You’ve probably heard about the classic storytelling rule – Show, Don’t Tell.
Every great storyteller, from novelists to bigwig copywriters, lives by these three words.
Consider these lines from a young adult, sci-fi novel The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness:
Instead of writing we left Manchee the dog and Aaron killed him, the author’s show-don’t-tell approach in telling the story is making us, the readers, get inside the story and experience what it feels like to leave your beloved dog behind in the hands of your nemesis. Dogs, by the way, can talk in this novel.
It may sound confusing or even counterintuitive but success in communicating your message, whether it’s for a personal project or your brand story, doesn’t start with telling people about it.
You have to SHOW it to them.
As Henneke Duistermaat of Enchanting Marketing writes,
When business content focuses too much on showing, scanners might miss key messages because they’re buried underneath too many details. But without a dose of showing business content lacks depth. Showing allows readers to imagine experiencing our products and services, and that makes our sales pitch more persuasive.
An infographic is one great way to hone your Show, Don’t Tell storytelling skills. You don’t have to use a lot of words. How?
Show, don’t tell with infographics and data visualization
Watch these short videos to learn about the craft of showing, not telling.
Quick note: Please watch them in Full Screen Mode — it’s 10x better!
1. Show, don’t tell in marketing: A quick guide
Find out how to truly connect with your target audience and keep them engaged consistently by “showing” rather than “telling” in the short video below.
2. What makes an effective infographic
An infographic is supposed to be a quick and easy way of conveying information to your audience. It should visually appeal to the audience, convey essential data, build awareness, and generate leads if you’re using infographics for business.
But how do you make sure that you’re creating a compelling, useful infographic?
3. Using infographics for lead generation
Have you ever wondered how some businesses seem to be so naturally savvy in getting prospects to say yes? Is there a secret formula or some marketing voodoo that you don’t know about?
As a marketer or business owner, it’s easy to forget that creating content like infographics remains the most effective way to get noticed, build a relationship with prospects and finally get them to say yes.
Here’s how you can use infographics to convert uncertain prospects into happy customers and brand advocates!
4. How to make an impressive infographic resume
For a start, an infographic resume shouldn’t replace your traditional resume. They should supplement your job search by having a more creative and visual resume alternative that shows off your unique personality, creativity, and originality to potential employers.
5. How to communicate product value through infographics
Infofgraphics enable you to get the best of both worlds — information and graphics.
This way, you can show people what your product looks like and tell them how it works without writing lengthy product descriptions.
Your next step: Ready to show, don’t tell?
What do you want your audience or readers to know and do after viewing your infographic?
This is the point where you think through what you have to say and how to say it using the Show, Don’t Tell storytelling approach. Show them what it looks and feels like instead of telling them about it. Let them experience your story.
Want to watch more infographic design videos and tutorials? Hop on to our infographic design channel on YouTube.
Need help making your infographic?
We’ve got you covered with our infographic maker tool and start with an infographic template. Alternatively, you can get in touch with our infographic design service team.
*Editor’s Note: This blog post was updated on June 17, 2020 for accuracy and comprehensiveness. It was originally published on October 25, 2018.