How to Create Social Media Graphics that Grabs Attention

If you don’t want to take the plunge and pay for any software, Adobe has an amazing free tool called Adobe Spark which allows you to use professionally designed templates to get you started.

If you don’t want to use Adobe, Canva is another amazing platform that has lots of social media templates ready and available. You can also search through an extensive range of images that are free and will help you elevate your content. Both Adobe and Canva offer paid plans that you can subscribe to, however you can create amazing content and graphics using just the free platform.

If you would prefer to use your own images within your graphics, this is always an amazing option as it adds an element of personalization to your content and will help you to connect more with your target audience. It will also stop you from getting into any legal trouble if the image isn’t free for commercial use.

So now the tools are out of the way, let’s start on the tips to help you get started!

The right size image.

Different social media platforms will require different size images, so pay close attention to the dimensions of what you are creating. An example is Instagram, your graphics will look best on a square template – if you are posting onto the main feed. However, if you want to post something onto an Instagram story the size of the graphics will be different.

If you decide to use Canva, you can easily choose what type of social media graphic you are looking to design and it will size it up automatically for you, so you don’t need to worry about if it will be the correct resolution for the platform. Keep in mind that these dimensions can change regularly so make sure that you research the sizes before you post your content.

Keeping your brand in mind.

You want to think about your brand guidelines when you are designing graphics as these should be in line with each other. This is the secret to creating the most effective graphics.

Including your logo within your graphics is also important, whether you use it as the main feature or just a small portion, having a logo design on social media content will keep eyes on your brand and also spark some new interest.

Next, is thinking about a colour scheme. All successful brands have a specific colour palette they stick to. It helps to make your brand seem more professional and put together. Typography is also a key aspect when it comes to creating graphics, you want it to look consistent, so try to incorporate the same font in all of your content.

Make it simple.

So, you want your content to be eye-catching but you don’t want to overwhelm the consumer. Try not to overuse text in your graphics as most social media platforms allow you to add a caption underneath the post, which you can use to explain the content or tell them more information rather than cramming it onto a small post. For example, if you wanted to tell people about your new job opportunity, keeping the style of the post simple is important. A simple phrase to use could be “We’re hiring!” or “Job opportunity!”, you could even include the title of the position and maybe the area in which it will be in.

Then you can direct people to more specific information such as a website link or a short description about the job role on offer.

Don’t use every design element in one concept! If you include lots of shapes, text and icons the design can start to look cluttered and unprofessional. It also makes it harder for the consumer to understand the information you are trying to communicate. Use the tools you need in order to get the point across but keep it minimal.

Colour palettes.

Using coordinating colours in your design can help it read easier. If you have a specific colour in mind that you would like to use then try and use a colour that will compliment it. To work out which colours will work well together you can look at a simple colour wheel, complementary colours sit opposite each other.

Using images in your design.

Consumers love to see what your brand is up to. So spending time getting strong photographs is definitely a good investment of your time. If you want to hire a photographer to get the best quality photos then this is also a good investment, however, a photographer does come at a price and most of the time it isn’t cheap.

Picking up a smartphone or camera and experimenting is a great place to start. Most smartphones have amazing cameras that can produce some solid graphics to help you get started. You can always edit these and make them crisper later on when you start to create your content. You can use Adobe or Canva to edit your photographs such as making them brighter and playing with the saturation.

That’s all the tips on how to create the perfect graphics for social media. To conclude you need to think about all elements of the design from the initial concept to the platform you are going to use. All of these combined and done to a high standard will create strong user engagement and get your brand noticed!