In order to gain social media engagement and interaction with your target customer or client, focus your attention on aesthetic appeal. 90% of information transmitted to our brains is visual, so nailing your social media graphic design is paramount for driving conversion amidst the noise.
Here are 15 social media graphic design best practices to get your brand noticed:
1. Use bright and bold colors
Color is one of the key factors in producing engaging social media post designs that convert a customer or client. In fact, this research found that when trying to recall information, color had the most significant effect on people’s ability to do so successfully.
To increase your chances of brand recognition, choose bright, bold, and on-brand colors to grab attention, and use them across all of your social media graphics.
2. Create branded illustrations
One of the biggest trends for social media graphic design in 2021 is illustration, a creative way to up ‘share-appeal’ and add a much more personalized touch.
Email marketing platform MailChimp is an excellent example of this, their illustrations are simple, yet unique enough to stop consumers scrolling. Over time, a custom illustration style becomes instantly recognizable to your audience.
3. Include your impressive data
If your business has impressive statistics to share, incorporate them into your social media graphics with designed charts, graphs and infographics to make the information more digestible and appealing.
HubSpot uses this frequently. Using this post as a visual way to share their expertise on data around time spent in video meetings, they’re simplifying information that may otherwise have been ignored if presented in text only.
4. Opt for custom GIFs
It’s no doubt that GIFs have cemented their place across all social media platforms. They’re fun, engaging, and show that your company is paying attention to current trends in online culture.
These quick animations allow you to tell a story in seconds, and keep the attention of the viewer.
5. Use pre-made templates
If you’re just starting your journey to upgrade your social media graphic design, utilizing pre-made templates can help you achieve great results if you’re not a trained designer.
Drag and drop templates can save you time as they can be designed in bulk, but be cautious of using too many ‘done-for-you’ designs and blending in with others online. Always aim to add your own branding, colors and fonts.
6. Create custom templates
According to this study, 43% of marketers claimed that their biggest struggle when producing content was consistency. Consistency is key with social media, the algorithm favors it, and so will your audience.
To beat the last-minute panic when content runs dry, produce your own custom social media design templates to create a consistent look and feel, which will contribute to better brand recognition.
Templates are especially useful if you post recurring features, as consumers will start to recognize that the designs will mean great content.
7. Onboard an on-demand agency
Creating custom social media graphics that are on-brand, engaging and effective takes time, while changes to social media trends happen fast.
Keep ahead of your target audience and consistently deliver eye-catching content by enlisting social media graphic design services to deliver the leg work.
As an on-demand agency, we at Design Force offer flexible monthly subscriptions, so you can access a team of world-class designers in an instant to produce the high-quality social media graphics you need, when you need them.
8. Add text to add interest
Adding text to your social media graphic designs adds additional interest, and shows the viewer what the post is about instantly.
To do this effectively, make sure your text is in contrast to the background and is readable on small screen sizes. And again, using branded fonts will increase brand recognition over time.
9. Use icons
Icons are a new trend taking to social media this year.
They’re a simple yet effective way to get your message across quickly and draw attention to your post. Keep them bright, simple, and reflective of the theme you’re posting about.
At Design Force, we offer custom icon design in our Product Design subscription package. Take a look at our work in action to see what we can deliver to your business.
10. Think about image size
Since audiences consume social media on their mobiles, make sure your graphics are suitable for smaller devices by ensuring your formats are optimized for small screens.
Consider whether your graphic is still impactful on mobile, and opt for simpler designs. Is the text readable? Are the colors contrasting enough?
11. Optimize image size for each platform
Speaking of size, each social media platform has its own recommendations for graphic design proportions.
Instagram’s feed ratio is 1:1, whereas designing for Pinterest requires 2:3. Make sure to customize the canvas size to reflect where the graphic will be posted to ensure the highest quality everywhere.
12. Make sure your profile picture and header complement each other (and your feed)
Following on from consistency across each social media graphic you post, make sure your permanent imagery compliments each other, too.
Your profile picture and header art should all reflect your brand’s style and should include a logo.
13. Mix up your content types
Valuable content gains you more reach across all social media platforms. In order to provide consistently exciting value, mix up your content types to keep your audience engaged.
Content types can include:
- Recurring features
- Quotes
- Infographics
- Tweet rehsares
- Competitions
- Team introductions
- Video
- Reels
- Stories
- How-to posts
The list goes on! Check out our own feed for more inspiration.
14. Keep your graphics on-brand
If you take only one point away from this list of social media graphic design tips, let it be this one: brand your graphics!
For each social media post that you create, make sure there is an element that directly relates back to your business.
Whether that’s adding a logo to each graphic, or a CTA (call to action) that invites the viewer to visit your website, consistently labeling your content as yours will increase your chances of conversion from your target customer or client, and get your brand out there when your engaging designs are shared.
Plus, search engines favor content that is unique and points to a specific website, so you’ll be bumped up in the algorithm, too.
15. Assess your results!
For success on social media, keeping track of your analytics will guide you on designs that get results.
Regularly assess which posts resonated with your audience and which missed the mark, and use the findings as your designs develop.
To learn more about designing for social media, keep our blog bookmarked!
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Which of these social media graphic design tips will you incorporate first? Do you have any to add? Let us know over on Instagram!
If you’re ready to uplevel your social media graphics but need additional support, speak to Design Force today about our on-demand design services. We’ve perfected the system to create converting design, so you can create the social media feed your customers are scrolling for.
