Low-Cost Visual Creation Tools to Help Improve Your Digital Marketing Efforts

It’s been proven time and time again that people are more likely to engage with posts which contain photos and/or videos, because the visual aspect makes the post more interesting to read. But if you’re on a budget, it can be tough to justify paying for platforms like Photoshop, especially if you don’t plan to use it frequently and/or don’t have a graphic designer in house.

That’s why I’m sharing some of the most popular inexpensive and/or free marketing tools to help you create stunning visuals to attract buyers, engage fans and make events and campaigns more memorable.

By far one of the most popular visual tools online today, Canva has a free version available which enables you to create various image types and gives you a taste of the full app. Canva facilitates a range of visual options - from infographics, e-books and Facebook ads to email headers - and you don’t need to be a graphic designer to use it. It’s an intuitive visual platform which even novices can use, and it includes an extensive selection of stock photos and other elements.

You’re also able to upload your own logos and images to the platform and incorporate them into your own designs. There are templates available if you’re looking for something more structured and several photo enhancing tools for any touch-ups you need.

Another popular option which is free to sign up for is Crello. The app has over 65 million free stock images, and over 10,000 free design templates, while there are more advanced design elements available for around $1/each.

Anyone can sign up and get started on the pre-loaded templates right away - they have designs for print, social media, animations, digital ads and just about anything you can think of that will work for events, e-newsletters and blogs. The app also has a community page with ideas from members, which will definitely help to get your creativity flowing.

An affordable platform you can use to easily turn photos, graphics, and video clips into animated video slideshows, Animoto starts with a free two0week trial, with the paid version starting at $13/month.

The basic package gives you access to over 700+ styles, and 500 music tracks. It’s a platform that works to create great short-form videos for Facebook and Instagram, as it can easily convert the slideshow to the square format.

You can add any images, clips and text you see fit, then save and share to your respective platforms.

This platform enables you to publish charts and infographics through a variety of templates. You can add charts, maps, videos, images and anything else you want, and share it with the one-click (or embed it into your blog).

With the free plan, you’re given access to 37+ interactive charts, but if you move up to the pro plan (for $19/month), that expands to 500+ map types, 100 projects, 10 pages/project, privacy control and the ability to download HD images.