Michael Wilkins

How to make an infographic online: case study

Many moons ago, in April 2012, I wrote a humorous post about how not to make an infographic, where I enthusiastically chastised a selection of misguided visualisations.

A few people chortled and applauded at the time but many others requested a more positive follow-up post featuring helpful tips on how to actually create and promote an infographic, with personal examples.

Fair enough - and since then I've been involved in a few projects that fit the bill with the most recent example being an infographic for Snowskool, a company that specialises in ski instructor courses.

The infographic was created as a collaboration with the talented Snowskool team and released two weeks ago on Visual.ly, Facebook, and the Snowskool blog: Myskool.

by Michael Wilkins 14 November 2012 10:15am 4 comments

Dictionary of marketing swearwords. 1: Linkbait

Linkbait [ lingk bayt ] SEO noun: the process of creating and promoting content that's primarily designed to attract links.

Standard form: "we need to create some linkbait".

Active form: "that's an AWESOME piece of linkbait!"

Passive form: "...the client's just been sold three pieces of linkbait per month".

Modern form: "It's not linkbait anymore man, it's all about Likebait now".

Here's some more detail on this swearword...

by Michael Wilkins 27 April 2012 10:34am 14 comments

How not to make an infographic: four examples to avoid

Regardless of whether you like them or not, the creation and promotion of infographics has become absurd and out of control.

In fact, there's almost certainly an infographic that illustrates this deluge of information in an easily digestible visual format.

Good infographics are great but many are bland, lots are bad, and some terrible. And to find the inglorious selection of infographics discussed in this post I only had to look at a small selection of tweets from the past week.

If you are thinking about making one, here are four examples not to follow...

by Michael Wilkins 23 April 2012 13:11pm 25 comments

Deconstructing ten more digital marketing clichés

I wrote a previous post on digital marketing clichés that was unexpectedly well received, so I'm writing a second to include the remaining lines that I couldn't put in the first one - with a focus on more general sayings this time.

So, without further ado, here are ten more jargon-fuelled crackers.

by Michael Wilkins 12 April 2012 12:54pm 22 comments

Deconstructing six common digital marketing clichés

I've spent a fair amount of time moving and operating in digital marketing circles over the last six years or so, and have made plenty of sardonic mental notes and observations along the way. Perhaps too many.

Nevertheless, without further introductions or excuses, here are six of my 'favourite' digital marketing lines, when they're usually said; who by, and what they really should be.

by Michael Wilkins 03 April 2012 11:08am 23 comments