How a Divorce Financial Analyst Is Using Infographics to Reach a Wider Audience

Did you know that 4 out of 10 marriages in Canada end in divorce? This statistic was one of the reasons why Tatiana Terekhova left her job as a financial adviser at a bank in Ontario and started her own practice to help those navigating the unique—and often emotionally charged—financial circumstances surrounding a divorce.

Since most divorce lawyers aren't equipped to deal with issues like mortgages, investments and taxes—and most couples don't have experience divorcing—Tatiana realized that there was a need for professionals who could deal with these complex situations.

The problem, however, is that most people haven't heard of the term "divorce financial analyst," so she began looking for ways to reach a wider audience with her message. She scoured the Web for the best free visual content tools and after trying several, she finally decided on Visme.

We had a chance to speak with Tatiana to find out more about how she uses marketing graphics to reach those in need of her services. Here is what she had to say in her own words:

For those who are unfamiliar with what a divorce financial analyst does, can you tell us a bit more about your work?

When people go through a divorce for the first time, most of them are shocked to find out that they have to divide the house they live in or pay spousal support, so I saw that there was no expert for this particular need. That's when I realized I wanted to start my own practice.

I went through a horrible divorce process myself. It was 15 years ago when my husband and I started the separation process, and that's when I realized that divorce was all about money. I worked as a banker in mutual funds and the insurance business for several years, which gave me the foundation I needed to advise others.

I saw that by the time someone finished the process, they had no money left, their credit was ruined and in one year, all they had was gone. For this reason, the Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts started about 25 years ago. A lot of financial advisers work for major banks, but those that do this work on a regular, full-time basis are very rare. In Canada, we have around 20 professionals in this area who do what I do.

Since there was so much overhead involved with starting my own practice, I saved $100,000 just to fund my work during the first year. You don't know who's actually practicing and who has the designation, so I wanted to be safe with the numbers.

How did you first realize that you needed visual marketing graphics to reach a wider audience?

When you write a blog post, nobody can read more than a paragraph. We have very short attention spans, so I thought: Why not tell my story in a visual way?

I’m a big fan of visual aids. I wrote two books, both of them on Amazon, to get people organized with visual templates and visual checklists. I always wanted to create infographics to broadcast my message more effectively.

What tool or software were you using before to create visual marketing graphics? Why did you switch?

I tried other programs before I found Visme. One was too basic and the other was too complex. I searched again for online infographic tools and eventually came across Visme.

It wasn't easy to find, so I recommend that everyone do some research before choosing a tool. Consumers go with the first tool they see and assume that it's the best, most popular tool, but that's not always the case. 

After I created my first infographic with Visme, I said, "Wow, I like it." And I didn't have to be a graphic designer to create something like this. So I think Visme has a good combination of versatility and simplicity at the same time.

Can you show us some examples of marketing graphics created with Visme?

When I go to trade shows, I market my books using framed infographics to visualize and summarize their content so those who approach my booth can easily see what they're about. So I was looking to summarize two books with one visual. I reached out to a designer on Fiverr, but by the time I finished explaining to them what I had envisioned in my mind, I had lost all patience. That's when I decided to do it myself with Visme.

For example, here is one infographic I created on the financial factors you should consider before getting together with someone after a divorce:

Here is another one I created on how to track our spending on a weekly basis:

I also created these two to visualize how to prepare for a divorce and how much a working parent really makes:

What tangible results have you seen from using marketing graphics to communicate ideas?

For me, there's no comparison between hiring a designer for 75 dollars an hour and creating your own infographics. While I can easily design my own infographic in an hour with Visme, a designer may not understand my vision, which can easily escalate to an uncontrollable amount of money after spending hours going back and forth with them. Also, I cannot visualize my ideas in the moment that they come to me.

I spent two days trying to find someone who could create my project. After going through several freelancers and losing my patience, I finally did the numbers and concluded that it was much more efficient and cost-effective to do it myself. This is when I came across Visme.

What Visme features made it stand out in comparison to other tools?

One of my favorite things about Visme is that it doesn't look cheap and cheesy. It looks very sleek, and I like the fact that the interface is very easy on your eyes. The tool bar is so non-invasive and it doesn't distract you when you’re working on something.

The icon library is really nice. I was pretty much able to find every icon I had in mind. It's intuitive and easy to create a new project, even if it's your first time using it.

Create animated charts with Visme

My absolute favorite tool in Visme is the chart tool. It's so intuitive and the charts are so visually attractive. You can enter your own values in the built-in spreadsheet and link to live data.

The other thing I like is the data widget in the form of a progress bar. It's useful for displaying individual figures or percentages.

Would you recommend Visme to others? If so, why would you recommend it?

Yes, definitely. If I didn't have this tool, I wouldn't be able to express my message through marketing graphics. An idea comes to me and I really want to capture it, so I just jump online and start working on it. Best of all, it's not necessary to break the bank to use it.

I've already recommended it to one friend who is exploring content marketing. On the other hand, there are those who like to keep certain tools they use as a "secret weapon" so their competition doesn't get an edge over them.

Visualize statistics and percentages with Visme's data widgets

Your Turn

Looking for a way to reach a wider audience with your message? Try visualizing your ideas with Visme. Take it for a test drive for as long as you like and let us know what you think below.