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Picture this: you’re cuddled up on the couch, scrolling through your social media feed, and you come across a graphics post that makes you say, "Whoa, that's impressive!" You can admit it - we've all experienced a little bit of "graphic envy" at some point.
But what if I told you that you, yes YOU, can become the creator of such awe-inspiring graphics, even if you can't tell the difference between Comic Sans and Helvetica?
Think graphics don't really matter? Think again. A recent study reports that Facebook posts with images see a whopping 2.3 times more engagement than those without. I mean, who doesn't love a good visual treat, right? So, it's time to ditch those dull text-only updates and level up your social media game.
Grab your laptop, put on your designer hat - or an actual hat, if that's what you fancy - and join us as we embark on a creative journey to transform you from a graphics greenhorn to a bona fide social media Picasso.
In this guide, I’ll provide you with the steps, tools, and inspiration you need to create engaging graphics for your social media in 2023.
6 Steps To Make Social Media Graphics
Start with the right tools
There are many social media tools out there and it's easy to get overwhelmed by all of them. But don't worry--you don't need to spend money on expensive software or even buy any new equipment!
If you want to create graphics for social media, these are some great options:
Digital First AI
Digital First AI is an innovative AI-Powered SaaS marketing platform that offers users custom marketing strategies, automated content creation, pre-made marketing funnels and more . It helps to simplify the process of creating effective social media campaigns.
With the ability to create copy and designs automatically, the platform frees up time for businesses to focus on other aspects of their operations.
Additionally, Digital First AI provides a step-by-step approach to executing marketing strategies, making it ideal for even inexperienced marketers to achieve social media success.
Here are some of the features that make Digital First AI stand out:
- Social media post generator (stories, feeds, posts, ads, and more)
- Automated content creation.
- ChatGPT- 4 for social media ideas
- 1000+ marketing strategies.
- Text to image generator.
- Team collaboration
- Advanced analytics (coming soon).
- Automated ad optimization.
- Strategy calendar (coming soon).
- Tracking Pixel (coming soon)
- AI social media videos (coming soon)
- And there’s more. Check out our roadmap here
Canva
Canva is one of the popular graphic design tools that has revolutionized the way people create visual content for social media. With its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop features, Canva has made it incredibly easy for anyone, regardless of skill level, to design professional-looking graphics for their social media profiles.
One of the key features of Canva is its vast library of templates, which include everything from Instagram posts to Facebook covers to Pinterest graphics. These templates are fully customizable, allowing users to change colors, fonts, images, and more to create a design that perfectly fits their brand.
In addition to templates, Canva also offers a huge library of design elements, including icons, illustrations, and stock photos, which can be easily added to any design. Users can also upload their own images and logos to use in their designs.
Create cohesive branding
The best way to create a cohesive brand is to make sure that all of your graphics are consistent. The first step in this process is creating a color scheme, which can be as simple as choosing one color for all of your graphics or using multiple colors in tandem with each other.
Once you've chosen your colors, be sure that every piece of content has them as well--whether it's photos or text posts, or anything else.
You should also use the same fonts, graphics, and logos across all platforms so they look like they belong together when viewed on social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram (or even Twitter).
The most important aspect of branding is making sure that everything looks professional while still being unique enough so people know who created it!
Stick to a color scheme
The next step is to choose a color scheme. It's important to choose a color scheme that is consistent with your brand and highlights the most important information in your graphic. The easiest way to do this is by choosing one or two main colors that are related to each other, as well as contrasting colors for highlights and borders (if applicable).
The most common color schemes are monochromatic (different shades of one main color), complementary (opposite colors), triadic (three evenly spaced primary colors) and tetradic (four evenly spaced primary colors). For example:
- Monochromatic - red, orange, yellow and green
- Complementary - red/green; blue/orange; purple/yellow
- Triadic - red-green-blue or cyan-magenta-yellow
Make your graphics downloadable and easy to share
To make it easy for people to share your graphics, you have to make them downloadable. This can be done in a few ways:
Use a link shortener like Bitly or Ow.ly. These services allow users to shorten the URL of their content, which makes it easier for people who want to share it on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
For example, if I wanted my audience members' attention on Twitter, I could use the hashtag #socialmediagraphics (which is already being used by thousands of other brands). If they want even more attention from their followers--and who doesn't?--they'll need something else besides just the hashtag; maybe something visual?
In this case I might consider creating a graphic that explains why we use certain hashtags when posting content online as well as how our readers should go about finding us within those spaces themselves!
Keep it simple
Hone in on your brand voice and don't overwhelm people with too much content or too many choices.
Make sure your graphics are relevant to the post they're attached to, so that if someone clicks through from Facebook or Twitter, they'll find an interesting article that fits their interests rather than something unrelated and boring (like some stock photo of a man on a beach).
Don't just use stock images--create them yourself!
Keep it relevant
The most important thing you can do is make sure that what you post is relevant. You want to make sure that people will actually be interested in what you have to say and not just scroll past it.
Here are some tips for creating relevant graphics:
- Consider the platform where you'll post your graphic when choosing what to include in it - for example, if you're posting on Facebook, make sure you're including your URL or website there.
- Include a call-to-action (CTA). This will tell people what action they should take after seeing the image--for example, "Click here for more info" or "Visit our website."
Inspiring Examples of Brands Using Graphic Posts For Engagement
If you're looking to create graphics for social media, these examples will inspire you and give you some ideas. Remember that there are no limits on where to find inspiration--from your favorite brands to local businesses, there are countless sources of inspiration out there!
Nike
If you're looking for inspiration, Nike is a great place to start. The brand is known for its engaging social media graphics and has some of the most creative designs out there.
Nike's graphics are simple and easy to understand, but they also go beyond that: they have a consistent look across all platforms that makes them recognizable as Nike's work (even if you don't know what it means).
H&M
- Use a photo of the product. A great way to start is with a photo of your product, whether it be clothing or accessories. You can even use multiple types of images if you want to show off different ways people might wear them!
- Include photos of the products in use. This is another way to showcase how versatile your products are and encourage customers who may not feel comfortable wearing them out on their own or at work by showing how stylish they look when worn by others who have similar styles (and maybe even similar body types).
- Show off action shots of people using your products in various settings: parks; streets; offices; parties...you get the idea! These kinds of images will help potential customers see themselves wearing these items in real life scenarios instead just seeing them sitting on display somewhere behind glass doors at retail stores like Target or Walmart."
Hubspot
Here are some examples of Hubspot's graphics:
- Use your own images. The first thing you'll notice is that each graphic has a different theme and style, but they all have the same elements in common. This makes them look consistent even though they're not identical.
- Use templates to get started quickly and easily, then personalize it with your own content or graphics later on!
- Don't worry about the tools -- they don't matter as much as what you're trying to say or show with your content!
Engaging Graphic Post Ideas for social media
Showcase your office space
The first thing that people see when they visit your social media pages is an image of your office. Use this opportunity to showcase the unique environment in which you work, whether it be a sleek and modern space or an old-fashioned soda shop with an old jukebox in the corner.
This can help establish a sense of identity for your brand, which will make viewers more likely to connect with it.
Show the product in action
Show the product in action. If your brand makes something that people use every day--like software, clothes or electronics--then show off how it looks when it's being used by real people who love what you do!
This can be as simple as product walk-through or snapping photos while someone uses one of your products at home; if they're happy enough to post about it on social media then others will likely feel similarly enthusiastic about sharing their own experiences with others too.
Give fans a look behind the scenes by posting images from inside factories where things get made (and shout out all those hard workers!).
Get some inspiration from other brands' posts
There are so many examples of brands using graphics on social media. It's a great way to get some inspiration and ideas for your posts. You can look at other brands' graphics and see how they use images, text, and hashtags to engage their followers.
If you're not sure where to start when it comes to creating your own graphics, here are some tips:
- Keep the image size small enough that people can still see what's happening in the picture if they want more detail (e.g., no need for giant photos).
- Use text sparingly--two or three words maximum per image is ideal; otherwise, it could be overwhelming!
It's a wrap
Crafting high-quality graphics for social media can be a daunting task, but with the right tool, it can be a breeze. Digital First AI is that tool, offers users a wide range of features that streamline the process of creating effective social media campaigns.
From its automated content creation to its pre-made marketing funnel and custom marketing strategies, Digital First AI empowers businesses of all sizes to succeed on social media.
And with a 3-day free trial, there's no reason not to give it a try. So why not take the first step towards social media success with Digital First AI?
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