How to Tips for Creating Social Media Graphics - Graphic Design Tutorial

Summary

In this video, Mike Blogger from Viz Me shares expert tips for creating compelling social media graphics. He emphasizes the importance of high-resolution images, proper image composition using techniques like the rule of thirds, and the significance of image size for different platforms. Mike also discusses the role of brand colors, storytelling through images, avoiding watermarks and copyright issues, and the strategic use of fonts to match the message. He advises on balancing image and text, ensuring readability, and using design elements like opacity and collage techniques for visual effects. The video is a guide for anyone looking to enhance their social media presence with professional-looking graphics.

Takeaways

• 📸 **High-Resolution Images**: Always use high-resolution images for social media graphics to ensure quality and professionalism.
• 🖼️ **Image Composition**: Utilize techniques like the rule of thirds and center alignment to create balanced and visually appealing images.
• 📏 **Image Size**: Tailor image dimensions to the specific social media platform, with square images working best for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and vertical images for Pinterest.
• 🎨 **Brand Colors**: Incorporate your brand's color scheme into your images to establish a consistent identity and connection with your audience.
• 📝 **Storytelling**: Ensure that your images tell a story that resonates with your target audience and aligns with your brand's message.
• ❌ **Avoid Watermarks**: Refrain from using watermarked images to prevent legal issues and maintain a clean, professional look.
• 🔍 **Original Designs**: Create or design your own images to avoid copyright infringement and to have full control over your brand's visual content.
• 🔤 **Font Selection**: Choose fonts that match your message and demographic, ensuring they are legible and enhance the overall design.
• 🌈 **Text and Image Harmony**: Balance the text and image colors to ensure readability and visual appeal, with light text on dark backgrounds and vice versa.
• 🎯 **Focal Point**: Establish a clear focal point in your image to guide the viewer's attention and maintain a clean, uncluttered design.

Q & A

What is the importance of high-resolution images in social media marketing?

High-resolution images are crucial for social media marketing as they ensure clarity and professionalism in posts, which can lead to more engagement and success for personal branding and business promotion.

How does the composition of an image impact its effectiveness on social media?

The composition of an image is vital as it can direct the viewer's attention to important elements. Techniques like center alignment and the rule of thirds can create attractive asymmetry and improve the overall visual appeal.

Why is it recommended to avoid low-resolution images and watermarks in social media posts?

Low-resolution images can appear unprofessional and blurry, while watermarks can detract from the visual appeal. Both can negatively impact the viewer's experience and potentially lead to copyright issues.

What role does the size of an image play in social media marketing?

The size of an image is important as it should fit the platform's requirements for optimal display. For instance, square images work best for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, while vertical images are preferred for Pinterest.

How can a brand's color scheme be integrated into social media graphics?

Brand colors can be subtly integrated into social media graphics to establish brand identity. This can be achieved by adjusting the tint of images or searching for images that match the brand's color palette.

Why is it essential to consider the target audience when selecting images for social media posts?

Understanding the target audience helps in posting images that resonate with them, thus increasing engagement and appeal. It ensures that the content is relevant and tailored to the audience's interests.

What are some strategies to avoid copyright issues when using images in social media graphics?

To avoid copyright issues, it's best to use one's own designs or images from reputable sources that allow usage. Obtaining permission from online publications or using royalty-free images are also recommended strategies.

How should the font selection align with the message of the social media post?

The font should match the message and demographic of the target audience. It should have a personality that complements the brand and is easy to read, with a size, weight, and style that make the words come to life.

What is the significance of text and image color contrast in social media graphics?

Color contrast is essential for readability and visual appeal. Light text on a dark background or vice versa ensures that the text stands out and is easy on the eyes, enhancing the overall user experience.

How can the use of design techniques like transparency and collages enhance social media graphics?

Design techniques such as adjusting opacity for transparency can make text pop or create a layered effect. Collages can add a handmade feel, while using shapes and patterns can complement the text and balance the color scheme.

Why is it important to maintain balance and avoid clutter in social media graphics?

Balance in design prevents visual rejection and ensures that the focal points are clear. Avoiding clutter allows for better readability and a more professional appearance, providing a cleaner and more engaging visual experience.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Social Media Marketing Mastery

The paragraph introduces the concept of personal branding and marketing through social media, emphasizing the importance of high-quality images and composition. It suggests using high-resolution images from reliable sources or hiring a professional photographer. The rule of thirds is highlighted as a technique to create visually appealing images. The paragraph also discusses the significance of image size for different social media platforms and the importance of incorporating brand colors. It advises on storytelling through images, targeting the right audience, and avoiding copyright issues by using original designs or tools like Canva. The importance of font choice that aligns with the brand message and demographic is also covered, along with tips on font readability and pairing.

05:06

🎨 Designing for Visual Impact

This paragraph delves into the design aspects of creating social media graphics, focusing on the use of color and background. It distinguishes between colored and graphic backgrounds, explaining how they can be used to complement text and maintain balance. The concept of establishing a focal point in an image is explored, along with the use of bold fonts to emphasize certain words. The paragraph stresses the importance of contrast, both in color and pattern, to guide the viewer's attention. It also touches on the use of negative space and alignment for a clean and professional look. The discussion includes design techniques like opacity adjustment, collage, and the use of shapes for framing text, all aimed at enhancing visual effects while maintaining overall balance in the design.

Keywords

💡Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing refers to the process of promoting products, services, or brands through various social media platforms. In the video, it is mentioned as a strategy that businesses have learned to use for more success. The video aims to provide tips on how to create engaging social media graphics, which are a key component of effective social media marketing.

💡High-Resolution Images

High-resolution images are those with a large number of pixels, providing clear and detailed visuals. The video emphasizes the importance of using high-resolution images for social media graphics to ensure quality and professionalism. It is mentioned as a fundamental aspect of creating visually appealing content.

💡Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is a fundamental principle in photography and visual composition, where an image is divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines. The video suggests applying this rule to create balanced and visually appealing images, as it helps in positioning the focal points effectively.

💡Brand Identity

Brand identity refers to the visual and sensory elements that represent a brand, including colors, fonts, and logos. The video mentions the importance of implementing a brand's color scheme in social media graphics to establish and reinforce brand identity subtly and consistently.

💡Target Audience

The target audience is the specific group of people a brand aims to reach with its marketing efforts. The video advises knowing your target audience to post images that appeal to them, which is crucial for effective social media marketing as it helps in creating content that resonates with the intended viewers.

💡Copyright

Copyright refers to the legal rights that creators have over their original works, preventing others from using them without permission. The video warns against using copyrighted images with watermarks, emphasizing the need for original designs or legally permissible images to avoid legal issues.

💡Font Selection

Font selection is the process of choosing the typeface and style for text in a design. The video discusses how the font should match the message and demographic, suggesting that different fonts have different personalities and should be chosen to complement the brand and its target audience.

💡Contrast

Contrast in design refers to the difference in color, texture, or size between elements in a composition. The video explains the importance of contrast for readability and visual appeal, advising on the use of light text on dark backgrounds and vice versa to make text stand out.

💡Focal Point

A focal point is the central point of interest in a design or image. The video discusses establishing a focal point to draw the viewer's attention and guide them through the image. It suggests avoiding clutter and ensuring the focal point is visually present and not overly competing with other elements.

💡Design Techniques

Design techniques are methods used to enhance the visual appeal and effectiveness of a design. The video mentions several techniques such as adjusting opacity for transparency, using collages, and creating lines or shapes to guide the viewer's eye, all aimed at improving the overall design of social media graphics.

💡Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy refers to the arrangement of elements in a design to guide the viewer's eye and establish a clear order of importance. The video touches on the importance of visual hierarchy by discussing the use of size, color, and placement to ensure that the most important elements are the most noticeable.

Highlights

Importance of high-resolution images for social media marketing.

Cropping images to center important elements using the rule of thirds.

Optimal image sizes for various social media platforms.

Incorporating brand colors subtly into social media graphics.

Understanding your target audience to post relevant images.

Avoiding watermarked images to prevent legal issues.

Using original designs to avoid copyright infringement.

Choosing fonts that match the message and brand identity.

Fonts having a personality that should align with the brand.

Ensuring text readability and avoiding fine print on social media.

Balancing image and text to ensure visibility and impact.

Using contrasting colors for text and background for better readability.

Avoiding text over important image points like faces.

Creating focal points in images to guide viewer attention.

Establishing visual balance to prevent 'visual rejection'.

Using arrows and lines to direct the viewer's gaze in images.

Maintaining negative space for text and to avoid a cluttered look.

Aligning elements properly using grids and guides in design software.

Consistent margins around the image for a neat presentation.

Using design techniques like opacity adjustments for visual effects.

Creating collages and using shapes to add depth to social media graphics.

Advice on using design elements to enhance social media graphics professionally.

Transcripts

[Music]

well hold on one second just trying to

find the right angle here there it is

smile post that to the gram and

hopefully I get my most likes yet now

just as I'm marketing myself personally

businesses have learned that marketing

through social media can lead to more

success but as we all know there is an

art to our posts what demands the most

attention what might even stir a little

bit of emotion hello world my name is

Mike blogger here with viz me and I'm

here to show you some tips and tricks to

help you create social media graphics

like a pro let's get started

whoa whoa we all know that rule number

one is you can't have any low resolution

images bring me back to focus please

come on much much better you want to

make sure you're downloading high

resolution images from dependable

websites or even better yet you can hire

your own professional photographer the

overall composition of an image is

important as well you can crop an image

to Center the important elements which

is exactly what Ryan Reynolds did here

when wishing his wife Blake Lively a

happy birthday on Instagram this is a

funny example but it might not be ideal

this image here is cropped well as the

person is center-aligned but it could be

done even better if you apply the rule

of thirds if you undo that crop you

apply the rule of thirds the individual

now becomes one of four focal points in

the image and this image now achieves

attractive asymmetry be aware of the

size of your image square works best

with Instagram Facebook and Twitter but

if you're posting the Pinterest all

graphics must be vertical you can check

out sprout social size guidelines for

constantly updated posting sizes you

want to try to implement your brand's

color as best as possible it's a very

subtle way to establish a brand identity

you can adjust the color by adjusting

the tint of your image or you can do a

very simple search on kaboom pics.com

for images by color what's your story we

all have a story and our images

represent who we are know your target

audience and post pictures that appeal

to them if you're a scarf company you

probably don't want to be posting

pictures at the beach have you ever seen

that watermark on an image if you have

do not use it seriously you can get it

sued and I don't want that for you

asking permission from online

publications is always necessary a

simple search on Google might not always

be safe so why use others images when

you can use or design your own the best

way to avoid copyright issues are using

your own designs which is exactly why I

want to tell you to try bhisma's online

tools to see what you can come up with

now just as your image should your font

should match your message for example

there are a number of antique serif

fonts that are available but if the

demographic that you're trying to reach

is the preteens you want to go with

something else find the font that

doesn't contradict your message and make

those words come to life

on that note fonts have feelings too

well kind of think of a font as a person

even with personality fonts have a size

a weight and even a gender preference

that should match your brand do you have

a delicate brand then you should have a

delicate font is your font hard to read

for even you the person who wrote it if

so that's a problem

social media is no place for fine print

header should be the biggest text on the

image and if you have lots of text go at

the sans-serif trust me

be careful getting to font and happy as

well too many fonts can often make an

image look unprofessional or even sloppy

start with two fonts never go above

three if you have time read about font

pairing right over there to get it just

right

what's more important the image or the

text well that's for you to decide as

you try to balance your image

accordingly I will say that if you read

it you should probably see it the two go

hand in hand the color of the text

should also be easy on the eyes for me

that's like cheese fries or a brand new

car but if you have light text you

should have a dark background image and

vice versa pick colors out of image so

the text matches that's exactly what

happened here with the Nike basketball

color being the same color of the

never-give-up text when choosing text

decide whether it should complement the

image or if you want it to cover the

image completely don't cover the

important points and stay away from text

over faces get out of here while staying

away from faces backgrounds of

landscapes and wildlife often work great

use strong fonts short phrases and for

an added design technique add some

transparency which we'll cover later

if you prefer a design background well

there's two ways you can go colored

backgrounds give a clean and minimalist

look the background color takes a

backseat to the text but you want to

make sure that the two don't conflict

one another give the image balance

meanwhile graphic backgrounds can be

manipulated to accommodate your text use

shapes and patterns to complement your

text and balance the color so the text

doesn't appear is just another shape

there's a focal point in every image the

question is how do you establish it well

you want to make sure it's visually

present and only incorporate what you

really need too much clutter is often

distracting you can also help the reader

glide through an image logo should stand

out but you don't want it to be the

focal point you can use bold fonts to

give importance to words which is

exactly what happened here everybody

loves a good sale and I can't emphasize

enough the importance of balance

throughout your image there's no balance

the viewer experiences visual rejection

and trust me not everybody handles

rejection well sometimes taking a break

away and looking away from your image or

going elsewhere can often help you come

back with a clear mind and fresh ideas

you could also create contrast in your

image with much more than just black and

white these colors here are too light

together remember a dark background

means a light text and vice versa

contrast also works well with patterns

and as I continue to look right I am

providing direction with my eyes the

same can be done in images by creating

lines you're directing a viewer on where

to look the most common tool for doing

this arrows in triangles

once again stay away from unnecessary

clutter and your negative space can even

give breathing room to your image it

also allows for more text don't get

sloppy on me either with your alignment

this here is not centered a line this is

much better use grids in the snap to

grid tool and most design software's

spacing should also be you guessed it

balanced don't let a g' hang over and I

that's below it and make sure you keep

the images within the border that's

exactly why we lowered this bakery logo

to keep it a third of its own length

away from the edges sticking with

margins keep margins the same all around

one way to do this is by creating a box

outline to keep things neat this again

much better the bleed off the page

effect is an added design element but it

must be done right only use large

capital letters and make sure you keep

it legible and don't use it for every

piece of text

lastly how can you use some design

techniques for some added visual effects

well you can start by adjusting the

opacity to change the transparency if

something is set at 0% opacity that item

is invisible in your image if something

is set at 100% opacity it is fully clear

if your text and image are competing

with one another try adjusting the image

to 80% like you have here to make that

text pop just a little bit more the same

technique can actually be used for text

they lower the opacity the less visible

it becomes but don't go too low to where

it's too difficult to read in your image

the collage technique also adds shapes

and illustrations to your image to

resemble a handmade effect images can be

overlapped separated with color or mixed

for a complex effect and if you're not

the collage type try using a shape as a

frame for your text you can separate

sections with lines create borders or go

freestyle just make sure you maintain

you guessed it balance that's going to

do it for this video it's now time for

you to go create social media graphics

like a pro before you do make sure you

subscribe to our Channel and until next

time I'm Mike plugger with viz me

helping you make information beautiful

you

[Music]