Did you know that top-performing Facebook and Instagram posts are videos and compelling images?
That means you should be bold with your visual assets! Pull your audiences in with visually interesting posts on social media. You know a successful post needs solid copy; however, the graphic element is the key to increasing your engagement rate on all platforms. We recommend using static images, slideshows, short videos, and gifs daily to entice your fanbase into becoming qualified leads and brand champions.
Adobe Creative Suite can be a pricey tool for many businesses. Fortunately, creating graphics on a limited budget is no problem. At Widefoc.us, we use five apps on the regular to hone our clients’ brands and reach new audiences. We find inspiration by exploring images and layouts to deliver our content in new and unique ways.
Our favorite graphic design tool is Canva. Canva is arguably the most user-friendly design website available. We use Canva for creating social media images, slideshows, ad images, and banner photos. The intuitive interface includes preset layout sizes for all social media platforms. In addition, the site incorporates free stock photos and recommends creative font suggestions in each graphic (so even if you aren’t a designer, you can make things look nice). This website is free, however for extra organizational and photo options you can pay $12.95 a month.
Stock photos don’t have to be staged or boring! Unsplash is one of the largest free stock photo websites out there. Simply search by keyword and discover beautiful images for your brand. Download photos directly to your computer or save collections on the website. FYI, the site has no download maximum!
If you are looking for a mobile option, Retype is a fantastic app for creating graphics with a focus on font families and layouts. It includes hundreds of combinations of fonts, colors, and filters to create unique Instagram posts. Retype is a one time $2.99 download. .
Looking for a very specific stock photo? Our friends at the Denver startup Shotzr have an app for discovering hyper-local photos. Our favorite feature is the option to request images from events and locations. Shotzr is available as an app or website. Pay $9.99 a month for access to authentic and non-traditional stock photos to represent your unique brand.
If you’re looking to create beautiful interactive Instagram stories and posts, Unfold Story Creator combines font discovery and image layout into one seamless app. The app is a natural fit before posting to Instagram. Try creating a series of images from the app to combine into a seamless Instagram story. Unfold Story Creator is a free download.
We love our graphic design partners, and can always recommend excellent professional designers to work with. But if you’re on a tight budget, explore these five apps and make bold choices — your return on investment on social media platforms will most certainly increase. Remember to include your logo on all images posted on social media platforms!
Community Manager and Digital Storyteller Sarah Yaffe is a writer and community organizer. She enjoys reading historical nonfiction and writing stand-up comedy.
