Infographics have obviously become very popular, and they are very effective. They reach a majority of people easily because most people are visual learners. Even in individuals who are auditory, or kinesthetic learners, the human brain has more than 50% of its functions dedicated to processing vision. Humans naturally process images faster than we do text, making the combination present in infographics highly effective.

If it is time that you started to create infographics, here are some tips on picking a free infographics creator.

1. Is it really free?

Before you choose an infographic creator online, examine multiple creators, because some are free and others are not. For example, infographics creator visual.ly only lets you customize certain social media infographics. On the other hand, easel.ly lets you create a full blown infographic for free. Even in free creators, you will have to be cognizant of how many features are actually offered in the “free-mode” of these applications. Some offerings may not have enough customization when free, severely hampering your ability to convey your message.

2. How much customization do you need?

Will you be illustrating and using your own pictures? Note that when infographics use illustrations, instead of solely relying on pie graphs, there is a notable increase in social media exposure. Infographics with illustrations get 52% more of a response on Twitter, and 72% more of a response on Facebook than infographics that do not use illustrations.

3. What will access to the infographic be like?

Part of the appeal of paying for visual.ly seems to be that once an infographic is created, it automatically posts to their main page. From there, internet users browse, and can search for specific infographics, increasing the amount of views and shares that a piece is likely to get. However, a creator called Venngage is specifically designed to help you through the entire infographic process, from creation, to publishing, to sharing. You can even track results with Venngage.

When you use an infographic creator online, if you truly need a free program, then you will have to look carefully for it, make sure that it has the customization that you require, and also determine if it provides the access that will ensure optimal sharing. Considering these three things as requirements will help you get the most out of whichever free infographic creator online you choose.