Graphic Design Elements to Optimize Social Media Images
Imagery shared on social platforms represents brands 24/7. Visually optimized graphics tailored for specific social networks attract more impressions, engagement, shares, and conversions attributable to social content.
By incorporating research-backed graphic design elements into social posts, marketers improve branding, focus attention, convey messaging, and inspire reactions essential for cutting through saturated feeds.
Here are the most effective graphic design principles and tools for crafting contagiously shareable social media imagery:
Maintaining Brand Consistency
Reinforce brand identity:
On-Brand Typography
Use approved display fonts, weights, colors, and treatments matching logo branding in text overlays. Avoid default system fonts.
Consistent Color Palettes
Limit color variations to 2-3 branded hues. Reuse or sample directly from brand guide palettes in imagery.
Recognizable Layouts
Maintain consistent content/image ratios, alignments, placements reflecting other collateral. Frame images to brand aspect ratios.
Coordinated Graphics
Incorporate illustrative icons, shapes, decorations from existing brand assets into supporting graphics vs generic clip art.
Established Tone & Style
Reflect brand’s defined personality and style in graphics through concepts, poses, compositions and details selected. Quote in brand voice.
Feature Recognizable Products/Settings
Photograph branded environments, products or subjects reinforcing awareness of physical properties and settings.
Creating Effective Social Post Layouts
Strategically organize elements:
Lead With Bold Visuals
Prioritize largest canvas area for eye-catching photos/videos. Support with concise text. Avoid long blocks of copy.
Contrast Text
Overlay readable white or black text on contrasting background colors. Thicker fonts stand out. Enable image darkening in editors.
Maintain Consistent Text Areas
Keep font sizes, alignments and text box positioning consistent between posts. Predictability strengthens flow and recognition.
Use Strategic Branding
Include logos, product packaging, tags purposefully without overwhelming. Use for identification only when imagery alone lacks context.
Feature Calls-to-Action Prominently
Draw attention to on-post CTAs through contrasting colors, sizes or interactive elements. Don’t hide key actions.
Add Mobile-Friendly Embellishments
Incorporate touches like high-res renders, textures, lens flares appearing integrated with photos to add polish for scrolling mobiles.
Optimizing Images For Each Social Platform
Fine tune for each network:
Vibrant eye-catching photos and short videos suit Instagram’s highly visual feed.
Larger images with clear explanatory text perform best feeding Facebook’s algorithm.
Concise compelling phrases and captions appeal best to fast-scrolling Twitter users with shorter attention spans.
Tall vertical shots of lifestyle scenes, ingredients, products photographed on white backgrounds attract the most repins.
Stats-backed charts and infographics support professional discussions. Avoid self-promotion.
YouTube
Busy colorful thumbnails with exaggerated facial expressions help videos stand out among limited room in search results.
Adhere to continually evolving best image dimensions, aspects ratios, and text limits on each platform. Refer to current guidelines.
Shooting High-Performing Original Photos
Capture tailored engaging imagery:
Authentic Moments
Shoot candid lifestyle scenes and emotions vs overly posed and stock-like. Feel relatable and genuine.
Eye Contact
Subjects looking directly at camera involve the viewer and feel trustworthy. Guide subjects.
Clear Subject Focus
Use depth of field, framing and color contrast to emphasize clear focal points aligned with messaging.
Thoughtful Concepts
Creative metaphors, imagined scenes, interesting arrangements and props add intrigue beyond basic product features.
Varied Perspectives
Mix wide establishing shots, tighter crops, overhead angles, macro details for more dramatic capture options optimal for different contexts. Zoom with feet and lenses.
Styled Product Photography
Stage products attractively on their own or in context using professional lighting principles and depth of field for bold focus against soft or blurred backgrounds.
Animating Still Images
Add energy and interest:
Cropping Camera Motion
Simulate pans, tilts and zooms by animating still images gradually cropping frame edges or between detail areas.
Parallax Scrolling
Layer foreground and background image components separately in image editors then move independently on different axes for added depth.
Floating Elements
Isolate words, graphics, products into their own layers then subtly animate shifting position, opacity and scale transformation.
Reveal Transitions
Use masking to gradually reveal key areas of images from behind shapes, product overlays, or wipes building anticipation.
Cinemagraphs
Make looping GIFs with only selective area animations like water flowing or fabric waving while rest of image stays frozen. Mesmerizing movement focus.
Dynamic Resizing
Bounce or zoom critical text/objects into frame for added impact. But don’t overdo movements.
Sourcing Quality Stock Photos and Videos
Enhance imagery affordably through stocks:
Search Relevant Keywords
Find niche-specific shots using millions of tagged photos on platforms like Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Getty. Start broad then add keywords to narrow.
Seek Diversity
Consciously select modern diverse groups of real people interacting naturally representing your audience. Avoid staged cliches.
Curate Lighting
Opt for well-lit, color corrected images over dark, dreary shots. Pro lighting adds polish. Choose directional light intentionally.
Show Emotions Authentically
Search emotional keywords like “happiness” and “pride” to find images conveying authentic reactions befitting your message creatively.
Consider Image Styles
Leverage illustrative images for more conceptual posts and photos for realism. Mix and match styles.
Review Item Licenses
Double check each item’s allowed commercial usage rights match your needs before incorporating into branded posts.
Creating Unique Branded Graphic Design Assets
DIY engaging graphics with:
Custom Illustrations
Hire affordable freelance illustrators to design original scenes and concepts not copied from competitors. Worth uniqueness.
Professional Infographics
Display interesting insights from data creatively through compelling infographic visualizations designed or DIYed.
Photo Collages
Blend arrangements of themed visuals like multiple product closeups or team headshots grouped together into a meaningful mosaic.
Animated Explainers
Explain complex services or products through engaging 2D or 3D animated videos. Invest in quality for repeat use.
Signature Icons
Develop branded iconography like clever illustrated metaphors representing your niche like fintech uses coins. Improves recognition.
Stylized Stock Assets
Edit purchased stock photos applying custom filters and effects to create more unique branded image treatments at low cost.
A library of branded imagery saves continuously repurchasing one-off items and provides recognizable visual continuity tailored to your niche.
Analyzing Design Performance
Use data to refine graphic approaches:
Compare Engagement
Test posts featuring different layouts, color schemes and styles. Analyze interactions and engagement rates to identity what resonates most.
Review Ideal Image Sizes
Dig into image dimensions driving the most traction. Continuously optimize as algorithms evolve.
Check Text Lengths
Measure character counts on top posts to identify ideal dense informative but scannable caption lengths by platform as guidance.
Define Popular Palettes
Track colors used in saved posts or via online tools revealing commonly used effective palettes you can sample from.
Notice which visual treatments and posts drive the most reactions and engagement fueling visibility through algorithms.
Ask Followers
Run quick polls and surveys with image options asking what posts grab their attention to get direct feedback.
Continuous design testing, data analysis, and audience response measurement ensures you keep imagery fresh and aligned with evolving visual trends and platform changes.
While seemingly minor design details, cohesive presentation of brand identities and strategic structuring of engaging graphics makes social messaging infinitely more discoverable, shareable and actionable. Optimize imagery for visual impact.
Contents
- 1 Graphic Design Elements to Optimize Social Media Images
- 1.1 Maintaining Brand Consistency
- 1.2 Creating Effective Social Post Layouts
- 1.3 Optimizing Images For Each Social Platform
- 1.4 Shooting High-Performing Original Photos
- 1.5 Animating Still Images
- 1.6 Sourcing Quality Stock Photos and Videos
- 1.7 Creating Unique Branded Graphic Design Assets
- 1.8 Analyzing Design Performance