If you’ve made it to this blog post, I don’t need to tell you that eye-catching images are critical to marketing your Social Media brand presence But in case you need some conviction, keep in mind that blogging and social media are now the most widely used formats for content marketing.
It’s well established that blogging articles and social media Brand presence posts work much better when combined with visuals, but content marketers suffer from small budgets and high expectations.
Are social networks worth it?
No matter how you look at it, maintaining a positive social media brand presence is an uphill battle, especially for small businesses that don’t have the resources to dedicate one or more full-time employees to social media alone.
So what is the secret? Success comes from a combination of factors, including the quality of the content and the graphic design itself, the underlying marketing strategies (think: giveaways and crowdsourcing), the product, and the timing.
When these factors work together, social media can change the very fabric of a company’s marketing strategy. For example, T-shirt maker Sevenly donates to charities for every T-shirt sold. The company partners with multiple charities and causes and designs a unique t-shirt to match.
Your social media brand presence posts tend to share well, as people who can’t afford to donate can help the cause simply by sharing the post:
The point is, social media content will only be as effective as your business model and marketing strategy allow it to be. Once you have that strategy in place, supporting and implementing it on social media is actually the easy (and fun) part.
5 graphic design tips to get you started
- Have a goal
Each social media account should have an overall goal and each post should have an individual goal. Think of the goal of the account as a general theme that your followers can expect you to follow. For example, will your Instagram feed be used to display graphics of your latest products or to share informational content related to your brand? Or are you creating a community for your customers to interact with your brand and with each other? Define this topic together with your target audience. Each individual post should contribute to this overarching theme and drive measurable metrics for your brand: engagement, clicks, and purchases.
- To be creative
Whether you are an experienced designer or not, everyone can get creative when creating social media graphics. Incorporating storytelling techniques is a great way to do this. Think about who the main character is, what is the problem or challenge you are facing, and how you are solving it. Then tell that story visually.
- Remember design best practices
Social media graphic design follows a set of best practices that will make your designs stand out. When selecting the color, make sure the colors you choose are sufficiently contrasting so that the content is easy to read. Experimenting with fonts is a great way to add some fun to your post design, but make sure it’s still readable. Balance out fun fonts with a second simple font. In general, keep the design simple so that your audience understands the message you are trying to convey.
Poster design essentials
This informational poster is a great example of using fonts.
- be consistent
Social media is a great way to build your brand, but only if the social media designs you create are consistent with that brand. Be sure to incorporate your brand colors and fonts into your social media designs and avoid any content, visual or otherwise, that does not accurately reflect your brand. Learn more about the brand on social media.
- Use the right tools
With the right tools, even non-designers can create stunning social media graphics.
Here’s how you can create amazing graphic designs for your social media sites in just minutes.
Step 1: Choose a template
choose the template that corresponds to the social media site you will be posting to (this ensures that the image has the correct dimensions).
Alternatively, you can save time by creating a single document and then linking it in each of your posts.
I’ll build my content from this Facebook post template:
Step 2: customize
In this step, change the content of the template to your own. Then adjust the effects, fonts, and positioning to get the perfect layout.
Since I want to emphasize the creative capabilities of my product, I am going to make a meme about the power of imagination.
First, I double-click to replace the text with my own. I try several sources before selecting Hill House. Then I delete the background photo. After dragging and dropping an image that I found on Pixabay onto the canvas, I right-click and select Send to Background so it doesn’t cover up my text.
Finally, I add a text box at the bottom right to include our branding. Now it is ready:
Before you can share your document on social media, you will need to publish it with a unique URL. Click Share in the upper right corner, then click Post on the web tab. Finally, go to the On Social tab to share your new content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Write a short, personalized description for each post you make. If you’re not sure how to tailor your post text for each site, check out this now-famous comparison of social media sites:
What do you think?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on graphic design tips for social media.
Specifically, I would like to know:
What is the main thing you want to learn about social media graphic design tips?
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Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.