Digital Marketing

Increase brand and traffic with infographics

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While there is no denying that words are an extremely powerful tool for building a brand or driving relevant traffic to your site, they are but one piece in the overall marketing equation. Why does your brain crave infographics? As humans, we are very visual creatures. And in today’s online ADD society, marketers must be smart and adept at how to grab the attention of potential customers.

While the digital form of infographics is relatively recent, explaining an idea in the form of an image is nothing new. Infographics are the smart new digital way of communicating ideas, data and knowledge.

Did you know that the world’s information currently doubles every two years? It’s no wonder people experience information overload.

The use of displayed information has increased dramatically.

– 9900% on the Internet (since 2007)

– 142% in newspapers (between 1985 and 1994)

From 2010 to 2012, infographic search volumes increased more than 800%.

In 2013, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gareth Cook was hired to edit the first volume of The Best American Infographics.

So why do infographics work?

1. We live in the information age: in one day, we create 1.5 billion pieces of content, 140 million tweets and 2 million videos. But we have less and less time and attention span to read and assimilate all the content we want. Most people decide to stay or leave a site in just 2 to 4 seconds. With infographics, your content is much more likely to be remembered.

2. We are visual: an infographic collects data, organizes it and turns this information into an easy-to-understand visual element. A well-researched and designed infographic allows readers to divide complex ideas into visual groupings. Stunning images or well-designed graphics simply make a bigger impression.

3. Show and convince: Do you want to learn how to moonwalk? You could read about it, but it would be much easier to see an infographic with step-by-step images. An infographic can also easily tell a story, behind the statistics of almost anything you can think of. They facilitate the understanding of even complex concepts.

4. Brand awareness – Infographics have embedded company logos for instant brand recognition. And built on the same principles of content marketing components, it should tell a good brand story.

5. Get links: Due to the visual appeal, infographics can be easily shared on all social profiles. They allow sites in niche industries with minimal natural linking to obtain links from other markets. Infographics can provide global coverage, at a much lower cost, than print media.

6. Become an authority: The research required for an infographic will help you become an expert on your topic or industry.

7. Measurable Results: Infographics are bound to go viral. A good infographic equates to improved search visibility and higher SEO. Infographics deliver quick measurable results from social shares, backlinks, and traffic.

Some great examples:

1. 50 Years of Space Exploration – Massive infographic showing the last 50 years of space exploration. Designed by Sean McNaughton and Samuel Velasco for National Geographic.

2. Grand Mosque – This is an infographic press release from Gulf News (Dubai)

3. The slowest loading website in the Fortune 500: Here are the loading times for all Fortune 500 companies.

4. The Big Questions of Climate Change: This detailed and data-rich infographic by Adolfo Arranz shows the true impact of climate change.

The information has to be digestible for it to go viral. Create a unique connection with visitors with creative, animated and educational infographics. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Relationship

Three Things You May Not Know About Valentine’s Day

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1. The real Valentine is shrouded in mystery

Although he lived in the 3rd century AD, almost nothing is known about this saint or the life he led. It’s not even clear how many holy men named Valentine there were, or which one is honored on Valentine’s Day.

Regardless, bits and pieces about the saint have entered the realm of legends. The consensus is that he was a priest who broke the law by doing what he believed in. Some stories say that he performed marriages between soldiers and their loved ones. In Rome during that time, this was against the law. The soldiers were not allowed to marry. When Valentine was captured, he was imprisoned and executed for defying Roman rules.

Another story also involves his imprisonment, but this time for practicing his faith and refusing to worship the emperor. While in prison, he befriended the jailer’s daughter. He prayed for her and she was healed of her illnesses. On the night of her execution, Valentine gave her friend a note to comfort her. It simply said, “From your Valentine.”

2. Pairing was an ancient Roman tradition that preceded Valentine’s Day.

Lupercalia was a festival that was celebrated every year in ancient Rome between February 13 and 15. Its purpose was to clean and protect the community. Some of the festival traditions were meant to get rid of evil spirits and bless the crops.

There was also a matchmaking component to the festivities. The women put their names in an urn. The men chose names from the ballot box. Couples formed by this lottery system were expected to stay together for one year. Surprisingly, many of these random matches resulted in marriages.

Centuries later, this ancient celebration merged with the new tradition of honoring Valentine’s Day on February 14. The new holiday was much more subdued, but some of the romantic aspects of the holiday continued.

3. Valentine’s cards were all the rage in Victorian England

In the Middle Ages, nobles wrote (or hired others to write) passionate love notes for their loved ones. But it wasn’t until the Victorian era in the mid-19th century that sending Valentine’s cards became a popular custom.

First they were handmade cards adorned with lace and ribbon. They were elegant cards with intricate designs that included cutouts and pop-ups. The tradition became popular in England and reached the United States several decades later.

With advances in printing technology, cards began to be mass produced. Currently, 180 million Valentine’s cards are exchanged each year in the US alone. Designs continue to evolve, but floral and heart themes remain as popular as they were in Victorian times.

Health Fitness

The best crock pot recipes for your next party

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Planning and executing a full dinner menu can be overwhelming, especially if you do it alone. But if you have a slow cooker, you won’t have to worry too much. You can simply buy and prepare the ingredients beforehand, place them in the pot, and they will allow you several hours to cook other dishes or perhaps make dessert.

Here are 3 of the best crock pot recipes that will be a hit with guests of all ages:

Sweet and spicy cocktail smokies

What do you need:

  • 2 veal sausages, quartered

  • 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 3 tablespoons of water

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha, or more to taste

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

In a large bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, brown sugar, water, Sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard until well blended. Add the hot dogs to the bowl and stir to coat. Transfer everything to a slow cooker. Cover and cook 4 to 5 hours over low heat. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves before serving.

Baked and simmered buffalo chicken balls

What do you need:

  • 1/2 kilo of ground chicken

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced

  • 3/4 cup buffalo sauce

  • 3/4 cup Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)

  • 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Combine ground chicken, egg, onion, panko, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Form 1 1/2 inch meatballs with clean hands. Place the balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven (400F) until the sides are lightly golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. When ready, place the meatballs in a crock pot and add the buffalo sauce. Toss to coat. Cook for 2 hours over low heat. Top meatballs with blue cheese dressing before serving.

Cheese and beer dip for parties

What do you need:

  • 1 kilogram processed cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 1 cup of Irish beer (such as Guinness)

  • 1/2 cup sauce

  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat the processed cheese food in a crock pot for 20 minutes on high until melted. Add beer, salsa, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to melted cheese. Stir until the ingredients are well combined. Heat, stirring frequently, then serve.

These easy dishes are the best crock pot recipes to serve at your party!

Legal Law

Prep Volleyball ranks Stanford Cardinals women’s volleyball third place in top 30 recruiting class

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The Stanford Cardinal women’s volleyball team has five incoming freshmen in 2010, three outside attackers, a defensive specialist and a central blocker who make up a young group of players with a lot of playing experience. Prep Volleyball.com named Stanford’s volleyball team third in the country in its annual ranking of the 30 best recruiting classes.

Outside player and 2009 California Gatorade Player of the Year Rachel Williams will bring an impressive list of accomplishments when she enters the USC campus next year. Rachel is the 2008 and 2009 California Interscholastic Federation state champion and was named a member of AVCA High School’s first All-American team. Both Volleyball Magazine and Max Preps named her National High School Player of the Year.

Another cardinal outside attacker, Lydia Bai, is the daughter of the 1984 Chinese Olympic gold medalist as a player and the 2008 American Olympic silver medalist as a coach, Jenny Lang Ping. With that impressive pedigree, Lydia is expected to be one of the most versatile players to wear a Cardinal jersey next year. She attended Arnold Beckman High School for four years, where she was the captain of her team, was named to the All-Pacific League first team as a freshman, and was the most valuable player in the Pacific League in 2009.

Lydia’s international experience includes being a member of the United States National Youth Team.

Carly Wopat is a 6’2 “center blocker who will assist Stanford with her 6’1” twin sister, forward Sam Wopat. The sisters are 2009 CIF Southern Section Champions who helped lead their Dos Pueblos High School team to two Channel League titles. Carly’s achievements include:

-be named the most valuable player in Channel League

-a finalist for the California Gatorade of the Year award

-was a 2009 PrepVolleyball All-American

-in 2009 in Volleyball Magazine All-American

– # 4 on the PrepVolleyball Senior Aces list

Sam Wopat’s achievements are similar to his sister’s. The four-year-old varsity volleyball player was twice elected to the All Channel League first team, as well as a member of the CIF Southern Section first team. Volleyball Magazine chose her to be part of their second All-American team and she was also named an All-American from PrepVolleyball High School.

Considered a top high school advocacy specialist, Mary Luck is a district champion and regional finalist who attended Stratford High School in Houston, Texas.

The Texas All-Star earned All-State honors last year and was named District 18-5A MVP. Mary’s club team is the Texas Elite Volleyball club, where she competed for three years.