We all know a picture is worth a 1000 words – but how do you set out to create shareable images for social media? Top social media and marketing influencer Rebekah Radice shared her top tips at Social Media Marketing World 2017. This checklist of actionable items can get you started making highly shareable images quickly!
Step 1 – Design with Your Audience in Mind
Start by doing research into what images your audience likes.
- If you are on Facebook, look at what images your current audience is engaging with – liking and sharing. Dig into your Facebook analytics and look at what other pages your current audience like, taking note of the style of images used on those pages.
- On Instagram, research top hashtags related to your product, and check out the images that use those hashtags.
- On Pinterest, find out what styles are trending and do keyword research to see what types and styles are being used.
Step 2 – Your Brand Style Guide
After you’ve done your research into the types of images that your desired audience is connecting with, establish the following guidelines for the images that your brand will create:
- Color consistency – what color(s) convey the feelings you want to have associated with your brand? You can use online tools to help identify colors that you like, and colors that “go together” – like
- Composition – keeping in mind the styles that your audience likes, think about how similar elements draw the eye. As Rebekah says “familiarity + flow + congruence = awareness.” For a great example, look at how Target does its visual style.
- Choose your fonts wisely. Don’t use more than 3 fonts in any image. It helps people read your copy and retain the information.
- Nail your message – does your image have a strong focal point? Is it relatable to your topic & audience? Choose images that are clear and easy to view.
- Brand it – always include some element that references your brand, so as your images are shared, people will know where they came from. Add a watermark, logo, hashtag or slogan to bring people back to your brand.
Step 3 – Types of Visual Content
After creating your brand style guide, think about the main types of visual content, and create a variety of images.
- Quotes – pair with color and simple backgrounds.
- Infographics – data, charts and graphs.
- Conversation starters – questions, thoughts, calls to action.
Step 4 – Start Creating!
The most important tip is to start! If you are following your brand guidelines, don’t get hung up on looking for perfection. Use any of the easy tools below to begin creating images, and monitor what is working for you.
Tools for Image Creation
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- Adobe Spark
- Canva
- Over (app for photo editing, can add text, choose background, font, and share)
- PicMonkey – edit images, create collage, overlap, font
- Piktochart – free infographic creation
- QuotesLover
Royalty Free Image Sources
We’d love to hear what tools you use and what your experience has been. Or, ask a question!
