A few days ago, I was struggling with understanding the topic of how a person’s net worth is calculated. It’s a pretty complex topic, and I was really having a hard time understanding it. Then, I came across a proper visual representation of how it all works. It only took me a few minutes to understand the whole preclude. Well, that’s infographics in action!
An infographic is a visual element that makes sure people understand a certain topic quickly and easily. These visuals are being used in multiple sectors to improve the process of information delivery. But what these infographics actually are and how are they beneficial?
In this article, I will provide a comprehensive overview of infographics, their benefits, and the top tools you can use to create them.
Let’s start.
What are Infographics?
An infographic is a visual element (usually an image) that delivers information by using different texts, shapes, and graphs. They’re usually created using bright colors to grab people’s attention and provide data in a minimalist way.
These visual elements hold the power of conveying important information or data faster and in a much more efficient way.
Using visual images to convey a point quickly has become somewhat of a necessity for people who share information online. Online readers usually skim through the content and using an infographic can hold their attention. It acts like an anchor and keeps the users engaged so that they can learn helpful information.
Amazing Infographic Statistics
Well-designed infographics are a great way to grab the attention of the target audience. Below are some amazing infographics statistics to help you decide whether to include in your content marketing strategy or not:
- Almost 60% of companies consider infographics as an effective marketing tool.
- Infographics are 30 times more likely to be read than text-only articles.
- An article can get 80% more reads when an infographic is included.
- Websites that use infographics generate 12% more traffic than other websites.
Key Benefits of Using Infographics
Using infographics comes with several benefits. I have discussed the details of some of the biggest ones below:
Add Visual Appeal
The primary benefit of incorporating infographics into a piece of content is that they enhance its visual appeal. They appear very attractive and instantly enhance the look of your content. Unlike plain text, these visuals make the content easier to digest.
Besides that, they prevent people from getting bored by reading a lot of written content. For example, a person reading a series of paragraphs on a blog post will find the post a bit more engaging when relevant infographics are included. So, it helps prevent readers from getting bored with the content as well.
Did you know?
People remember 65% of the information they see in a visual.
Improved Comprehension
Infographics improve comprehension of a topic. It delivers information in an interesting and easier way so that people can comprehend it well. It’s a huge benefit for the educational sector. For example, teachers can use infographics to simplify different complex topics.
They make the information a lot easier to understand with the help of graphs, signs, and icons. It makes the content visually well-structured and simplified. Even if the main topic and points are too complicated, these images simplify the topic so that readers can understand it without any issues.
Improved SEO
Infographics hold great importance in the marketing sector as well. They improve one of the most important sectors of marketing which is SEO. These visuals help improve the dwell time of users on websites which is a positive signal for ranking higher in search engine results.
When you engage readers in the content with visuals, they spend more time on the blog post. It makes search engines understand that you’re providing them with something of value. As a result, your chances of improving SEO and getting ranked become relatively higher.
Better Brand Awareness
Having improved brand awareness is one of the main purposes of marketing and using these visuals can help with it. It is a unique way to incorporate the image and identity of your brand in the form of visuals. For example, you get the opportunity to add the company’s theme colors, logos, and fonts to the infographics.
When people engage with these visuals, their mind unconsciously picks up your brand identity. Keep on doing this for long enough and people will start recognizing your brand wherever your content appears in front of them. As a result, there will be a higher chance that this audience will turn into your permanent customers.
Improved Decision-making
Infographics in the business sector improve decision-making. Companies create different types of infographics to share ideas and strategies with their colleagues. They add these visuals in meetings, presentations and proposals. Understanding information with the help of these visuals helps people make better decisions.
They can understand what the strategy or idea is about in a better way and then make a decision that can bring the best results. Besides that, visual reports of finances can help in making finance-related decisions easily. In simple words, creatively designed infographics play a vital role in decision making when developing business growth strategies.
Make the Content Shareable
Another benefit that using these visuals in marketing provides is improved sharability. Since people understand the information, they try to share it with other people in order to benefit them as well.
There are different ways that they might share this content such as social media and other websites. It will help in getting more reach and engagement.
As a result, your content will become more popular and attract more attention from a wider audience making the marketing campaigns successful.
5 Best Tools to Create Quality Infographics
Infographics are usually created online with the help of different online tools. There are several tools available for this purpose. However, the following names are some of the best ones that you should try out:
1. Canva
Canva, perhaps, is one of the best tools when it comes to creating quality infographics. The best thing about this tool is its ease of use. You can create visuals even with zero graphic design knowledge. That is because Canva provides an easy drag-and-drop functionality which makes editing a lot easier. You can make any type of infographic no matter what its dimensions are.
Another good thing about Canva is that its free version is more than enough for creating decent visuals. Still, people who want to design on a bigger scale and with more ease can opt for its premium version. Also, there are several built-in assets available which makes creating good-quality infographics a lot easier.
Why pick Canva?
- Easy drag-and-drop editing method.
- The free version is enough for a general user.
- Built-in assets are available for better design.
- Create visuals of different formats.
Pricing:
- Canva Free: $0
- Canva Pro: $6.50 per month for one person
- Canva Teams: $5 per month (minimum 3 people)
Note: Canva has a custom pricing option for the educational sector.
2. Piktochart
If you’re looking for a more dedicated tool for creating infographics, Piktochart might be the right option. It is a web-based platform dedicated to helping people create quality infographics with ease. You can create your profile here and start editing and storing visuals in it.
The best thing I like about Piktochart is that it provides several built-in templates for creating infographics. You can pick any template you like and then make changes to it according to your needs and requirements. Just like Canva, piktochart’s free version is also enough for a general user to create quality visuals. Also, its functionality is drag-and-drop based making it easier to use for beginners.
Why pick Piktochart?
- Completely dedicated to creating infographics.
- Freemium nature.
- Multiple editing options.
- Built-in templates are available.
Pricing:
For individuals and businesses:
- Free (1 to 4 members): $0
- Pro (1 to 10 members): $29 per month per member
- Business (1 to 10 members): $49 per month per member
- Enterprise (11+ members): Custom
For teachers and students (billed annually):
- Free (1 to 4 members): $0
- Education (1 to 10 members): $39.99 per member
- Campus (3000+ members): Custom
For Nonprofits (billed annually):
- Free (1 to 4 people): $0
- Nonprofit (1 to 10 members): $60 per member
3. Venngage
Many marketers are picking intelligent and more advanced editing tools these days and Venngage is one of them. It is a perfect pick for people looking for an infographic-making tool that offers personalization features. The best thing I like about Venngage is its Brand Kit feature. It is a feature that allows you to add your company’s brand and visuals directly to any picked template automatically.
It makes editing a lot faster and easier for marketers while making sure that the infographics match the company’s identity. As for the functionality, this software solution also has a drag-and-drop functionality. It means you don’t have to hire a professional graphic designer in order to create high-quality visuals for your brand.
Why pick Venngage?
- Easily apply your branding to infographics automatically.
- Easy drag-and-drop functionality.
- Built-in templates are available.
- Freemium nature
Pricing:
- Free: $0
- Premium: $19 per month per user
- Business: $49 per month per user
- Enterprise: Custom (10+ seats)
4. Infogram
If you’re looking for a premium tool that is also very beginner-friendly, I recommend trying out Infogram. It has an interface similar to Adobe Photoshop (but not that advanced, of course) which gives it a pretty professional look. It offers multiple templates that you can preview and edit according to your requirements.
What I like the most about Infogram is that it helps make motion infographics as well. You can add animations of things like graphs and icons to make the visual more engaging and aesthetically pleasing. Besides that, you also get to use maps of different locations with accurate details such as coordinates. Also, you can upload any type of data on this platform and it will provide you with the best chart suggestions to add.
Why pick Infogram?
- Easily add motion infographics
- Professional-looking interface
- Easy editing
- Easily add maps and charts
Pricing:
- Basic: Free
- Pro: $25/month
- Business: $79/month
- Team: $179/month
- Enterprise: Custom
5. Snappa
Last but not least, Snappa is another useful tool when it comes to easily designing infographics. It is a very simple and straightforward tool designed to help people create attractive visuals without having to put much effort.
It provides almost all the features a normal editing tool includes. For example, there are several templates available that you can customize according to your requirements. If not, you get the option of creating visuals from scratch. Its editing features are also very simple and direct. You get to add different shapes and graphics in the visual so that you can deliver your ideas in a proper way. It’s a pretty simple tool and is perfect for those who want to instantly create infographics.
Why pick Snappa?
- Simple drag-and-drop interface
- Pre-built templates
- Download visuals in multiple formats
Pricing:
- Starter: Free (1 user)
- Pro: $15/month (1 user)
- Team: $30/month (5 users)
Conclusion
Infographics are some of the best ways to share information in a comprehensive way and make sure people understand what’s being discussed. They help make the content very visually appealing.
Besides this, there are several other benefits of using these infographics in marketing such as making the content SEO-friendly. When it comes to creating these visuals, there are several tools that you can use. However, the discussed names are some of the very top picks. So, understand the features of these tools and then start using the one that fulfills your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is an infographic and example?
An infographic is an image that includes different shapes, graphs, and text to deliver some information. There are several examples of these infographics such as a poster explaining the process of washing hands properly.
Why is an infographic effective?
An infographic is effective for many reasons. It makes complex information easy to understand by using visual elements like pictures, graphs, icons, etc. By making data visually deliverable, they help people enhance content engagement and comprehension.
How do I create infographics?
In order to create high-quality infographics, you’re going to need the help of a graphic designing tool. There are several tools available on the Internet such as Canva and Venngage that can help you design these visuals easily.
How to create an infographic in Word?
Creating an infographic in Word can be a little difficult but it is possible. There are different shapes and elements available that you can use to create an infographic. Simply begin with a blank document and then add SmartArt, text boxes, and icons according to your requirements.
What is the best tool to create infographics?
There are different amazing tools available that can help you create decent infographics. However, Canva is one of the best ones. It offers several features in its free version. Besides that, it has a drag-and-drop editing functionality making it a good pick for beginners.
