If you’re looking to drive up engagement and get backlinks to your content, you’d be wise to add some graphics. Whether you’re writing a blog post or a Facebook status update, adding a visual element will draw people into whatever you’re publishing. Studies have shown that people are more engaged by content with graphic elements, and it’s a great addition to skyscraper content, which has been picking up in popularity following the recent Google algorithm update.
Skyscraper content is basically a long-form post of 1,000 to 3,000 words that’s enhanced by graphics, videos and pictures. These elements help to break up the content and draw readers’ eyes. Here are seven great tools that can help you add more graphics to whatever you happen to be producing, whether you’re posting on your own blog, a social-media site or building a skyscraper. The best part is they’re a snap to use, even if you’re not a techy person.
Photo credit: Nadir Balcikli via www.unsplash.com
Mapbox
Maps have become a compelling element of social media now that Pinterest has added Place Pins, which allow people to pin by location. Using Mapbox’s free tools, you can create a map that’s as elaborate or as simple as you like. You can also upgrade to a premium option for even more tools.
SuperScrollorama
Want to go beyond static images to animation? SuperScrollorama is a fun plug-in that allows you to create dynamic scrolling content. For instance, you can use it to make letters dance across a page or send the words in your tagline up and down like they’re doing the wave.
Lettering JS
Want more control over the words that you type with your graphic content? Use the Lettering JS plug-in to change individual letters in your graphics. It allows you to do things like kerning and establishes more complete control over your lettering. It will also ensure that your type is unique from others on the Web.
NVD3
Charts are a great way to grab the reader’s attention. NVD3 offers a variety of customizable charts. No matter what you’re trying to convey, from a mathematical proof to a simple illustration of how Twitter usage has grown over the years, you can do it with one of these baseline samples.
PicJumbo
Many people looking for graphic elements wonder if they need to go out and take the pictures themselves. This can be difficult depending on what you’re trying to illustrate — what if you need a picture of snow when it’s 98 degrees outside? Enter PicJumbo. This site supplies hundreds of photos across a variety of categories that are free to use.
Unsplash
Unsplash is similar to PicJumbo in that you can find lots of different pictures to illustrate your posts, but these are high-resolution images with lots of customizable options. The photos are very creative and artistic, promising to lift your content to a new level.
Pixlr Express
If you’ve been on Pinterest lately, you know that quotes are all the rage. Pixlr Express helps you create those cool, memorable quotes that will make your content highly shareable and people willing to link back to your content.
Have fun experimenting with various tools to boost your content and engage your readers.
