Led by: Jelly Academy
In today's social media world, we all know getting your content out there is pivotal for boosting your brand's awareness online and creating an engaging social media presence for your customers. But did you know that there are some simple tips and rules to follow that can turn your basic photos into gorgeous graphics? And you don't need to be a trained graphic designer to create them!
Here are 5 insights from Jelly Academy's graphic designer for creating social media graphics that will take your social posts to the next level:
First, let's talk about how you can create your graphics, without needing graphic creation software or prior training, to create something beautiful and eye-catching. Canva is a FREE program where you can choose from thousands of graphic templates at all different sizes and styles that allow you to customize and download for commercial use.
We recommend signing up for Canva and trying out their pre-made graphic templates to make creating your social graphics easy without the hassle of starting completely from scratch - especially if you don't really have an eye for design! The nice thing about using Canva is you can create one template for any repeating posts you may have (whether its weekly promotions, team updates, or tips, for example) which you can reuse to create quick posts over and over again.
Here are a few simple (but very important!) reminders for you to double-check whenever you are creating a graphic to ensure it will look its best when posted:
A. Be sure your graphic is the correct size for social media - 1080x1080 (for posting on your feed) and 1080x1920 (for posting on stories).
This will guarantee your graphics look their best and nothing gets cut off. Also, be aware of overlapping UI (User Interface - the bars in the bottom and top of the screen) in the Instagram and Facebook story format - leave white space at the top and bottom of your story graphics so nothing gets cut off behind the interface.
B. Make sure your text is at least 30 pts in size for readability!
You don't want your text to be too small for people to read on their phone screens. And the same goes for fonts that are too big - try not to go too overboard or your graphic may become too text heavy. We also suggest that you don't mess around too much with the letter and line spacing in your text as this can also greatly affect the readability in your graphics. If you're using Canva or a similar design editor then the program will automatically generate the right amount of spacing for you.
C. Keep the copy to a minimum.
Short headlines only if possible! Your graphics are solely meant to catch someone's eye as they're scrolling - so you don't need to put the entirety of the content of your social posts into the graphic. We recommend just showcasing a heading regarding what the post is about, and your audience can look to the post's description for any further information if they are interested. If you add too much text right onto the graphic itself, information often gets lost and the graphic becomes less eye-catching.
If you take anything away from this blog post, make sure that it's “KISS”: Keep It Simple Stupid!
This rule ties into our point above about keeping your graphics copy to a minimum - you don't want to overdo your graphics with too many design elements in one post or you risk compromising your design, your brand's social persona (depending on what it is), and may even distract your followers from the point of the graphic being posted in the first place.
Use a maximum of two fonts, three colours, and 1-2 images per social graphic. The more simple the graphic is, the better your point will get across in your post and the faster your followers will act on your CTA. You don't need to lean on a crazy amount of graphic elements to make a big statement if you create the graphic well.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when creating your social media graphics! If you're unsure where to start you should always pull inspiration from your business's branding and tone of voice. If you do not have a brand guide that lays out your brand's colours, fonts, and graphical elements - do not worry - just head over to your website.
Have a look at what colors are being used on your site, how and what images are being used, what fonts you're utilizing, and how your website feels overall. This will give you a base for creating social posts for your brand that match the same vibe as your website and brand.
Take the Jelly Academy social feed for example, the fonts and colours match, and we’re using similar images to keep the messaging consistent to our website so our followers recognize us when we pop up in their feed!
We love graphics for informative pieces and important announcements but we know it's equally important to showcase regular images and lifestyle photos and videos to keep a balanced look to your social media feed.
Post too many graphics and your feed can end up looking cluttered and unorganized, but a mixture of regular images throughout your posting schedule will allow for breathing room and give you an opportunity to share some images from your business. Whether it be products, location shots, employees, stock photos, or whatever you have on hand for posting, it will greatly help break up your graphics and showcase more about your brand.
Creating a beautiful and informative social media graphic is no easy task- that's why most leave it to the pros - but these 5 tips will help you along the way and make it a breeze! Whether you are starting your social media graphic creation journey or looking to integrate new and helpful techniques for creating graphics, we hope you are able to utilize these great insights to help manage your social media channels a bit easier.
To learn more about social media, check out our 6-Week Digital Marketing course which covers an entire module on social media.
