10 Ways to Diversify Your Social Media Visuals in 2024

Visual content has exploded on social media, and its popularity only continues to rise. Studies show that posts with images or video generate up to 180% more engagement than text alone. In the crowded and competitive social landscape of 2024, mixing up your visual formats is essential to capture attention, keep your feed fresh, and compel fans to keep coming back for more.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to add visual variety to your social media mix – from eye-catching infographics to funny memes and beyond. Here are 10 types of visual content to incorporate into your social strategy this year:

1. Optimize designs for each social network

Every social platform has its own specifications and best practices for images and videos. A one-size-fits-all approach won‘t cut it.

For example, square images work best on Instagram, while horizontal images and link previews are ideal for Twitter. Facebook recommends uploading videos in MP4 or MOV format with a 4 GB max file size, while LinkedIn videos can be up to 5 GB.

Adapt your visuals for each network to ensure they look polished and professional. Tools like Canva and Adobe Spark have pre-made templates in the optimal sizes for every platform.

2. Plan visual content for every day of the week

Keep your social feeds active and engaging by mapping out your visual content in advance. Create a calendar showcasing the graphics, photos, and videos you‘ll post each day.

This allows you to maintain a steady stream of quality visuals while avoiding gaps or rushing to create assets on the fly. With your content planned, you can schedule posts ahead of time using tools like Hootsuite, Buffer or Sprout Social.

Aim to post at least one visual per day on Instagram and Facebook, according to recommendations from Hootsuite. On Twitter, up to 5 visuals per day is ideal. For LinkedIn, 2-3 visual posts per week is a good baseline.

3. Use consistent templates and color palettes

Visuals are an extension of your brand identity, so it‘s crucial they have a consistent look and feel. Establish a set of templates for your graphics that incorporate your brand colors, fonts, logos and other recognizable elements.

For example, HubSpot‘s social quote graphics always feature a bold color background with the quoted text and attribution in white. The HubSpot sprocket logo is displayed prominently.

Develop a brand style guide that defines your visual branding. This keeps your team aligned and makes your visuals instantly recognizable to your audience, whether they spot them on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

4. Share quote graphics and industry tips

Quotes and tips are among the most shareable types of visual content. They perform well because they‘re useful, inspiring or thought-provoking. And when presented in a visually appealing way, they really pop on social media.

To create engaging quote graphics:

• Use contrasting colors to make the text stand out
• Limit the word count so it‘s easy to read
• Attribute the quote to the original speaker
• Add hashtags like #quotes, #inspiration, or #motivation when posting

For industry tips, consider visualizing the information as a simple flowchart or bullet-point list. Canva has editable templates for this.

5. Use visuals to link to blog content

Blog posts and articles are ripe for promotion on social media. But rather than just dropping a link, create a visual "teaser" to pique curiosity and drive more clicks.

Some effective tactics:

• Pull out a key quote, stat or takeaway from the post and turn it into a graphic (like Apt2B does on Instagram)
• Create a short video or GIF previewing the post‘s insights
• Design a branded cover image for the blog post to use when sharing

Make sure to include the link to the full post in your social caption. You can also add a call-to-action button like "Read More" right on the graphic.

6. Present data through infographics

Infographics are ideal for making complex data or concepts easy to understand at a glance. When you have interesting stats, survey results or industry research to share, package it up in a compelling infographic for social media.

Follow infographic best practices like using simple charts, focusing on a few key data points, and incorporating your brand colors. You can use a long, vertical infographic on Pinterest, or slice it into smaller sections to share on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Stories.

If you‘re not a designer, tools like Piktochart and Infogram have customizable infographic templates. Or if you have the budget, consider hiring a professional infographic designer on a freelance site like Upwork.

7. Create visual posts for hashtag campaigns

Hashtags are a key way to increase the discoverability of your social media content. When you use a trending industry hashtag or create your own branded hashtag, you can reach new audiences interested in those topics.

Pair hashtags with creative visuals to really grab attention. For example, you could participate in a popular hashtag like #ThrowbackThursday by posting nostalgic photos from your company‘s history. Or get in on the latest meme by riffing on it with your own funny take.

If you create a branded hashtag campaign, develop a visual theme to tie the posts together. Encourage fans to post their own photos with your hashtag for a chance to be featured on your profiles. GoPro‘s #GoProLiveIt campaign is an excellent example – they share impressive user-generated visuals from the hashtag on Instagram:

8. Mix photographs with designed graphics

Photographs are great for showcasing your company culture, products, and people. Behind-the-scenes photos and pictures from events perform particularly well on social. Platforms like Instagram tend to favor photographic content in their algorithms.

Still, be sure to mix up your photo posts with other types of designed visuals. Quotes, infographics, flowcharts and illustrations add variety and keep your feeds interesting. You can create and save templates for these types of graphics to make them quick and easy to produce.

9. Use humor and memes when appropriate

Funny visual content is highly shareable. If humor suits your brand voice, don‘t hesitate to post memes, comics, puns and jokes that will make your audience laugh.

Of course, keep it tasteful and appropriate. Steer clear of offensive or controversial topics. When in doubt, run your ideas by a few team members to gauge the reaction before posting. Start small by adding a humorous GIF or two to your tweets before going all-in on edgy memes.

Twitter tends to be where brands are most informal and playful with visual humor. For instance, the snack brand MoonPie has built a following of over 315,000 on Twitter thanks to its quirky, absurdist tweets and memes:

10. Celebrate company milestones visually

Last but not least, visual content is perfect for commemorating company milestones and special events. This could include anniversaries, product launches, awards, new hires, funding rounds, and more.

Sharing these celebration posts helps humanize your brand and involve your audience in the occasions that are meaningful to your business. Branded graphic templates are useful here to make your announcement visuals consistent.

Some examples:

• A digital invitation graphic for your company‘s 10th anniversary party
• A video montage of your team‘s volunteering efforts for a cause
• An infographic showcasing your product‘s new features after an update
• A photo collage wishing an employee a happy birthday

The key is making the visuals specific to your brand while evoking positive feelings. Branded visual content gets 67% more audience engagement.

Adding more visual variety to your social media posts doesn‘t have to be daunting. Thanks to the rise of affordable and user-friendly graphic design tools, any marketer can become a visual content creator.

Some of the top visual content creation tools:

• Canva – Offers an extensive library of templates for every type of social media graphic, from infographics to quote images. Includes a free plan.
• Venngage – Makes it easy to create professional-looking data visualizations and infographics. Paid plans start at $16/month.
• Lumen5 – Enables you to quickly turn blog posts and articles into social videos using customizable templates. 14-day free trial.
• Adobe Spark – A suite of tools for creating graphics, web pages and short videos. Integrates with other Adobe products. Free plan available.
• Crello – Provides 25,000+ customizable visual templates for social media, ads, blogs and more. Paid plans start at $7.99/month.

With these tools, you can produce a variety of engaging visuals without needing deep design experience or a large budget. Of course, if you have the resources, collaborating with a professional graphic designer will help you take your visual content to the next level.

In 2024 and beyond, mixing up your visual formats will be non-negotiable for capturing attention on social media. Your audience craves fresh, engaging visual content – whether it‘s an eye-catching infographic, a funny meme, or an inspiring quote graphic.

As you diversify your visual content:

1. Optimize your designs for each social platform‘s specs
2. Plan your visuals in advance for consistent posting
3. Use templates to maintain brand consistency
4. Get creative with quotes, tips, data visualizations, and more
5. Don‘t be afraid to have some fun with humor and trends
6. Celebrate your company‘s milestones in a visual way

With the right tools and approach, any brand can become a powerhouse of thumb-stopping visual content. The key is making it a priority and continually exploring new visual formats to keep your social feeds fresh.

So go forth and create some scroll-worthy visuals! Your fans will thank you with likes, comments, and shares galore.