You may have noticed a trend in business marketing that uses a type of presentation format known as “infographic.” Or maybe you heard someone use the term, and weren’t exactly sure what they meant?

So what exactly is an infographic, and what is it used for?

An Infographic, or Information Graphic, is the visual presentation of information, data or knowledge in a format that allows complex information to be presented quickly and clearly.

The concept of the infographic is not new (ancient cave painting could be considered one form of them) but their recent popularity for sharing in social media platforms has taken them to a new level in online marketing. You know the saying of a picture being worth a thousand words? Well, that’s the idea behind an infographic. A combination of charts, graphics, pictorial facts and figures makes infographics interesting to look at, entertaining and educational.

Infographics are generally designed to get across a lot of information in a small space. They are often vertical in format, but can also be used as slides or animated. A number of online applications and tools have cropped up to help the “graphically challenged” create interesting infographics without needing a great deal of graphic skills. These use premade templates and designs.

However, a graphic designer with skill in presenting information visually can create one-of-a-kind infographics that brings complex or confusing information to light quickly. These invite sharing on sites such as Facebook, Linked In and Pinterest. Infographics can be an important part of a Content Marketing strategy.

Here’s an example of recent infographic created by UP team members for a client called Netsize, a mobile billing application company.

When it comes to social media, the thrust of any strategy is aligning your core message with your audience’s needs. But there is a reason it’s called “social” media. How does what people you know and “like” affect how a message influences you?

A key strategy for success in using Facebook and another social media sites for brands is to make use of the influence of “friends” and expand on an individual’s social networks to enter their sphere of consideration. If your friend (or colleague) recommends something, “likes” it or “shares” it with you, you’re more likely to pay attention than if the message comes from a random unknown brand.

So how does the psychology of influence work? This infographic from Pardot does a good job of summarizing it.

What do you think?