A Handy Little Guide to Creating Visual Content for Social Media [Infographic]

In the age of Instagram, TikTok and the increasingly visual web, creating scroll-stopping visual content is an absolutely essential skill for social media marketers. Brands that fail to develop a strong visual strategy risk getting left behind as social feeds become ever-more saturated with eye-catching photos, videos and graphics vying for audience attention.

Consider this: Tweets with images receive 150% more retweets than tweets without images. Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without. And articles with an image once every 75-100 words get double the social shares of articles with fewer images.

The data doesn‘t lie—in social media, visuals are a non-negotiable. Yet consistently coming up with fresh, compelling visual content ideas can feel daunting, especially if you don‘t have a design background.

Fear not. Our handy little guide to visual content creation for social media is packed with tips, tools and best practices to help you craft high-impact visuals that boost engagement and stop thumbs in their tracks. Let‘s dive in.

Understanding the Power of Visual Content

Before we explore the how of visual content creation, let‘s take a step back and examine the why. What exactly makes visual content so potent when it comes to social media marketing?

There are a few key factors at play:

1. The brain processes visuals faster than text. Research shows that humans process images 60,000 times faster than text. In a fast-paced social feed, eye-catching visuals are essential for grabbing attention and stopping scrolling.

2. Visuals boost information retention. When people hear information, they‘re likely to remember only 10% of it three days later. But if an image is paired with that same information, 65% of it will be retained three days later.

3. Visuals trigger emotions. Humans are visual creatures, and powerful imagery has the ability to instantly evoke strong emotional reactions. Emotions influence 80% of the buying process so emotionally-charged visuals can drive serious results.

4. Visuals transcend language. 65% of people are visual learners, and visuals can communicate messages that transcend language barriers. In a global marketplace, the universal language of visuals has never been more important.

The case for visual content as a social media power-up is clear. But not all social media visuals are created equal. Let‘s look at some of the most effective visual formats and how to wield them for maximum impact.

Top Types of Visual Content for Social Media

From static photos to full-scale video productions, there are endless options for incorporating visuals into your social media strategy. Here are a few of the most popular and effective visual content types to consider.

Images and Graphics

Single photos, illustrations, and graphic designs are the bread and butter of social media visuals. When crafting images and graphics for social, keep these best practices in mind:

• Aim for quality over quantity. A handful of thoughtfully crafted, high-quality images will outperform a slew of slapdash visuals. Invest the time to get a few powerful images right.

• Make it snackable. Your visuals should communicate your key message almost instantly, in a way that‘s easy to process in a fast-moving social feed. If your concept is too complex for a single image, consider a series of images or an alternative format like an infographic.

• Design for mobile first. More than 98% of Facebook users access the platform via mobile devices. Make sure your images are easy to view and interpret on a small screen.

• Stay on brand. Develop a consistent visual style—color palette, fonts, graphic treatments—to boost brand recognition and recall across touchpoints.

Tools like Canva, Adobe Spark, and Piktochart make it easy for non-designers to create professional-looking images and graphics for social media.

Video Content

Video content is exploding across social media, and the trend shows no signs of slowing. Cisco projects that video will account for 82% of global internet traffic by 2022.

Some compelling video formats to experiment with:

• Short-form/snackable clips: Brief videos under 30 seconds perform well in fast-paced social feeds. Think how-to clips, product teaser videos, quotable highlights from long-form content.

• Stories: Stories—short-lived, in-the-moment video clips and photos—are hugely popular across Instagram, Facebook, and beyond. Over 500 million users now use Instagram Stories daily.

• Live video: Live-streaming video content lends an air of authenticity and urgency. Use live video for Q&As, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or special announcements.

• Animated/explainer videos: Bring complex topics to life with short, consumable animated videos. 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video.

When creating social media videos, keep them as short and punchy as possible. Use captions to ensure your videos are accessible and impactful even with the sound off—85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound.

Data Visualizations & Infographics

When you need to convey a large amount of information in an engaging way, data visualizations and infographics are the way to go. These long-form images use data, charts, and illustrations to tell an in-depth story.

Infographics are highly shareable—infographics are liked and shared 3X more than other any other type of content on social media. They‘re an effective format for:

• Summarizing key takeaways from a research report or white paper
• Providing a step-by-step overview of a process
• Visualizing data in a memorable way
• Explaining a complex concept

Keep your infographics focused on a single overarching theme, and break the content into snackable "chapters" or sections for scannability. Use a tool like Piktochart or Venngage to create professional infographics without a design team.

User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is a low-effort, high-impact way to create authentic social media visuals. UGC is exactly what it sounds like—photos, videos and other content created by your users and followers vs. your brand.

UGC acts as powerful social proof—79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. And people are twice as likely to share UGC with friends and family vs. brand-created content.

A few ways to leverage UGC:

• Encourage customers to share photos and videos featuring your products, and re-share the best submissions across your social channels.
• Run a hashtag campaign inviting users to post photos/videos around a theme for a chance to be featured by your brand.
• Reach out to satisfied customers and invite them to provide video testimonials about their experience with your product or service.

Always secure permission before reposting a user‘s content, and provide clear credit to the original creator.

Optimizing Visuals for Each Social Network

Each social platform has its own unique ecosystem and audience, which should shape your approach to visual content. Let‘s take a look at visual best practices across the major social networks.

Instagram

Instagram has evolved from a simple photo-sharing app to an absolute behemoth in the world of social media visuals. Polished, aspirational content reigns supreme on Instagram—it‘s all about immersive, magazine-quality photos and high-production-value videos that transport the viewer.

A few Insta-specific visual content tips:

• Square is the default format for Instagram images, so shoot and crop accordingly. The ideal size is 1080×1080 pixels.
• Create a cohesive theme for your Instagram grid, using similar colors and composition techniques across photos to establish a distinct visual identity.
• Use Stories, Reels, and IGTV to create an immersive, multi-faceted visual narrative beyond the main feed.
• Embrace video—by 2021, video content is expected to account for 78% of total mobile data traffic.

Facebook

Facebook has a massive, diverse user base, which can make it tough to cut through the noise. Maximize engagement with bold, thumb-stopping visuals that speak to your target audience‘s values and interests.

Some Facebook-specific tips:

• Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without, so include a visual with every post when possible.
• Upload videos directly to Facebook vs. linking out to YouTube or Vimeo. Native videos get 10X more shares than external links.
• The more faces, the better—photos with faces get 38% more likes than photos without.
• Use Facebook Stories to showcase more raw, behind-the-scenes visual content.

Twitter

Twitter is all about real-time reactions and conversations, so visual content that taps into timely moments and trending topics tends to perform well.

Some Twitter visual tips:

• Keep visuals simple and eye-catching to stand out in a crowded, fast-moving feed.
• Incorporate text overlays to make photos and graphics more informative and shareable.
• Consider creating a real-time "live-tweeting" graphic to recap an event or presentation.
• Animate static data and text-heavy images as short video clips for added impact.

LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, it‘s all about striking a balance between authoritative and approachable with your visual content. Shoot for polished, professional visuals that showcase your brand‘s expertise while still feeling human and relatable.

A few LinkedIn visual content ideas:

• Pair industry insights and research with simple data visualizations to boost credibility.
• Use infographics to provide helpful tips and how-tos related to your area of expertise.
• Share photos and videos that provide a peek behind the scenes of your company culture.
• Upload PDF documents like case studies, white papers, or product guides to your feed.

While the specific technical and stylistic requirements may vary, the key is to adapt your visual content to feel native to each platform while staying true to your brand‘s core visual identity.

The Future of Social Media Visuals

As technology evolves, so too do the opportunities for creating impactful visual content on social media. While the core principles of quality, relevance, and value still apply, here are a few visual content trends to watch in the coming years:

• Hyper-personalization: With the rise of AI and machine learning, brands will be able to deliver increasingly personalized visual experiences tailored to each user‘s preferences.
• Interactive/AR visuals: Augmented reality-powered visuals that users can engage and interact with will become more mainstream, providing novel ways to educate and entertain.
• More video, faster: Short-form, ephemeral video content will continue to dominate as attention spans shrink and the demand for real-time content grows. From TikTok clips to live-streams, video will be inescapable.
• Data-driven creative: Brands will use granular social media data to inform their visual approach, leveraging insights to fine-tune everything from the color palette to the inclusion of promoted products.

No matter what the future holds, one thing is certain: mediocre, quickly churned out visual content won‘t cut it. To stand out in an increasingly crowded and competitive social landscape, brands need to invest in high-quality, laser-targeted visual content that informs, inspires, and compels audiences to take action.

Telling Your Story with Social Media Visuals

At the end of the day, the visuals you create for social media should do more than just grab attention—they should tell your unique brand story and build meaningful connections with your audience.

As you craft your social media visual strategy, always keep your end goal and target audience at the forefront. What story are you trying to tell, and what do you want the viewer to think, feel, and do as a result of seeing it?

Use the tools and best practices outlined in this guide as a jumping off point, but don‘t be afraid to get creative and put your own unique spin on things. The most compelling visual content looks beyond the latest fads and gimmicks to tap into timely, relevant themes and narratives that resonate on a deeper level.

Equipped with these handy tips and insights, you‘re well on your way to creating social media visuals that educate, entertain, and inspire your audience to take action. Happy creating!