How to Create Social Media Visuals Without a Design Team?
A major portion of a successful social media marketing campaign can be attributed to its visual appeal. Just like magpies are drawn to shiny objects, social media users are highly inclined to engage more with content that has attractive visuals to it.
However, not everyone has the resources to hire a professional designer, much less a design team, to take care of their social media visuals. In this case, you are left to fend for yourself, and the burden of designing also falls on your shoulders. If you are one such creator who can’t afford a design team, this blog is for you.
Herein, we will discuss the need for appealing social media visuals and how you can create them yourself with minimal effort. Keep reading!
What is the need for visuals on social media?
Visuals are probably the first thing a user notices when they see content online. Forget others and think of yourself. What grabs your attention the most when you visit a social media handle for the first time? Is it what they have written on their bio? Probably not! In most cases, it is almost always the visuals. It could be their display picture, the colors on their profile, or an emoji, but almost always visuals.
A visual, in most cases, is the first impression that you leave on your audience. Additionally, with so much content out there and people posting something almost every minute, it becomes essential to create something that helps you stand out from the crowd.
Hence, it becomes imperative to create visuals that are appealing and resonate with your brand voice. It will not only help you create your own separate identity on social media but also make you recognizable online.
How to create stunning visuals without a design team?
When we say visuals, it doesn't just mean photos. Visuals also include photos, videos, GIFs, carousel posts, illustrations, memes, infographics, etc. It is basically everything with design, shapes, colors, or movement.
However, not everyone can afford an expansive design team to help them with creating visuals online. If you are a small team or an individual with all the design burdens on you, use these tips to create appealing visuals.
1. Set up the color palette to match your brand voice
When you establish a color palette for your brand, it makes it easier for you to build on further visuals. However, there are other, even more important reasons. Choosing a color palette that matches your brand voice helps you set yourself apart from your competitors. It compliments your brand tonality and makes you distinguishable. Hence, even when your audience spots your content on some other platform, it increases the chances of them recognizing that it is you.
2. Keep in mind the dimensions
Different platforms follow different social media image sizes. For example, Instagram follows a square ratio of 1:1 with an ideal size of 1080 x 1080 pixels. Whereas Facebook has an ideal ratio of 1200 x 630 pixels, and LinkedIn follows a pixel ratio of 400 x 400 pixels. Hence, to be able to create the best visuals, always keep the image size in mind.
You may sometimes create stunning visuals, but if it doesn’t match the preferences of the platform, you will be forced to resize it. This not only destroys all your efforts but also looks like a cheap attempt to create the post. Using it won’t bring you any benefits either. Hence, even before you thin the design, think of the size of the platform where you want to post.
3. Use high quality graphics
Always look for high-quality images to upload on your social media. We have already discussed the importance of images and how they can affect the engagement on your posts. It goes without saying that it should be of high quality. High-quality images help you get the message across in a much better manner.
4. Click pictures
If you have a knack for photography, you can always click pictures to use as your visual content on social media. To improve your results, consider using an app to enhance photo quality. You can also design or draw the pictures if you are good at it. However, if you feel that you are not good at clicking pictures, feel free to use stock photos that are available on the internet. You can also find images through Google Image search. However, always make sure that the image you use is free to use and does not have any copyright attached to it.
5. Use templates
There is no lack of ready-to-use templates available online. You can find various templates that are 100% customizable, and you can use them as per the needs of your content. Tools like SoicalPilot offer templates that can be used by anyone, even if they don't understand graphic design. There are various other platforms as well that allow you to use pre-designed templates. All you need to do is sign up with your email ID, and you can simply download the templates for free. You can find them for different purposes, such as sharing reviews, making announcements, posting educational content, etc.
6. Add some text to your visuals
Depending on the need of the post, you can choose to add text to the visuals. Combining images and texts together can often help you tell stories through your posts. It adds certain layers of depth to your content, which texts or images cannot do if they are used alone. The tip to using texts is to choose fonts that can easily be read and relate to the theme of the post.
The color tone should also match the color palette of the post. Make sure you place them properly so that it doesn't snatch the focus away from your image. The last advice is to not overdo texts. Adding too much text can sometimes make a post look cluttered. So, only use texts when they are relevant and needed, or let the pictures do the talking otherwise.
7. Add your logo
Another tip is to add a logo wherever you find it appropriate to use. If you don't have a logo yet or you wish to change it first start with understanding the different types of logos. Now, choose one that suits your content requirement better. You can pick logs of different shapes or create a mascot or a wordmark depending on your brand idea.
However, make sure it matches the color palette of your brand. If you already have one, make sure the color palette of your social content matches the logo. Once you have it in place, use it as and when you find it appropriate. You can also choose to design a wordmark and a mascot and also some shapes and use them interchangeably as required.
8. Stick to your brand guidelines
Every brand follows a different set of values and rules that they stick to. For example, there might be certain colors that you avoid. There could be some specific text that you use everywhere. You could have certain pre-specified types of content that you make sure not to use. It could be anything.
When you are designing visuals for your social media handles, make sure to follow the same brand guidelines. As already mentioned, visuals play a key role in grabbing the user's attention and creating the first impression. Hence, if you get the visuals wrong, it can reverse your entire social media marketing strategy.
9. Seek the help of AI tools
There are various AI tools available in the market that you can use for different purposes. Some of these tools also allow you to design images or even create videos without manually having to go through the entire design process. All you need to do is give a certain set of instructions to the AI software, and it will generate a picture specially customized for you. However, keep in mind that it is still a work in progress, and you can't rely on it too much. Some of them that are more refined come with a cost.
10. Invest in content creation tools
There are various different tools, like Instagram growth tools, tools for Facebook, etc., that you can use to boost the engagement of your social media platforms. These platforms also allow you to create content and schedule posts for your different social media pages.
While a big company has enough resources and a team to help them with everything, it can become quite overwhelming for such brands that have only one person doing everything. In this case, content creation tools can significantly reduce your work stress, help you create stunning visuals, and also save you a lot of time.
Takeaway
Designing visuals for social media doesn’t really require you to have a professional level of experience to start. While it definitely helps to have some professional help, you still need to start somewhere if you can’t hire them. Once you get a hang of different designing tools, it becomes easier for you to create visuals. With time, it also improves your sense of design; you start understanding the type of images that work and don’t work.
Eventually, you get better at it! So, even if you can’t hire a designer yet, start designing visuals by yourself today!
