6 free ideas to create visual content
Images and videos are very valuable social currencies in 2014. People are naturally attracted to images and, in case you didn’t notice, your readers are people too. We like to share visuals more than text. According to a research from Ipsos, images are the most shared content online nowadays. You don’t need to be a designer to integrate visual contents in your content strategy. There’s plenty of online tools you can use. Images can make readers pay attention, make comparisons, trigger emotions. Even if your startup or your business are not visually oriented, there are many ways to go visual according to your overall goals. To create this list, we started from the assumption that you have no money to hire a designer, which would be the preferred way, in a perfect world. 1. Do you have data? Create infographics with infogr.am If you have data you want to show, you should go for an infographic. They’re easy to create and their impact can be huge. Infogr.am is the coolest tool I found to organize and visualize data. There are lots of possibilities, so take your time to check some examples and understand the best practices. 2. Do you have just a title? Go for an online design tool like Canva A graphic design tool can help whenever you don’t have data to show, but still want to give a visual touch to your content. No need to learn Photoshop. Unless you want to, of course. My choice is Canva – easy, quick and complete. Do you know what’s even better? It’s fun! 3. Do you have a presentation? Try Slidebean Slidebean is a great way to create presentations focusing on your content. Just like for your articles, coming up with a catchy title is literally half of the job. You can also browse it for tips about creating visual content! 4. Do you have an eye for details? Curate boards on Pinterest Pinterest can be a strong tool in your visual marketing strategy for many reasons: it’s very simple to use and it focuses on your passions and desires. Pinterest allows brands to share visual content to increase their visibility and improve traffic numbers. 5. Do you need professional pictures? Get Stock Photos Not sure about this one? The right stock photos can trigger strong feelings in your readers and help you set the frame for your content. Many sources allow you to buy and use stock photos. You can also embed any image for free from Getty – as long as you don’t use it for commercial purposes. 6. Do you have pen and paper? Draw your own chart! It’s never too late to get creative and draw sketches manually. It can do wonders for your mood as well. What are your favourite tools when it comes to going visual?
