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Why are unique visuals the must-have of businesses on social media? Because information-overfed users are hard to engage. But how to stand out if 9 out of 10 businesses are already in this game? Use visuals with your users' attraction points.
In this article, you'll learn about social media design, it's crucial elements, and business benefits from it. And we'll help you find an even better alternative to a social media design company that'll cover your visual needs. So buckle up, we're setting off.
Social media design describes the process of arranging and creating visual content to post on social network sites and apps. It majorly includes images, videos, infographics, GIFs, and thumbnails.
But what exactly does social media design look like in real life? To explain, we'll take a look at its four major elements.
A social media avatar is the first stage of a brand's recognition. In other words, it's a signature that followers see in every post, video, or even Instagram stories of an account. Profile pictures are small in size because they are meant not to distract attention from the content.
However, the size brings another issue brands have to tackle. How to fit a logo in a tiny square or circle? Some companies are lucky to have logos that look legible when shrank. Others have to rely on their logotype or logomark to represent the company.
While not every platform includes cover images in its design elements, it is just as important as the profile image. Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook, place it at the page top, so it drives the user's attention right after the avatar. Usually, it serves as an extension of the profile image.
Brands often use cover images to include information about them. It can be a website link or contact information. The Twitter account of BBC News (UK) has an illustration related to Covid-19. But it relies on topically, so it will have to be changed in the coming years.
On the other hand, the Economist makes use of the cover image as a way of promoting its latest magazine issues. Understandably, this cover image needs to change every week to stay up-to-date.
This element of social media design is not created specifically but is a part of the overall representation of the account. It involves using alignment to make the page look memorable and arranging the content in a more accessible way to followers.
The approach to profile page arrangement differs from the platform you use. For example, Twitch allows you to design the layout of your screens, webcam, transition, and panels. Although the page layout stays the same, the design of each element is customizable.
On the other hand, the layout design on platforms like Instagram is completely different. Here, a designer's role is to create banners that comprise a picture with easy to distinguish and scan elements. Moreover, they must match the company's image and color scheme.
For instance, Kylie Cosmetics Instagram account uses the color palette of peachy and pink tints. The choice of visuals keeps a balance between product and model pictures. Overall, such a layout allows users to distinguish each post instead of seeing them as one picture.
Although most social media platforms share common features, some have unique elements that also require design attention. For instance, Twitch accounts need to have an offline image that shows while they aren't live. Also, the platform requires placing screen overlay images on the screen during live streams.
YouTube has design elements that are included in the content itself. As an example, thumbnails and lower thirds require customization for each video posted. Moreover, content creators often include animated thumbnails as a crucial element of each video. They could be either automated previews or specifically made animations.
As the attention span of a social media user is just 2 seconds, brands can't rely only on graphics to convey information. So they use animation. Nescafé makes 10-second videos to promote their new drinks. This is a faster way to tell their audience the needed information.
Another benefit of using animation is the simple way it conveys complex information. The TikTok video of Vessi is a good example of this. Instead of writing "Our new sneaker model is lightweight. It is only 380g", it uses the animated visuals of a shoe made of clouds.
Do you think that promotion on social media is only possible with the help of targeting or paid ads? Well, it's not that easy. Advertising is indeed a powerful tool for promotion on social media but it won't work without striking visuals.
In fact, every second marketer names original graphics as the main tool in helping them reach social media marketing goals. It's the essential part of content that makes users notice and stay on your page. Let's see how exactly social media design companies help businesss benefit from using well-designed visuals.
It's no secret that people prefer visuals to text when consuming content. In fact, 73% of social media users would rather learn about a product through a video. And only 11% prefer text for this purpose. This only means that promoting brand awareness without visuals is a marketing suicide mission.
One of the best examples of using visuals for promotion is Spotify's "Wrapped" campaign. It uses a simple and colorful design with animation. This makes it irresistible for users to share the information with their followers on various social media.
The combination of design and user research data create a more accessible way of broadcasting brand information. However, this combination relies more on the visual way you present the triggers. For instance, users simply won't notice your "Press a like button" title if you put it in the wrong place or make it illegible.
To illustrate this, let's take a look at Hubspot's case. Its account designed videos that included a human face, title bars, subtitles, calls to action, and "Sound On" animations. As a result, such an approach has brought Hubspot thousand more views and almost five times more comments, shares, and likes.
The role of design in attracting new customers is the means it offers that can help you get noticed. Namely, the combination of layout, color scheme, and visuals is perceived faster than audio or text.
Wise reached out to new users via Instagram. Its Stories, inspired by cooking videos, explained how accessible Wise is and gave step-by-step instructions on the processes. This approach resulted in 9,000 new registrations and a 5-10% higher registration rate.
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When you're in need of visuals for your social media, where do you imagine getting them from? Most likely, a social media design agency or a company pops in your mind. And why wouldn't it?
You'll get to work with a team of specialists such as designers, marketers, and a project manager that deals with any of your whims. But the reality could be not as ideal as it looks.
Agencies aren't the only panacea for your social media needs. If you've been looking for a cheaper or faster alternative, we'll help you choose the one for your needs. But first, let's see the pros and cons of an agency.
Just like every year brings us dozens of new social media platforms, so it does with agencies, companies, or software that take care of their visual aspect. Because of this it's getting harder to find your way around this plethora of choices.
To figure out what option suits you best, let's take a look at the four most popular ways of getting social media design. We'll get into the pros and cons of each of them as well as present an overview of their services and prices.
One of the top alternatives to design agencies is free design services for social media. To see what they're all about, let's take a look at Canva, which is among the most popular websites of this kind.
It has a free version and a paid one for $12,99/month. Both of them mainly include templates and stock photos, only the paid version has more tools to work with videos and audio. So even with paid features, Canva users get only a tool for making visuals, not the solution.
Free social media design websites come in handy for small businesses that can't yet afford to hire a designer. Also it's a great option for companies that don't have that much design to create or want simple, non-professional visuals.
No matter the paid or free version, you still get common templates and stock photos. The paid option only gives you more templates to choose from. Besides, it doesn't relieve you of spending your time and effort. Thus, Canva is more of a tool that can help you create draft graphics, but it doesn't replace a designer.
The next option is for businesses that want to delegate the making of visuals to a professional ― hiring a designer. As some companies don't have enough workload for hiring a full-time one or simply need one project done, most turn to freelancers.
Part of what makes social media design services of freelancers popular is the versatility of such specialists. They can provide you with graphics, branding, content making, etc. So you might consider hiring an expert in several fields that you need to work on.
Hiring a freelance designer could be beneficial for businesses that want or have to save on getting visuals. Compared to most agencies, on average, freelancers are cheaper to hire. However, there are also experts that charge even more than agencies. If you take time to look for one, you can find a specialist with the expertise and price you’re counting on.
Additionally, working with a freelancer allows you to be connected personally to a designer. It's a solution for you if you're not a fan of third parties like in agencies.
Unlike with agencies, freelancers can work on a project without signing a contract. But there is always a probability you get a poor result or even scammed. In such a case, it might be problematic to legally solve issues.
Moreover, finding a freelancer is a time-consuming process. Screening and interviewing is only a part of the processes you go through. And don't forget that most freelancers have a limit to iterations. So if you need more, prepare to pay for it.
To find a freelance designer for your social media it's best to do via freelance websites. If you want to cut down the time of exploring them, below is an overview of three biggest freelance websites.
Junior ― $15-$38/hr
Middle ― $50-$70/hr
Senior ― $75-$150/hr
Junior ― $5-$35
Middle ― $45-300
Senior ― $400-$1,500
Banner ― $169-$349
Facebook cover ― $99
-$249
Illustration or graphics ― $299-$1,499
Infographic ― $399
-$1,199
Social media page ― $99-$499
The same designer usually provides various additional services like branding, logo design, and social media marketing graphics
The price often includes unlimited revisions or several designs
As a result, you get source files both for digital and printing. Also, you can negotiate the price before starting to work with a designer
Such platforms work as a mediator between you and a designer. When working with an agency, you deal with extra people involved in the process besides the designer. But design platforms are only a place for you to find an already preselected specialist.
There, you directly chat with your designer, make calls, or exchange iterations instead of communicating only with a project manager. And you are in charge of your subscription. You choose the time you want to start or end it or change its type.
Design subscription services like Awesomic come in handy for businesses that need constant supply of social media visuals. They provide results in less than 24 hours. This factor is beneficial for businesses that quickly pick up new trends and want to be among the first to implement them in their social media.
Moreover, your chances of getting a professional are quite high as Awesomic offers only middles and seniors. And even though you might not sign a contract, design subscription services have refund policies and trial periods that provide you security.
Charging monthly can also mean that if some periods have less workload, you'd still spend the same amount of money. But it's fixable. Either pause the subscription or use other solutions besides social media design services included in the tier.
To help you decide which design subscription service suits your needs, we've analyzed the three most versatile ones. The overview below will present it to you.
All in all, creating social media design is best described as making a cake. Of course, you can try to make it yourself. But if you use the Easy-Bake Oven, a.k.a. free design websites, don't expect a delicious outcome.
You can use a cheat code and buy a premade mixture, a.k.a. hire a freelance designer on Upwork or Fiverr. However, finding a quality mix is a quest of screening hundreds of packages.
Finally, you can simply drop by the confectionery, a.k.a. platforms like Awesomic. There, a team of professional mid- and senior-level designers will make a recipe with you so that the cake suits your particular needs.
Now, are you ready to start your social media makeover? If so, you know where to go.
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Social media design is the arrangement of visuals for content that is uploaded to various networks like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. For example, it includes posters, thumbnails, graphics, videos, infographics, GIFs, and cover images.
An engaging social media post includes brand colors alongside others that compliment it and help enhance the message. At the same time, it has contrast in colors and size or typography which doesn’t let you overwhelm the audience. Also, it includes a visual hierarchy for guiding the audience through information in the post.
There are two ways of making social media visuals: yourself or delegating. The first way requires the use of design software, design apps, or just websites. They often come in free versions but also include paid editions with enhanced features.
Another option is hiring a freelance designer as well as using a design subscription service or a social media design company. The former is preferred for short-term projects, but occasional long-term collaboration is also a case. The latter fits those who constantly need to create graphics for social media and require other design services.
Manual social media graphic design can either cost you only your time or around $13/month on online platforms. Hiring a freelance designer costs $15-$38/hr for a junior, $50-$70/hr for a middle, or $75-$150/hr for a senior.
A social media design agency charges approximately $850-$1,250/month for its social media design services. And design subscription services offer several tiers with a cost from $500/month to $2,490/month.
Well-designed graphics for social media can increase brand awareness and create the image of an established industry player. It also catches users' attention and works on the attention span. Moreover, design can encourage the audience to actively participate, increasing customer interactions needed for a business.
