses and Twitter handles can provide you with the foundation you’ll need to keep track of your baby once you’ve sent her out to the world. Be prepared, and make sure you backup your contact lists. I like to keep mine in Excel or Google Docs. They’ll come in handy down the road.
Locating Your Viral Spread
If you think your infographic is great, someone else probably agrees with you. That’s the good news. Obviously, it’s great when the Web picks up your infographic, but you’ll need to be vigilant to keep track of where it’s being used, because on your end, you’ll want to utilize all the social media tools at your disposal. And knowing where your darling’s hanging out on the Internet is crucial to your success.
You can use a reverse image search on Google, which checks for the image. The reverse image search tool is often all you’ll need. If you find some sites that neglected to link back to your website, send a polite e-mail requesting proper credit. As a Creative Commons licensed work, yes, the work is free, but it still needs to link back to you. Mention this in your e-mail. More likely than not, the problem will be solved.
Let Pop Culture Be Your Guide
Some of the best infographics can fit right at home in a variety of environments. Take for instance, The Dead Rockers: Infamous VIPS of the 27 Club. It features Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse. Though it puts a spotlight on death, the content is presented beautifully, and makes the statistical data concerning substance abuse all the more potent. By using popular culture as a springboard – in this case, rock stars – the creator of this infographic has widened the potential for the piece to be shared across social media platforms. It’s got a great chance to go viral and that’s the goal. Reaching people in the place where they live, so to speak, is a sure way to get your content noticed.
Even drier topics have a great chance of succeeding if they’re timely and visually interesting. Construction software company Maxwell Systems created an infographic about investing in technology IPOs during one of the biggest dips to date of Facebook’s volatile stock. It came just at the right time to be featured on the front page of Yahoo! Finance. Now that’s success!
More importantly, stay focused. And stay passionate about your work. The right combination of professionalism, persistence, and attention to detail can give your infographic the marketing push it needs.
Author:
Adrienne Erin is a freelance writer and blogger who has written for Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and MarketingProfs. You can see more of her work on her blog, Pongra.
Nabeel Tanveer
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