Recently, I had the opportunity to create an infographic for my strategic public relations class. This infographic focuses on what health benefit almonds offer.
Infographics are a great way to present data in an exciting way. The purpose of an infographic is to present in a quick and easy-to-understand format. Using visuals and color captures an audience’s attention and help to retain the information.
After completing my first infographic I learned a few key tips.
Keep it simple
Know your audienceIt is important that you do not overwhelm your audience. Simple is more clean and the data are more clear and memorable. If you try to fit a ton of information in one page the audience will either not read all of it or not retain any of the information.
It’s much easier to create an infographic if you know exactly who your audience is. If you are unsure of the audience, your infographic will be more broad and it will be harder to know where to promote your work and which content to include.
Don’t use too many font types or color
Do not use more than two fonts. Too many fonts may make the infographic look unorganized and not as clean. You also want to use consistent colors. By using too many colors the infographic may look unprofessional and unorganized. A good way to use color is by highlighting key words and making the text larger so it stands out.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with the vice president of LANE PR, Angie Galimanis. Galimanis has been with LANE PR since 2007 and formerly worked at Moonstruck Chocolate as the PR manager. LANE PR is an agency based in Portland and New York. LANE PR has worked with a variety of clients, such as Dutch Bros, Leatherman, Umpqua bank and The Heathman Hotel.
Check out these three key takeaways from our chat.
1. Do you have to stay in the same field or position forever?
Prior to my internship this summer I had no idea there were so many fields within the public relations world: digital PR, tech PR, consumer PR, sports PR – the list goes on. Angie reassured me that if you are unhappy in the tech PR, you can explore different field.
2. Does it feel like you get lost working in an agency?
Galimanis explained that LANE PR, Portland, is just the right size. Everyone seems to know each other by first name, although that doesn’t always mean you see everyone in a day. She mentioned that in an agency you have the opportunity to work with multiple clients and with a group of people at different levels in the company.
“You are always learning something new from each other, which you may not get all the time at a small firm.”
3. What should I be doing before graduation?
This being my last year at the University of Oregon, I couldn’t avoid asking Galimanis the big question of what I should be doing upon graduation. Galimanis’ main piece of advice, “Network and gain as much experience as possible.” She emphasized how important it is to employers that you have some sort of internship, volunteer experience or background in the field. The PR world is competitive; extra experience in the field may distinguish you over the competition.
Angie gave me some great advice and a lot to think about as I approach graduation this June. She reassured me to stay in contact with her and to continue to meet and learn from people.
For one of my class projects, we analyzed a company’s social media presence. I collaborated with a team of three to analyze Sixth Street Grill – a Eugene local restaurant. To analyze Sixth Street Grill’s presence compared to three of its competitors, we conducted a social media audit. We examined each restaurant’s Facebook page, Twitter feed and Yelp reviews. Below are three tips we learned from this social media audit.
Interact With Followers
It is essential to interact with followers. On all three media outlets, it is important to create content that the audience can respond to. If a follower comments on a post or writes a review, it is vital to respond back. One easy way to increase interaction is by “liking” mentions and following people back. An interaction with followers shows that the organization pays attention and cares about what the audience has to say.
Vary Content
This is my team off to present at Sixth Street Grill.
For restaurants especially, it is important to not only use social media to promote the menu but also to create a voice. For local restaurants that are not national chains, there are opportunities to engage followers by discussing local news and events. For example a Eugene restaurant can include references to Ducks sports or current happenings, which will create a friendly voice that followers will want to interact with.
Groups also need to vary their content on Facebook and Twitter. Followers could get annoyed if they see mirrored content on both social media sites, which may then cause people to stop following one of the accounts. The importance of varying content is to create interactions on both accounts.
Utilize Tags
By tagging places in the community, such as the University of Oregon, organizations can increase followers. Using tags allows a group to reach a broad audience because anyone who follows the organization that has been tagged will see the original post on his or her wall. The goal of tagging is that once people see the post on their wall, they will then start following the organization.
An organization needs to use social media to engage with its followers. It is more important to create content that is enjoyable and interactive, rather than only promoting discounts or menu items. Interacting with the public will create a positive brand that the audience will trust and follow.
Brooke Baum 