When a small business like yours has something to say, how do you say it? A compelling video or an informative blog post, perhaps. How about an infographic? This is a strong option for sharing data in a visual and textual way. Today, we’re excited to show you why, when it comes to making an infographic, it’s easier than you think – almost like creating your own website.
This graphic tool can be valuable for your businesses marketing strategies, in particular, when your goal is to convey a lot of information in a simple and memorable way. Below, we’ll cover some of the best resources around for creating a beautiful infographic in no time.
Why infographics?
A valuable tool for content marketing, there are several things that make infographics important. For starters, they’re attention grabbing. Many types of infographics - from those that break down important data to those that explain a historical event - can make even the most boring information look and feel more interesting.
An infographic will likely keep someone more interested than a lengthy blog post. They can be punchy, full of color and lively photos. The stimulating visuals allow viewers to indulge in their curiosity.
Do you need to pay to create a great infographic?
Short answer: Not really, but maybe.
Many of the free web design tools and programs you’ll find to create infographics will likely start out free, and then you’ll need to pony up some cash to unleash their full potential. In some cases, it’s very much worth it. However, the real convenience is the extra templates, and other pieces of content you have access to – depending on the tool you use.
If you’re trying to make an infographic for free, be sure to read the fine print of the service you’re looking to work with.
Prepare the groundwork
Before you start, it’s best to get an idea of what you want on your infographic. We recommend following these few steps:
Collect your data and organize it.
Design a rough sketch on how you want to present it.
Write the content you’re going to display.
Choose the online tool that matches your needs.
Start creating!
Now that you have the process in mind, let see the wonderful online resources designed for this purpose to easily integrate into your web design ideas.
Pick a tool for creating your infographic
Venngage is another great option for infographics, offering up a wide set of tools in drag and drop fashion. It shares a very similar design as Canva, so you’ll be fairly accustomed if you’ve used it before.
Icons, charts, maps and more await you with Venngage. Creating your infographic is fun and free, but you’ll have to pay in order to download it. Even if you use a blank canvas and upload one of your own visuals, you’ll still need to upgrade your plan in order to claim the graphic. Nonetheless, Venngage is one of the best of it’s kind and isn’t to be dismissed.
Need more options? Then Piktochart is your next stop. Using its free templates, you’ll be able to create, design and customize a presentation or infographic in a short amount of time.
Piktochart has a dedicated section to showcase other creations from their users, simply called Inspire Me. While you’ll find other tools that have something similar, Piktochart’s Inspire Me section does exactly that and can be very welcoming for the intimidated, first-time infographic creator.
Another thing that’s not in short supply is Piktochart’s tutorials, just in case you need a little help with the infographic editor. Luckily, with its ease of use, that likely won’t happen.
Easel.ly may be the simplest of all the offerings on this list, and that’s not a bad thing. While it may lack the polish found in other tools, it’s a no frills infographic creation machine.
Unlike some others that attempt to know what type of job or position you have in order to present you a more curated list of templates, Easel.ly throws you into their collection so you can get to work fast.
The infographic editor may look a tad dated, but it’s as powerful as the other options we mentioned. Another admirable thing you’ll find with Easel.ly is that it has a “what you see is what you get” approach, in that, it doesn’t show you extras that you simply can’t use as a free user. This is an infographic tool that wants you to be happy with what you have, and if you need more, it’s just an upgrade away.
While Visme has been around for a while, it still bears a Beta tag, but you’d likely never know.
The editor looks slick and a touch more professional looking than its competitors, but its capabilities are essentially the same.
When adding elements to your infographic, you’ll see exactly what you have access to as a free user, as a small banner is added to all of its premium elements. This isn’t to say that you can’t create a great looking infographic without paying, though.
As a free Visme user, when exporting your final graphic, you’ll only be able to export it to JPG format. Free infographics will also have Visme branding at the bottom.
Make it yours
No matter what tool you choose to make your infographic, you’ll more than likely start with a template. Of course, you can also start from scratch and use a blank canvas, but working from a template can save you some time. Once chosen, it’ll be better to change or remove elements on it the before adding your own icons and texts.
Infographics are visually stimulating as it is, but you want yours to really stand out. Going with a bright color palette may sound like a good choice, but you may want a more welcoming color for your target audience.
Once you have placed all of your graphics, text and other data, take a step back and make sure it tells the story you were initially aiming for.
Share it with the world
After you’ve completed your infographic, it’s time to get it out into the world. Share it on your website, social networks and anywhere else you can think of that makes sense. It’d be a shame if you put work into your masterpiece, only for no one (but you and your pets) to see it!