16 Infographic Marketing Resources for Non-Designers

We’re constantly touting the benefits of using infographics as part of your inbound marketing strategy. And you’re probably totally on board with our total unabashed enthusiasm for spectacular data visualizations.

But maybe you think that infographics are simply out of your reach, because you’re not a designer and you don’t have the budget to hire a skilled graphic artist to create one for you.

Well, it’s time to toss that objection to the side, because we’ve put together a robust list of resources to help you launch your own infographics—even if you’re the worst artist to ever click a mouse.

Visualization Builder Tools

1. Piktochart – Piktochart is a really cool app that lets you create visually appealing graphics, even if the word Photoshop makes you immediately break out in hives. There’s also a step-by-step guide to creating infographics.
2. Easel.ly – Easel.ly lets you create and share visualizations using vhemes (a.k.a. visual themes) with drag-and-drop functionality. Maps, flow charts, comparative relationships, and other elements are available.
3. Creately – Creately lets you collaborate with up to 20 people on a single visualization. Built-in templates and elements make it easy to create a unique visualization with sophisticated, yet simple-to-use diagramming tools.
4. StatSilk – Create interactive, animated, customizable graphics using StatSilk’s web-based or desktop application. Choose from charts, maps, bar graphs, and much more.
5. Wordle – You know those nifty word clouds that you see all over the ‘net? Wordle helps you easily create your own based on words of your choosing.
6. Infogr.am – Infogr.am is a free tool for creating visualizations from real data. More than 30 chart types that work off of built-in spreadsheet tools are available, and you can download your creation as a .png or .pdf, or share it on your social platforms.
7. Visual.ly – Visual.ly is more of a great place to share your infographics and have a little fun than a tool to really create your own visualizations. That’s because there aren’t a ton of customization options, but you can create Twitter showdowns to compare yourself with a colleague or competitor.
8. Chart Gizmo – A free account lets you create a slew of different charts and graphs. You can embed them on your social networks, website or blog.
9. any Eyes – Choose an existing data set or create your own, then choose the type of visualization you want. Viola! This experiment is courtesy of IBM Research and IBM Cognos Software group.

Resources for Infographic Elements

If you want to take things to the next level, or you’re a little more savvy with Photoshop or other graphics applications, you might want to make use of some existing elements to mesh together your own impressive data visualizations.

1. Favbulous – Favbulous has compiled an impressive list of downloadable .psd elements you can manipulate, combine, and use to convey your data in a visually appealing way.
2. Smashing Apps – Smashing Apps offers up 15 free infographic design kits you can download in various file formats.
3. Hongkiat – 30 different templates and infographic design kits for your use, all in one convenient location.
4. HubSpot – Download five PowerPoint templates you can build on to create your own customized data visualizations.

Affordable Design Resources

Still not convinced you can create something compelling and visually appealing on your own? Good news: There are dozens of designers specializing in creating beautiful visual representations of your data. Here are a few resources you can tap into.

1. Fiverr – A social freelance gig platform, Fiverr has thousands of providers who can help you create infographics on the cheap. Most gigs are five bucks, but if you want something more customized and sophisticated, choose your providers carefully—and you may want to purchase some more expensive add-ons for the sake of quality. If you have specific elements you want that are beyond your graphics abilities, Fiverr is a good choice.
2. 99 Designs – Get a few different options to choose from via this crowdsourced design platform. Infographic prices start at $599.
3. Design Crowd – With prices starting at just $100, you can post projects and choose from designers who bid on them.

These resources should pretty much eliminate any excuses you have for not getting in on the infographic scene.

Even if you’re a crappy artist, give some of these tools a try—you might surprise yourself at how sophisticated the results look, even if you’ve never touched a Photoshop doc or an Excel chart tool in your life.

Why Are Infographics Important?

EASY TO DIGEST

Humans process visual information 60,000 times faster than text alone, making infographics an ideal way to quickly communicate complex data.

EXAMPLE: The “Anatomy of a Perfect Landing Page” infographic by Formstack. This visually appealing graphic breaks down the essential elements of a high-converting landing page.

SHAREABLE

Infographics are highly shareable on social media platforms, making them a great tool for increasing brand awareness and driving traffic to your website.

STAT:

Infographics are shared 3x more than any other type of content on social media.

EXAMPLE: The “Global Warming Effects on Our Oceans” infographic by Oceana. This powerful graphic highlights the devastating effects of climate change on our oceans and has been shared widely on social media.

IMPROVE SEO

Infographics are an excellent way to earn high-quality backlinks to your website, which can improve your search engine rankings and increase organic traffic.

STAT:

Websites with infographics have 12% more traffic than those without them.

EXAMPLE: The “The Benefits of Drinking Water” infographic by Lifehack. This informative graphic has been shared on numerous websites, earning valuable backlinks for the Lifehack site.

CONCLUSION: Infographics are a valuable tool for quickly conveying complex data, increasing brand awareness, driving traffic, and improving SEO. If you’re not already using them, it’s time to start!

Any great go-to resources in your infographic toolbox that we haven’t covered here? Share the love and let us know in the comments