When it comes to social media, the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” has never been more true. Careful social media graphic design is a must to get people’s attention. Facebook posts with images or graphics will have twice as much engagement as posts that don’t.
Your visual cortex may be a small part of your brain, but it processes visual information 60,000 times faster than your brain processes words. As people scan their social media feeds, they make lightning-fast decisions about what to pay attention to. Your content must capture the attention of your target audience almost immediately or they will just pass you by.
The best way to slow down the scrolling process – and encourage interaction – is to add graphic design to your social media posts. A recent study found that posts with images are averagehave 94% more views than posts without images.
But graphics don’t just increase audience engagement – they increase user understanding and retention. Statistics have shown that people recall information 65% more effective when it’s paired with a related image.
Top 5 Social Media graphic design styles
When it comes to content creation, eye-catching visuals are perhaps the most important aspect of social media marketing strategy of your company. Check out the top 5 types of social media graphic designs with tips on how to create your own below!
1. Image with text or graphic elements
When you think of images on social media, the first thing that comes to mind is photos. Visually striking photos are especially effective at triggering associations in people’s minds. If you can evoke a mood, memory, or experience in your followers, then you’ll be conveying meaning beyond words. You can strengthen your message further by adding text or graphics to your photos, like this:
Chances are, someone owns the photos you find in a regular web search, and you’ll be breaking copyright if you use them – or even change them – unless the owner gives permission. clear to you. For that reason, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
How to source images for your social media designs:
- Pay for stock images. Most businesses find that the small initial cost of having full access to a professional-quality photo—without adding photo credits—is worth it. Some good sites for paid stock images are: Getty Images , Adobe Stock and Shutterstock .
- Find a free stock of photos. Some sites offer free stock images, with a word of caution: be very careful about licensing. Often you will be asked to give credit to the photographer in exchange for using the photo. Some good sites for free stock photos are: Unsplash , Picjumbo and Burst .
- Create an image yourself. Do you have a phone? Please use it! Give your followers a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of your company. Your audience will feel more connected when they feel they have more insight into the inner workings of your business.
- Hire a photographer. Hiring a professional to take the photos you want will get you exactly what you want, but this is rare, especially for social media content. Even the biggest corporations use stock images online.
2. Graphics and illustrations
While photos are a popular medium for social media visuals, digital illustrations or graphics are a great way to incorporate it.
The key here is consistency. On average, it takes about five to seven impressions to establish brand recognition. When the graphics you use for your social media content feel cohesive, you will strengthen your brand identity .
Programs like Adobe Spark and Canva let you integrate your branding elements, such as colors and logos, into social media graphics so that everything looks consistent and completely professional across the board.
Remember the four main goals of social media graphic design:
- Education : Image sharing information and establishing authority
- Entertainment : Images that evoke smiles and spread goodwill
- Interactive : Visual prompts for an action
- Inspiring : Images that encourage, uplift, or evoke emotion
3. Text-focused graphics
Just because you’re creating an image for social media doesn’t mean words can’t be the main focus.
For example, images with inspirational quotes or “quote cards” are highly shareable on social media. They evoke emotions, convey atmosphere, and communicate your brand values. When your followers share an inspirational quote tailored to them from your social media page with their friends and followers, your visibility will increase exponentially. .
You can also create text-focused images to make announcements, share stats, events, or other educational content.
Here are some quick tips for creating eye-catching text-focused images for your social posts:
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- Stay away from complicated typography. A large portion of your content will be consumed on small screens. No matter how beautiful you think a typeface is, if it’s not clear and legible at first glance, people won’t read it. Readability is key to creating shareable content.
- Keep it interesting. Let’s face it, text-only images can be downright boring without a bit of graphic design. Try it out with font sizes and colors and add graphic elements like shapes or icons .
- Aware of contrast. Make sure your text doesn’t blend with the background color. For example, if your background is pastel, use a more saturated font color—and vice versa.
4. Charts, infographics, and data visualization
It doesn’t matter how well written it is – a large block of text won’t catch anyone’s attention. Use eye-catching infographics, diagrams, or charts to present data in a visual format that makes complex information easy to understand. Infographics Liked and shared more often than other types of content.
- Apps like Infogram can create diagrams, charts, and graphs for social networks using the data you submit.
- Online tools such as Venngage can help you compose informative graphics Stunning and unique news for social media posts.
5. GIFs
There’s no better way to grab someone’s attention as they carelessly scroll through their mostly static feed than with an moving image. GIFs or non-stop low-resolution videos are one of the best ways to add a little movement to your social media posts. They allow you to convey an emotion or message to your followers in seconds. And, unlike video posts, they’re silent – no speakers or headphones needed.
Posting animated GIFs on your social media pages is an effective marketing strategy as it will literally “speak” to your followers. In a recent poll taken by Time Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z surveyed said that GIFs express their thoughts and feelings better than words. If your target audience can relate to the animation you post, they will be encouraged to engage more with your content.
While there are millions of GIFs available to express your message, you can also create your own GIFs.
- Apps like Ripl allow you to create three to ten second videos with uploaded images.
- Instagram’s boomerang feature creates a short looping video.
- Sites like Giphy allow you to create an eye-catching slideshow-style GIF using existing images.
- You can also do screen recording with RecordIt , create GIF from your recording.
Conclusion
Whether your business is large or small, images are an integral part of social media marketing. In this age of overwhelming visuals, one of your main goals is to get your target audience to stop and look. That’s why one of the most important things you can do is add eye-catching graphics to your content.
If you’re looking for inspiration, try following the images Malu Design uses on social media. We are constantly experimenting and trying out new techniques. Check us out on facebook and send us a direct message if you are looking for some more tips or suggestions!
