Infographics are an effective way to visually communicate complex data, trends, and benchmarks within an industry. When you create infographics that showcase industry benchmarks, you can help your audience quickly understand key metrics, compare performance, and identify trends without having to dive deep into raw data. This is particularly useful for reports, presentations, marketing materials, and social media. Below, we’ll walk through the essential steps to create infographics that not only present industry benchmarks but also engage and inform your audience.

1. Understand the Purpose of Your Infographic

The first step in creating an infographic is understanding its purpose. Since you’re focusing on industry benchmarks, your goal is to communicate specific data points that reflect the current state of the industry. Here are a few important objectives that an infographic showcasing benchmarks should achieve:

• Comparison: Allow viewers to compare the performance of companies, sectors, or time periods.
• Insight: Provide insights into how companies or individuals are performing relative to industry standards.
• Clarity: Make it easy to digest complex statistics and trends, often at a glance.
• Engagement: Create visually appealing content that grabs attention and encourages sharing.

2. Research and Gather Relevant Data

Before designing an infographic, you need to gather the right data. To create an infographic that showcases industry benchmarks, you’ll need:

• Industry Reports and Surveys: Use reputable industry reports, surveys, and studies as your primary data source. Sources like Statista, Gartner, Nielsen, Pew Research, and others often publish detailed industry benchmarks and statistics.
• Historical Data: To show trends, gather historical data where possible. This can help to show how benchmarks have evolved over time.
• Competitor Data: If relevant, use data from competitors within the industry to compare performance levels.
• Target Audience Insights: Tailor your benchmarks to what’s most relevant for your target audience. Different stakeholders may be interested in different aspects of industry performance. For instance, investors may care more about financial benchmarks, while HR professionals may be interested in employee satisfaction or turnover rates.

Be sure to verify the credibility of your data. Use trusted sources and ensure that the benchmarks are up to date.

3. Define the Key Metrics to Highlight

An infographic works best when it focuses on a few critical metrics. Instead of showcasing every data point, select the most relevant and meaningful benchmarks to highlight. Some examples of key metrics include:

• Revenue Growth: Industry average revenue growth or company growth over time.
• Profit Margins: Average profit margins within a sector or for specific services/products.
• Customer Satisfaction: Customer satisfaction scores or Net Promoter Scores (NPS).
• Market Share: How different companies or sectors compare in terms of market share.
• Productivity Metrics: Benchmarking productivity, such as sales per employee or customer retention rates.
• Operational Efficiency: Metrics like cost per unit, or inventory turnover.
• Employee Engagement and Turnover: Industry standards for employee satisfaction or turnover.

The key is to choose metrics that will be most valuable to your audience and help them draw meaningful conclusions.

4. Design a Clear, Visually Appealing Layout

Once you’ve gathered the necessary data, the next step is to design the infographic. Good design ensures that your data is not only accessible but also engaging. Here’s how to structure it:

• Hierarchy: Establish a clear visual hierarchy to guide the viewer’s eyes to the most important data first. Use larger fonts and bold headings for the key points.
• Color Scheme: Use a color scheme that aligns with your brand or industry. Typically, professional industries (e.g., finance, healthcare) use muted tones like blues, grays, and whites, while creative industries might opt for more vibrant and varied palettes.
• Typography: Choose clean, legible fonts. Avoid using too many different fonts. A combination of a sans-serif font for headings and a serif font for body text often works well.
• Icons and Graphics: Icons can simplify complex ideas, and simple illustrations help the viewer understand abstract concepts more easily. Use industry-specific icons, such as a graph or a dollar sign for financial data or a chat bubble for customer satisfaction.
• Charts and Graphs: Incorporate pie charts, bar graphs, line charts, and other visuals to break down data. These are essential for visualizing industry benchmarks, as they allow viewers to easily compare numbers. When possible, use a combination of charts to highlight trends and individual comparisons.
• Spacing: Don’t overcrowd your infographic. Ensure there’s enough space between elements to make the design breathable. Keep it balanced so each section has enough room to be understood.

5. Keep the Message Simple and Focused

It’s easy to overwhelm your audience with too much information. An infographic’s primary goal is to distill key points and make them easy to absorb. Here are some tips to keep the message clear:

• Limit the Scope: Focus on a handful of metrics that are critical to your audience.
• Tell a Story: Organize your data to tell a compelling story. For example, you could highlight how a particular benchmark has improved over time or show how a specific company compares to the industry average.
• Use Visual Cues: Use arrows, labels, and contrast to highlight changes or differences in benchmarks.
• Text vs. Graphics: Avoid long paragraphs. Instead, use bullet points and short, snappy text to explain key points. Let your graphics and charts do most of the talking.

6. Use a Consistent Design Language

Consistency is crucial when designing infographics. Use the same colors, fonts, and design patterns throughout the infographic to create a cohesive look. If you use icons, make sure they are uniform in style, and if you include graphs, ensure the design of each one follows a similar structure for easy comparison.

Additionally, be mindful of the overall flow. Information should be presented in a logical order, with the most important or surprising benchmarks placed first. You could even organize your infographic into sections with subheadings for better navigation.

7. Incorporate Interactive Elements (Optional)

For more advanced infographics, consider adding interactive elements. While static infographics are still widely used, interactive infographics allow users to engage with the data and explore benchmarks in more depth. You can achieve this by:

• Hover Effects: Display more detailed information when the user hovers over specific data points.
• Data Filters: Allow users to filter or sort data according to various metrics (e.g., by region, size, or time period).
• Embedded Charts: Use interactive charts and graphs that allow users to click on them to get more granular data.

Interactive elements can be particularly useful for digital or web-based infographics. However, they are not as common in print, so be mindful of the medium you’re designing for.

8. Test and Refine Your Design

Once your infographic is complete, it’s important to test it. Gather feedback from colleagues or target audience members to ensure it’s easy to understand and effective in conveying the benchmarks. Pay attention to:

• Readability: Is the text legible? Are the key data points easy to find?
• Visual Appeal: Does the design look balanced and cohesive? Are the colors and fonts attractive but not distracting?
• Engagement: Does the infographic grab attention and prompt further exploration?

Revise based on the feedback to ensure the final product is polished and meets your objectives.

9. Distribute and Promote Your Infographic

After creating your infographic, it’s time to share it with your target audience. There are various channels through which you can promote your infographic:

• Social Media: Post it on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram to engage with your professional network.
• Websites and Blogs: Embed the infographic into relevant blog posts or website pages.
• Email Campaigns: Include the infographic in newsletters or email marketing campaigns to provide value to your subscribers.
• Presentations: If you’re presenting industry benchmarks in meetings or webinars, infographics can be an excellent visual aid.

Make sure you also add sharing buttons or embed codes to make it easy for others to share your infographic.

10. Measure Impact and Iterate

Finally, track the performance of your infographic. If it’s being shared on social media, use analytics tools to measure engagement rates, click-through rates, and shares. This can give you insights into how well the infographic resonates with your audience.

If you’re using the infographic in an ongoing report or campaign, be open to refining it over time. Industry benchmarks may change, and updating your infographic with new data and trends will ensure it remains relevant.

Conclusion

Creating an infographic that showcases industry benchmarks requires a blend of solid research, clear communication, and thoughtful design. By understanding your audience, selecting key metrics, and designing a clear and engaging layout, you can create infographics that help convey essential industry insights in a way that’s easy to digest and share. Whether it’s for a report, social media, or a client presentation, well-designed infographics are powerful tools to highlight industry benchmarks and help your audience make informed decisions.