Everyone who has any stake in creating virtual content, whether developing it, marketing it, producing it or simply writing about it, has one dream: That their content goes viral.
Within minutes, your video, blog or picture is seen by thousands of people. In a day, you’ve notched up over a million views. But when fortune blesses you with this bounty, how do you react? What do you do? You’ve got millions of customers at your door; what’s your next step?
Viral Marketing: Capitalize on Your Viral Infographic
Produce Another One
Infographics are popular because they succinctly summarize complicated material. Today, people don’t have the patience to watch a 5-minute video or read a 500-word article or blogpost. They want their information presented to them in a compact, appealing package, like a dinner plate that has just the right balance of every item of food.
When you produce an infographic that hits the sweet spot – the right balance of text, graphics and details – and people start sharing that infographic, the next step is to look at a sequel. After all, infographics are very high level, telling only a fraction of a story.
For example, an email marketing firm named Aweber created an infographic that showed how only $1 spent on email marketing could create $40 in revenue.
For a small business owner, this is worth gold. Even to someone not interested in email marketing might want to see how they came up with their formula. Aweber might be well served to create another infographic, this one digging just a little deeper, while still being very easy to digest at a single glance.
If Aweber does it right, they might hit gold again with the success of the first infographic leading to people seeking out the second.
Go From Infographic to Video
It’s true that videos are no longer the be-all-end-all of marketing like everybody once thought they were. However, a video in conjunction with an infographic could still take off.
If you hit on the right combination in an infographic, you could go in for the kill with a slick, well-produced video clip. You’ll already have the visual elements from your infographic. Simply get a snazzy piece of music, someone with a good voice who is comfortable recording a voiceover and a piece of editing software to put it all together, and you’ll have you video.
You’ll have to make the video offer a bit more information than the original infographic; your readers (and viewers) will not appreciate watching a 3-minute video clip for something they could have digested in the 20 seconds it takes to skim through an infographic.
If you can promote the video by saying, “If you liked this infographic, this video will answer a few more of your questions,” you might say that you’ve successfully capitalized on your viral infographic.
Viral Photo via Shutterstock
Your advice on producing another infographic when one does well is spot on. The company I work for, Avalaunch Media, produced an infographic with famous internet cats explaining major social media sites. Everyone loved it. Next we’re doing a dog version. I’ve seen a series do very well too.
One more way to repurpose infographics that’s really worked well is to make ebooks out of the information. For B2B clients, this can be very effective at getting leads.
When an infographic is proven, I think it’s wise to spend even more time and run ads to promote it even more. We have a major campaign coming up that I can’t wait to reveal.
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Janet
I have known of many highly trafficked websites that have benefitted from regular infographics.
Dean Ethridge
Great article and very true. I’m not the most creative person, but I’m always looking for good ways to reduce the time of my videos, and make them more graphically pleasing to grab attention. Thanks for the tips in this article!