Did you know that there are about 750 billion images on the Internet? And that when it comes to social media, several billion are uploaded each day? According to Photutorial, 6.9 billion images are shared on WhatsApp per day, and 1.3 billion images are shared on Instagram. These are not small numbers. While that’s an exciting fact to chew on, it’s also a big problem for businesses and entrepreneurs. How do you stand out from the crowd? This is why learning graphic design tips for social media is crucial.
Social media graphic design is a must if you’re venturing into social media spaces. This is especially important on visual-focused social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Tumblr, and more. If your business or brand is on any of these platforms, you need to learn more about graphic design for social media.
Why is graphic design important on social media?
Graphic design plays a crucial role in social media marketing for several reasons. As a business owner, entrepreneur, or content creator, the design of your social media content will matter a lot. This will say a lot about your brand, your products, and your overall identity and reputation.
Here are a few key reasons why social media graphic design is important:
- Visual Appeal: Social media is a highly visual space. This means that eye-catching graphics can quickly capture the attention of users as they scroll through their feeds. Well-designed visuals are more likely to be noticed and remembered.
- Brand Identity and Recognition: Consistent and well-designed graphics help reinforce a brand’s visual identity. Elements such as logos, color schemes, and typography contribute to overall brand recognition. This makes it easier for users to identify and remember a brand.
- Engagement: Compelling visuals are more likely to generate engagement, including likes, shares, and comments. Engaging content increases the likelihood that users will interact with your posts, and helps build a community around your brand.
- Communication: Graphic design gives way to effective communication. Complex ideas can be explained in a simple and visually appealing manner. And important details can be given to the audience in a more convenient way. Infographics, for example, can convey information more efficiently than text alone, making it easier for users to understand and share.
- Professionalism: High-quality graphics contribute to a professional and polished image for a brand or individual. This kind of professionalism can positively influence how users perceive the content and the associated brand.
- Storytelling: Visual elements can be powerful tools for storytelling. Through graphics, brands can convey narratives, evoke emotions, and connect with their audience on a more personal level.
- Social Media Algorithms: Social media platforms often prioritize visually appealing content in their algorithms. And even then, algorithms always change. Graphic design allows brands and individuals to adjust and cater to the algorithm, which is more likely to be shown to a wider audience and increase the reach of your content.
- Differentiation: Social media is a crowded space with a vast amount of content always competing for attention. And with people’s attention span shortening even more, the need to stand out is even more crucial. Unique and well-designed graphics will help your content stand out. This will help you differentiate your brand from others in the same niche.
- Call-to-Action (CTA): Graphic design can be used to create effective CTAs. These are important for encouraging users to take specific actions, such as clicking a link, making a purchase, or participating in a campaign.
- Ad Campaigns: For businesses running social media advertising campaigns, the visual components are crucial. This is because compelling graphics can significantly enhance the performance of ads by attracting attention and encouraging user engagement.
How to do graphic design for social media?
After establishing the importance of social media graphic design, you now need to familiarize yourself with graphic design. Creating content is more than just finding something to post about. It’s also about considering the design and any visual aspects to ensure your content is visually appealing, engaging, and aligned with your brand.
So whether you’re a small marketing team or you’re a solo entrepreneur doing your own graphic design, learning graphic design tips and best practices is a must.
Here are several effective graphic design tips to help you create great social media content:
#1 Understand Your Audience
Tailor your designs to resonate with your target audience’s preferences, interests, and demographics. It’s best to do research about your target audience to make sure that you’re creating social media graphic design that resonates with them.
#2 Consistent Branding
Maintaining a consistent visual identity is also one of the best graphic design tips for social media. Make sure you include brand color schemes, fonts, and logo placement to reinforce brand recognition. Consistent and cohesive branding is important for your social media content.
#3 Prioritize Readability
Readability is important for any graphic design content. Use legible fonts and ensure the text is easy to read, even on smaller screens. Contrast text against the background as well for better visibility.
#4 Eye-Catching Thumbnails
If your content will be featured in a thumbnail (e.g., Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories, TikTok videos, YouTube videos), it’s best to ensure that the design is attention-grabbing even when in a small format.
#5 Apply Visual Hierarchy
Visual hierarchy also happens to be one of the most vital design tips for a lot of graphic designers. Arrange elements in a way that guides the viewer’s eye through the design. Important information should be prominent and easy to find.
#6 Use High-Quality Images
If you’re going to use any images, ensure that they are of high resolution to maintain a professional look. Blurry or pixelated images can detract from the overall quality of the graphic or the whole post.
#7 Simplicity is Key
Avoid clutter, and keep your designs simple. A clean and uncluttered layout helps convey your message more effectively. If you’re ever using several elements that align with your brand identity, make sure that they do not take away from the main information or focus of the graphic.
#8 Optimize for Mobile
Many users access social media on mobile devices, so create a design with a mobile-first mindset. Test your designs on different screen sizes to ensure they look good across devices.
#9 Use Templates
Create a consistent look for your social media posts by using templates. Once you’ve found a template or style that works well with your brand and your audience, feel free to use it again and save it as a template for future posts. This helps maintain a cohesive visual theme across your content and maximize your brand awareness.
#10 Incorporate Brand Personality
Of course, don’t forget to infuse your brand’s personality into your designs. Whether it’s humor, professionalism, or quirkiness, let your brand’s character shine through the graphics and any visual content.
#11 Size Matters
Another one of the best graphic design tips you can never forget is considering the image size of every social media space. Be aware of the recommended image sizes for each social media platform to ensure your content displays correctly and looks its best. Graphics that are not size-optimized can impact exposure and engagement.
#12 Utilize White Space
Make sure to not overcrowd your design as well. Leave enough white space to enhance readability and create a balanced composition.
#13 Use Texture of Gradients
Textures and gradients add a certain kind of depth, interest, and richness to a graphic design. Try to experiment with these in the background. These will create an impactful design that will grab the attention of your audience and add to your overall social media aesthetic.
#14 Use Visual Cues
It’s also recommended to use visual cues in your graphic design. Elements like arrows, bullet points, emojis, circles, underlines, highlights, and more. These help emphasize certain information and words, which help the audience understand your graphic better.
#15 Test and Analyze
And, of course, you can experiment with different design elements, and use analytics to measure the performance of your content. Pay attention to what works best for your audience and adjust your approach accordingly.
Keeping these graphic design tips in mind will help you be more effective and create engaging and visually appealing social media content. If you think you need more help from graphic design professionals, talk to Twin Rams Media Group, and let us help you with the graphic design for your social media.
References:
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/5-design-tips-for-creating-stunning-social-media-graphics-infographic/649119/
https://attrock.com/blog/social-media-design-tips/