Bad Infographics Are the Measurement Menace of the Month

Infographics are the quintessential example of marketers thinking that social media is a cheap and easy way to promote themselves.

by Katie Paine

I’m a metrics geek, a data devotee, and the Measurement Queen. So, theoretically, anything that makes measurement and data more palatable should be an instant +, right? So what’s my beef with infographics?

I don't have a problem with all infographics, just the ones based on bad data. Too often infographics are pretty to look at, but have no substance to back them up. I see them as the Kardashians of measurement.

Here's an example. "The Value of a Social Following" appeared in PR Daily and is the equivalent of Kim’s short-lived nuptials: Designed for no other reason than to attract attention and comments, and not based on a solid foundation.

The infographic, produced by Imbue Marketing, includes typos, wrongheaded ROI thinking (the cost to acquire a follower is not the same as his or her value--and neither of them is ROI), and cites four feeble "sources" that provide flimsy evidence to support the graphics.

No self-respecting marketer or communications profession would build a strategy on dubious research, so why should the same professionals believe any of the data in this infographics.?

Infographics are the quintessential example of marketers thinking that social media is a cheap and easy way to promote themselves. The reality is that with infographics you get what you pay for. Those that are based on real facts and research are very expensive. The ones that are thrown together based on shoddy research and dubious facts are also very expensive—to your reputation.

I now know to trust nothing that Imbue Marketing says. And shame on Alan Pearcy and the folks at PRDaily for even promoting this stuff.

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Katie Delahaye Paine is CEO of KDPaine & Partners, a company that delivers custom research to measure brand image, public relationships, and engagement. Katie Paine is a dynamic and experienced speaker on public relations and social media measurement. Click here for the schedule of Katie’s upcoming speaking engagements. Katie and Beth Kanter are authors of the book “Measuring the Networked Nonprofit,” to be published this year by Wiley.

The Measurement Standard is a publication of KDPaine & Partners, a company that delivers custom research to measure brand image, public relationships, and engagement. Katie Paine, CEO of KDPaine & Partners, will be glad to talk with you about measurement for your organization.

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Comments

[Erwin Calverley]

Hmmm, true... Infographics can be pretty spiffy-looking. But, if there's no meat in those bones then all it would be is all-style and no-substance. It can be an effective tool, no doubt about that, but it requires thorough work in order to really make a long-lasting impression.