Last Updated on June 29, 2024 by Rovamedia
While it might be easy to get a picture from any source for content, it is important to note that the right picture sends the right information for content to the intended audience. In this resource, we evaluate how to understand and apply the best Images for content.
As a graphics designer assigned to a content curator, there is a seamless relationship that goes on between the two. The most important aspect of this relationship is to make sure both niches represent content to the mind of the audience at large. Graphic designers create visual concepts, by hand or using computer software, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, or captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports.
It might interest you to know that Graphic design is also known as communication design. Graphic designers are visual communicators, who create visual concepts by hand or by using computer software. They communicate ideas to inspire, inform, or captivate consumers through both physical and virtual art forms that include images, words, or graphics.
Graphic designers plan, develop, and produce material in printed or electronic format for clients. They may specialize in design for marketing communications, digital media, corporate identity, publishing, or packaging. Designers use a range of communication, creativity, project management, and team-working skills. They also need good computer skills and knowledge of graphic design software.
Graphics Designer Vs Graphic Content Suitable for a Specific Content
Here are some tips on how to best select graphic content for Social Media Curated Content. They include:
1. Define Your Goal: The first and most important of the graphic design tips when creating social media content is that you need to have a goal. Setting up a goal will be the basis for creating your design for your social media content. So let’s figure out what it is that you are trying to do and then let’s make a story out of it. Having a goal will not only help your design for social media content but will also allow you to tell your message visually. Start by asking yourself a few questions:
- What is my purpose for this post?
- Am I trying to drive sales?
- Do I want to increase traffic to my website?
- Am I trying to increase engagement on my page?
While asking these questions keep in mind your target audience. Make sure you know who your audience is. Research your competitors and your ideal target audience. Below are some research points to consider when targeting your audience:
- Who are they?
- Which platforms do they use?
- Are they desktop users or mobile phone users?
- What message do I want to convey?
- How do I want my viewers to feel and what do I want them to do about it?
- What are they liking/ who are they following?
- Where do they hang out?
Once you know your audience, who you want to target, and the purpose of your post, you’ll have your goal. Your “WHY” for creating your social media graphic is the first and most important step in this whole process. Everything after this will be chosen to reflect this goal.
2. Colors: One thing you should note as a graphics designer is that since your social media designs are only going to be displayed on screen make sure the color is always set to RGB, no CMYK colors!
3. Incorporate Branding into Your Design: focus our attention on brand identity and how to incorporate branding to elevate your story. On average It takes about seven times of seeing or hearing your brand for someone to recognize it. This means that consistency and repetition of brand elements such as logo, colors, and fonts, are essential. Make sure to include your logo in every image but keep in mind what we’ve learned so far. It’s great to include your logo in your pictures because you want people to associate it with your brand but making it half the size of the picture or more will come off as too cluttered.
The point of creating graphic designs for your social media content is not only to tell a story but to attract an audience and then direct them to your website. So if your graphic has no branding, the whole effort becomes ineffective. It doesn’t have to be big and bold, just enough to ultimately let people know where it’s from.
4. Maintain Consistency: A core building block of your brand is going to be consistency. If your social media content looks and feels connected, your audience will form a clear understanding of your brand and its message. However, if your content seems sporadic and random, the audience may feel confused and not understand your brand or its message. Having established your goal early on this will help your brand work towards a consistent look. Give your followers a chance to quickly recognize you on their feed. Make sure all the content that you create is consistent with your brand. Always posting content in the same style can be challenging at times but being able to establish a strong brand identity will make it worth it.
When keeping up with consistency make sure that all your designs are cohesive across all platforms. These consistent elements will tie each post together and make your brand easily recognizable! An easy way to keep consistency is to take the time to create templates for quick quotes, announcements, promotions, or sales. This will make it easy for you and your team to quickly create content. Plus it’ll also make it easier for your social media fans to quickly recognize your brand and further engagement.
The most important thing to take away from these graphic design tips is that there needs to be consistency so that your followers will associate a certain style/type with you. The idea for consistency is that no matter what social platform your audience is on, they will quickly be able to tell that a graphic is related to your brand.
5. Know Your Platforms: Note that each social media platform is different! Knowing ahead of time what works best with each platform will not only help visually with your audience but will make things easier for you in the long run. Below are 5 social platforms and included some tips for each.
- Is geared toward the older generation
- Makes great use of articles and promotions
- Sizing: 852 x 315 cover photo; 180 x 180 profile picture; 1,200 x 630 regular shared post
- Geared toward millennial’s
- Lifestyle shots are great as platform was built on “lunch and selfies”
- Sizing: 1080 x 1080 post; 1080 x 1920 stories; 1080 x 1350 portrait; 1080 x 566 landscape; 110 x 110 pixels profile picture.
- Great for engagement
- Great for celebrities
- Sizing: 1500 x 500 header photo; 400 x 400 profile picture; 900 x 512 post
- Great for inspiration and new ideas
- Great for people looking for new products
- Sizing: 600 x 1260 pins; 165 x 165 profile image
- Great for business.
- Great for networking
- 1584 x 396 banner image, 400 x 400 company profile picture
Know what works best on each and know you’ll have to resize each piece of content to fit the dimensions of every platform you plan to share a social media graphic design with. It may seem tedious, but a quick size check could make the difference.
6. Creative: Whether you believe it or not, creativity lives in everyone. Being creative when creating or curating your content will not only help tie your brand and audience together but will also make your company stand out from the rest.
Create a variety when posting your social media content. There are a plethora of different types of graphics that you can share on social media. Here are a few graphic design tips to get your inspiration rolling:
- Quotes in engaging font & shape
- Infographics/ Charts
- Behind the scenes
- Themed days (Motivation Monday, Throwback Thursday, etc.)
- Reposts
- Mesmerizing Photos
Keep in mind that social media pages that are appealing are more likely to be shared and will ultimately increase engagement. So exercise that creative freedom you’ve been holding inside of you, then make sure that that your designs are consistent with your branding and are showcasing your products and community.
Remember that the most visually dominant feature in your design will be the most important part of the message. So apply these graphic design tips and add some color or scale to a graphic to see how it changes and what grabs your attention first. Want to push your creative abilities and graphic design skills to achieve original graphics? Try something new, think outside the box, experiment and choose and combine different fonts and pictures and see what works. Try to avoid the latest trends and create designs that correspond with your style, leaving your personal mark on your work.
7. Simplicity is Unique: With all the trends, graphics, and going on it’s always best practice when in doubt; to keep it simple. The most agreed-upon social media graphic design tips are to simply, keep it simple. When working with such a small canvas, such as mobile phones, overcrowding happens too fast. Here are some quick graphic design tips you can use to make sure your content is keeping it simple:
- Utilize eye-catching graphics and illustrations
- Limit font choice to 2 fonts
- Stick with 2–3 contrasting (or ‘complimentary’) colors
- Use white space to contrast with a bold element
It can be easy to get lost and carried away with so many great graphics and fonts to choose from but by reducing clutter you are more likely to get your message across! Make sure each design reflects the message you’re trying to tell. Simple is always best when it comes to graphic design. By helping to reduce clutter you’re more likely to get your message across!
Conclusion: Now You Try!
It can be easy to get lost and carried away with so many great graphics and fonts to choose from but by reducing clutter you are more likely to get your message across! Make sure each design reflects the message you’re trying to tell. Simple is always best when it comes to graphic design. By helping to reduce clutter you’re more likely to get your message across!
Now that you have all your graphic design tips in the order you are ready to create better, more engaging, and targeted graphic designs for your social media content!