Infographics, for those unfamiliar with the term, ”are visual representations of information, data or knowledge.” Infographics  act as an important teaching and business tool, inspring awe and presenting information in a powerful visual manner. Recently, I’ve observed an uptick in the amount of infographics shared on social media channels. Part of this could be due to the people I follow, but now that Mashable has been going infograph crazy, I think it’s a trend that’s here to stay. Here is an example:

Beyond merely being pretty I think this uptick in infographic creation and sharing  on social media channels represents some larger shifts in the way that we consume media.

If Twitter is “Crack for media addicts” , infographics are heroin. Social media users, and Twitter users in particular, love information. A great Infograph presents information in a visually stunning way that is easy to digest. What’s more, most infographics get at the “why” people share:

Sharing infographs is statement of geekdom, packaged in a cool and attention grabbing  design. Infographics scream “I’M SMART AND I LOVE INFORMATION, BUT I ALSO LIKE COOL THINGS LIKE ART AND, SPORTS, AND MUSIC, AND GOING OUT WITH FRIENDS”.

In all seriousness, for me, infographics represent a better way to present data and information. As our culture technologically evolves, content providers are responding to a need to see information and news presented in ways that move beyond words.

Our online culture is becoming more visual, and visual elements are now basically a requirement for a popular blog post.

Visual elements and presentation of data in a an attention grabbing package are just as central to building engagement on social media channels as tweeting 1,000 times a day. Creating something, rather than “reaching out”, may be a more powerful route to increasing your trust, credibility, and influence.

Here are some infographic resources if you want to jump on the train:

1) Chart Porn — If you see an infographic floating around on the internet, and you don’t know who started it? It probably started here.

2) Chart Go — A great place to start making your own charts.

3) Gliffy– For those with a penchant for design, or a desire to learn (like this guy), Gliffy is a great way to make a chart from scratch.

Have infographics jumped the shark? Are they here to stay? Do they represent a larger trend where visual elements such as design and packaging will play a larger role in building engagement on social media channels?

This one, was also too good to pass up, by Phil Gyfford:

Popularity: 51% [?]