The large volumes of infographics that flood the Internet everyday says it all – there’s a new marketing kid on the block. Infographics are the new sensation to getting business content across to customers and pulling in some valuable links that will drive the business’ web site up the Google ranks. Infographics are really a great way to tell your story, but if you stop and take note of the ones you come across each day, you will notice that some are far more visually appealing than others. You can instantly make an intelligent guess as to which ones will be a hit among Internet users and therefore achieve the aim of the owner.
That will be one of the major concerns you will no doubt have when you decide to get an infographic done for your business. There are a number of questions to which you will need answers as you go about selecting the right infographics agency. These include:
* Will your infographics attract the attention of your target audience?
* Will it be effective and help you realize a return on your investment?
* Do the services offered by the agency correspond to the type of information I have?
We will use this article to explore three things you should look for when choosing an infographics agency. The general factors that you will need to consider for this investment are price/value for money, the aesthetic/design quality, turnaround time, the company’s track record and way of doing business, former/present clients, service, accountability and hidden costs. We will select and focus on three of these factors.
Is the Company Overly Expensive?
Many may say that expense is relative and although there is some amount of truth to that, the buck doesn’t stop there. Price is relative, but paying a high sum for an infographic that is not as well done or as effective as one that costs less can only be counted as a loss. Not many companies can take an aloof approach to losing money spent on a marketing campaign that was meant to increase their bottom line in the first place.
Price is relative, but very relevant when it comes to investments so take your time to decide whether or not the price being quoted by the company can be bettered by another company. It is needless to say – do not sacrifice value/quality for money – but we will say it just the same. You would be committing marketing suicide which is counteractive to the reason for having the work done in the first place. Good designers are not cheap, but there are a few reputable designers out there that will produce quality work at a reasonable cost.
Some companies that charge high prices offer clients added value by marketing the infographics for them or offering marketing guidelines. Any of those cases would make perfect dollar sense.
What is the Quality/Aesthetic of the Infographics the Company Produced for Other Clients?
One word that should jump out at you here is portfolio. If you are dealing with a firm that claims they (for whatever reason) cannot supply you with a portfolio to view their past work then it’s time to move on. Every infographics agency that is serious about their work should be able to supply you with a portfolio showcasing their work. In some instances an agency might list a big company as their client but cannot supply samples of the work they did for them because of business reasons. Sometimes the big client will be selling back the infographics to their clients. That does not excuse the fact that a good agency should be able to get permission from certain clients to have a copy of their design displayed in their portfolio.
The infographic designs in the portfolio should display quality and uniqueness. Some agencies reuse the same design elements multiple times as a means of cutting down on time and money. Take note of any such repetitions in the designs you peruse.
Do the Services Offered by the Agency Correspond to the Type of Information I have?
Some agencies are going to naturally be more inclined to do well in producing certain types of infographics than others. It is easy to forget that there are actually people behind the production of the designs and they have certain limitations. An agency may not have a member who has the requisite skills to produce certain design elements that can produce high quality designs of a certain type. While some agencies will view your information and then tell you forthrightly that they would not be able to do a good job on it, others are keener on getting the job.
The history of work supplied by the agency should give you a fair idea if they can deliver a high-quality infographics using the information you have. Look for clients that have a similar background to yours and analyze the work that was produced for them.
Similar to all other marketing strategies, producing quality infographics requires time, patience and making the right choices. Infographics are great marketing tools, but not all agencies will be able to produce a quality design that really represents your data. Infographics that are of a poor quality does not help your campaign, so use the information shared here to help you make the right choice.
