From traditional ways of transmitting information to their end users, the rise of infographics has provided more up-to-date and engaging methods for presenting essential concepts, results, and other data. Infographics are most popular for these reasons:
Information presented using images and other visuals is perceived better and faster than text steps
Images included in texts help emphasize important information
Graphics can be shared better and faster on social media
Images are more welcome than repetitive and long texts
Infographics are seen as essential elements in online marketing today. These can be used to update SEO content on landing pages, blogs, and even on social media platforms
For these reasons, you can see that infographics not only benefit your readers, but also have a great help in optimizing the search engine (SEO) of the content. With the right infographic, there’s always a great chance to get an increase in likes, actions, clicks, and conversions that will help your online presence. By learning how to create infographics, it will be easy to identify which one needs to be emphasized and can be a priority.
To capture your audience’s attention and effectively convey complex information, creating an infographic can be a game-changer. Infographics are visually appealing, easy to digest, and highly shareable, making them a valuable tool for communication. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of creating an engaging infographic that effectively communicates your message.
Step 1: Define Your Purpose and Audience
Before diving into the design process, it’s crucial to clarify your purpose and identify your target audience. What message do you want to convey, and who is your intended audience? Understanding these two key aspects will guide the entire infographic creation process.
Step 2: Gather Data and Information
The backbone of any infographic is the data and information you wish to present. Collect relevant facts, statistics, and data points from credible sources. Ensure that your data is accurate and up-to-date to maintain the infographic’s credibility.
Step 3: Choose the Right Infographic Type
Infographics come in various formats, such as informational, statistical, process-oriented, comparison, and timeline infographics. Select the type that best suits your content and message. For example, use a statistical infographic for data-driven presentations and a process-oriented one for explaining a step-by-step procedure.
Step 4: Create a Storyboard or Outline
Organize your information logically by creating a storyboard or outline. Determine the flow of information, starting with an attention-grabbing headline, followed by the main points, supporting data, and a conclusion. The visual arrangement of your content is key to maintaining the reader’s interest.
Step 5: Design the Infographic
Now comes the creative part – designing the infographic. Here are some design tips to keep in mind:
- Visual Hierarchy: Use size, color, and typography to emphasize important information and maintain a clear visual hierarchy.
- Color Scheme: Choose a cohesive color palette that aligns with your brand or the message you want to convey. Ensure readability by using contrasting colors for text and backgrounds.
- Typography: Select fonts that are easy to read and complement the overall design. Avoid using too many font styles.
- Icons and Graphics: Incorporate relevant icons, illustrations, and graphics to enhance the visual appeal and reinforce your message.
- Whitespace: Don’t overcrowd the infographic. Leave enough whitespace to prevent visual clutter and make it easier for readers to absorb the content.
- Consistency: Maintain consistency in design elements throughout the infographic.
Step 6: Add Data Visualization
Visualizing data is a key component of an effective infographic. Use charts, graphs, and diagrams to present statistics and comparisons. Ensure that your data visualizations are clear and easy to understand. Label axes and provide legends when necessary.
Step 7: Write Concise and Engaging Content
Craft concise and engaging text to accompany your visuals. Use short, punchy sentences and bullet points to convey information. Keep in mind that the text should complement the visuals, not overwhelm them.
Step 8: Review and Edit
Once you’ve designed your infographic, review it carefully for accuracy, clarity, and grammar. Ask a colleague or friend to provide feedback to ensure that your message is effectively conveyed.
Step 9: Save and Export
Save your infographic in a suitable format, such as JPEG or PNG, ensuring it maintains high resolution. Additionally, consider creating a PDF version for easy sharing and printing.
Step 10: Share and Promote
Finally, share your infographic through your website, social media channels, email newsletters, and other relevant platforms. Encourage sharing by providing easy-to-use share buttons, and consider running targeted ad campaigns to reach a broader audience.
Conclusion
Creating an engaging infographic is a powerful way to convey information in a visually appealing and shareable format. By following these ten steps, you can effectively communicate your message, capture your audience’s attention, and make a lasting impact in the digital world. So, roll up your sleeves, get creative, and start crafting infographics that inform, inspire, and engage.
Free infographic creation sites
Since infographics are popular these days, there are plenty of websites available on the market that can be used to create them. For more ideas, here are six programs to consider for creating infographics. The good news is that all the basic features of these websites are absolutely free. Read on to learn about these programs along with their professionals, some drawbacks to consider, and their free basic features.
Infogram: For easier data creation and visualization
Infogram offers free infographic tools that can also be used by inexperienced users. A simple and practical infographic maker for beginners, its registration is free and as soon as you register, you will find wide access to the user interface with its easy-to-use menu. In addition to creating infographics from scratch, some templates can also be used as an option for better views. Another convenience in this program is that additional content such as text, graphics, images and videos can be put into the tool.
In addition, Infogram software can process datasets such as Microsoft Excel. The data table already built can be converted to common table formats. Once the infographic is finished, it can be shared with other users through the website. With the basic function, it cannot be downloaded, but can be published to the Infogr.am and can be connected.
This may not be as varied as other infographic programs, but for quick and easy creation, this might be the right tool.
Venngage: for interesting charts more datasets
The versatile Venngage infographic generator has more opportunities to create infographics. Ideal for creative and web users who want to produce visually appealing data maps, it has many design options for both infographics and original models for various purposes. Along with the free templates offered in the free package, creating attractive graphics can be done in a short time and complemented by an original medium.
This software can use the tools to bring table datasets via Google Drive and can be easily organized. The finished design can be shared directly through Venngage Community and social media. This is in fact an excellent tool for those who want to make charts and also process data and numbers.
Piktochart: for infographics with options for creating and saving datasets
The Piktochart visualization tool allows not only the creation of images, but also the design of presentations and the printing of documents. Your free account can allow you to upload your photos and even download and share graphics in JNP and PNG. Like other software, projects executed can be exported to social media and embedded in some applications using code. You can also import table data.
However, with these services, Piktochart has two drawbacks, which are:
Personal information is also required in free registration and;
The Piktochart logo is always visible in all projects created with the free version.
Easel.ly: For an attractive infographic
This infographic software is ideal for those looking for visually appealing images that are simple. With the design templates available, you can get basic Easel.ly and icons, create and explore creative projects for images. In addition, reduced menu bars, videos, icons, and other images can be integrated into your graphics. With its additional sharing button, the created infographics can be embedded using the code on the web pages, sending links in the email and sharing with others. Compared to Infogr.am, Easel.ly distribute graphics made on social networks or embedded codes.
However, it is not ideal for spreadsheet programs because values need to be entered manually, which takes a long time. Also, like other free features, Easel.ly limited templates to choose from. The graphics that can still be done are quite presentable for friends, office mates, and even on social media.