How did a small search marketing software company become the lead “analyst” on Facebook’s advertising potential? It used pictures for its PR.In the days leading up to Facebook’s IPO, there was a great deal of debate around whether the social media giant’s ad platform was built for long-term success. This dialogue didn’t escape WordStream, a provider of pay-per-click and search services, which thought it could get a bit of publicity for a quick study it conducted comparing the value of display advertising on Facebook to that of Google’s Display Network. But rather than simply put out a press release, WordStream decided to tell the story via an infographic.What WordStream wasn’t prepared for was the massive reception the infographic received. Initial pickups came from a Wall Street Journal blog and Business Insider, both of which linked directly to the visual. But as the news cycle around the IPO heated up with GM’s announcement that it was pulling its Facebook ads, the infographic—a graded comparison of Facebook vs. Google—went viral. In a matter of hours, many of the top news outlets, including USA Today, CNN, Fast Company, The Economist, Fox Business and more, picked it up. Within a week, a Google search yielded more than 13,000 news articles mentioning WordStream, many of them embedding the infographic and linking back to the company’s site.

via Beyond Words | Adweek.

We asked the Visual.ly chief for a few tips on how to make data pop.

1. Apply a journalist’s code of ethics

An infographic starts with a great data set. Even if you’re not a journalist — but an advertiser or independent contractor, say — you need to represent the data ethically in order to preserve your credibility with your audience. Don’t source from blogs. Don’t source from Wikipedia. Don’t misrepresent your data with images.

2. Find the story in the data

There’s a popular misconception that creating a great infographic just requires hiring a great graphic designer. But even the best designer can only do so much with poor material. Mapping out the key points in your narrative should be the first order of business. “The most accessible graphics we’ve ever done are the ones that tell a story. It should have an arc, a climax and a conclusion,” Langille says. When you find a great data set, mock up your visualization first and figure out what you want to say, before contacting a designer.

3. Make it mobile and personal

As the media becomes more sophisticated, designers are developing non-static infographics. An interactive infographic might seem pretty “sexy,” Langille says, but it’s much less shareable. A video infographic, on the other hand, is both interactive and easy to port from site to site. Another way to involve readers is to create a graphic that allows them to input and share their own information.

4. Don’t let the code out

One of the easiest ways to protect your work is to share it on a community site. Visual.ly offers Creative Commons licensing to users who upload a graphic to the site. When visitors who want to use the graphic grab embed code from the site, the embedded image automatically links back to its creator. Langille suggests adding branding to the bottom of your work and never releasing the actual source file — only the PNG, JPEG, or PDF. And what if your work goes viral without proper credit? For god’s sake, don’t be a pain and demand that the thieves take it down. “It’s better to let it go and ask for a link back and credits on the graphics,” Langille said.

via You Suck at Infographics.