How to make the best social media images

Say what you will about pictures speaking thousands of words; there is something to be said about consumers being drawn to well-developed brands, whether they realize it or not. One of the best ways to make your brand more accessible is through imagery.

THEME | STYLE GUIDE

Consistency is what makes a brand successful, and sometimes people don’t realize that this concept extends to images on social media. By creating a uniform theme and style guide for posts, you build marketplace recognition and brand loyalty.

A consistent theme may entail using a specific filter on photos, having a unique photo POV, or a special colour scheme. A style guide is basically a template you use across your social media postings. This may include logo placement and dimensions in order to best fit within the parameters of each social media platform.

Social media cheat sheet for photo sizes (pixels):

If you’re considering using blog posts to elevate your brand identity, make sure each image has no more than 20% text coverage. Also, change the file name of the photo to include keywords to help optimize your blog on search engines.

COLOUR

Colour is important when considering the consistency of your brand. Colours should be in-keeping with your graphic styles. Choose two to four colours that best reflect your brand.

Here are some colour choices and what they represent to most of the Western population:

• Black: power, authority, style, sleekness, class
• Yellow: fun, optimistic
• Orange: cheerful, encouraging, confident
• Red: strength, energy, love
• Blue: calm, loyalty
• Green: nature, balance, financial stability

Since social media is a fast paced environment, keeping it simple is best on the eyes, but standing out is still the trick to building a memorable brand.

TYPOGRAPHY

Typography is also a large part of your image branding. How your text comes across to audiences is an expression of your company’s personality and brand. Headings should be eye-catching, but also easy to read. If you have any other text on your graphic, this too must not look cluttered and help support the concept of the image.

• Serif: a line at the end of each stroke; traditional and professional
• Sans Serif: no line at the end of each stroke; crisp and modern
• Script/Italics: sophistication, femininity, formality and decoration
• Handwriting: personal and casual

TOOLS

There are also a number of tools out there to help you create your social media brand. Sometimes, the best aid in creating and advancing your brand is to use tools that streamline time management. Other times, you just need inspiration before creating a campaign from scratch.

Social Media Templates:

• Autre Planete Social Media Image Maker: adjusts image dimensions for multiple social media platforms
• Canva: user-friendly plugin template for social media
• BeFunky: like Canva, uses layouts to create social media graphics and collages

Free stock photos:

• Unsplash: free, open modification, high-resolution photos; 10 new photos every 10 days
• Pexels: free, open modification photos; has 4,500 photos and adds approximately 70 new photos per week

Infographics:

• Infogr.am: creates data graphics and provides infographic layouts
• Easel.ly: similar to Infogr.am and has a drag-and-drop interface

Photo editor/enhancer:

• Pixlr: considered an alternative to Photoshop in that you can apply different overlays and texts
• Snapseed: mobile app that edits photos to help create original content

When learning how to best promote your message, it is vital to remember that imagery is a powerful resource when creating a memorable brand. Furthermore, it is integral to understand that consistency and clear intention are key to image success on social media.