10 Tips for Incredible Social Media Post Designs

Social media users are introduced to new brands every day. It takes them only a few seconds to decide whether they want to follow these pages. What is it that influences this decision? Is it just the content, or the social media post design as well? And does social media design promise an amazing brand story?

Much of a brand’s appeal on social media is thanks to the way its posts are designed: somewhat like readers judging a book by its cover. Social media design shapes perception. This is why companies are now paying great attention to their profile pictures, cover images, and the overall visual aesthetics of their content.

That is also why designers are working their creative cells to create eye-catching designs for social media posts. Before we elaborate on social media design tips, let’s consider this question: what is a social media post design?

What Is Social Media Design Important?

Social media design involves three steps: planning, development, and publishing visual content. And it has two major purposes: brand recognition and audience engagement.

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With more and more customers consuming online content, every brand needs a powerful social media presence. Social media post design is meant to build the brand’s image visually. The aim is to build a connection with the audience by way of storytelling and engaging visuals that compel viewers to act.

Social Media Post Design: Questions to Consider

Before beginning your social media design process, you need to be aware of your brand identity. Then you need to conduct research (interviews, surveys, polls, etc.) to answer the following five questions:

● What are your customer’s values?

● What solution are they looking for in a brand?

● What are their concerns?

● What are their interests?

● What do they like to view on social media in general, and each platform in particular?

Answering these five questions will give you an insight into your social media design strategy. You will then be able to optimize creative assets for the strategy.

10 Tips For Great Social Media Post Design

These ten social media design tips are a great way to get started with your social media design strategy.

1. Bring in consistency and cohesion

Design consistency equals brand recognition. Changing social media design colors with every post confuses clients/viewers. Stick to a visual theme based on the mood you wish to evoke. Design cohesively, so that different parts of the design unite with the whole. Your posts could carry several colors, but one or two should be prominent across all posts. If you are using templates, add brand colors to them.

2. Showcase the brand’s signature style

Showcase the company’s products and services in a signature style. The imagery should evoke brand loyalty. Consider regular updating of the imagery. This will keep the brand fresh in the prospect’s mind. Also, it contributes to newness.

3. Size the images correctly

There is a set of ideal image sizes that work best for each social media platform. It is advisable to follow the image specifications of each platform, as that will promote ease when it comes to publishing your content. The following image is an updated guide to social media image sizes for various platforms:

4. Use templates

To scale your social media design, you can also use templates. Not only do they save time, but they also contribute to consistency. Canva is a useful tool here. It makes the creation and sharing of templates easy. Use diverse template sets for different content types.

5. Design by platform

Image sizing and other guidelines differ by platform. Instagram Reels appear in portrait mode because they are meant to be viewed on smartphones. Both Facebook and YouTube serve landscape-mode videos. Also, certain platforms work best for certain content types. Infographics may work well on Instagram, while a short text thread works best on Twitter. Also, ensure that your images are in line with platform guidelines for nudity, explicitness, copyright, etc.

6. Be mindful of the spacing

In your social media post design, always allow images more space than text. This is thanks to people’s short attention spans online. Images are processed much faster than text. This is also the reason the former generates more Retweets, likes, and shares. When designing your cover/banner image, keep it image-focused.

7. Follow graphic design best practices

Certain graphic design best practices need to be observed in social media design. Here is a brief checklist:

● Use white space to draw the audience’s attention and provide them with visual relief.

● Use contrasting colors, sizes, and textures to make design elements stand out.

● Create a visual hierarchy by arranging the elements based on their importance.

8. Follow the KISS principle

The KISS principle is an important pillar in design. It stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” This principle works well for social media post design as well. Use strong and clean imagery, smart copy, and a simple CTA to apply this principle to social media post design.

9. Optimize your social media profile

Although your social media design should be the point of focus, your social media profile is important too. Your cover photo should be visually and contextually aligned with your brand. The same logo needs to be used across platforms, and your bio should be crisp and engaging, linking to your website or other social pages.

10. Ask the experts

Experts are experts for a reason. For images/illustrations, collaborate with reputed design services or professionals. Not only will they direct the design process, but they will also provide invaluable suggestions. Hiring full-time creative professionals works for some as well. The other approach is to work with several independent contractors to get the work done.

The social media post design process is a fairly structured one. However, there is ample room for creativity. Focusing on improving your social media design strategy day by day will surely deliver results. With social media increasingly being used as a marketing tool, social media post design lets your customers know who you are, and offers them a peek into your world.

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