The top 5 tools to make amazing imagery for social media
Do you want to create amazing imagery for Instagram? Are you spending a lot of time curating photos to post on social?
If you’re not stepping up your game when it comes to photography (or at least, curation,) it’s time to get started.
2017 is the year of live video, making visuals more important than ever.
In fact, 84% of communications will be visual by 2018.
However, given the stiff competition that exists on these crowded platforms, you need amazing imagery if you want to stand out.
Mediocre doesn’t cut it if you want to get engagement, but if it’s all you’ve got, GET STARTED with that.
The point: don’t wait any longer to start incorporating imagery into your posting strategy.
Why?
Because photos are fun!
Photos and video are more digestible (and therefore shareable,) than other forms of content.
According to this Hubspot article:
- 37% of marketers said visual marketing was the most important form of content for their business
- Infographics are “liked” and shared on social media 3x more than any other type of content
If those two statistics don’t make the case for transforming stepping up your game when it comes to photography, I don’t know what will.
Tools worth trying:
There are dozens of tools available online (both free and paid versions) that you can use to create amazing imagery for social.
I don’t want to see you waste time trying a laundry list of different tools in order to find the one(s) that work best for you.
I found these tools thanks to Donna Moritz: (as shared during her Social Media Examiner SMSS talk)
- PicMonkey: This tool is fantastic for quick photo edits – think: crops, touchups and resizing. The free version provides enough functionality that I don’t advise using the paid version. Check out their collage and other templates to get creative when making new imagery. Great for: photo edits.
- Canva: Think PicMonkey on steroids. THIS is really where you can create some amazing imagery for your brand. Canva is my go-to tool for creating social media graphics. There are dozens of fonts, backgrounds, icons, templates and more to pick from. Canva has a free and paid version. “Canva For Work” costs $12.95 per user per month, and I highly recommend it for those looking to make branded high-quality graphics. It’s extremely user-friendly. The best part? Canva For Work knows the optimal image size for each social media network. This means you don’t have to refer back to a sizing chart each time you create an image for a different channel. Just use Canva’s “magic resize” button and SHAZAM – your image is sized for all of the major social channels in ONE click. Hello, time saver! Great for: image creation.
- Ripl: This app is great for making your visuals more interactive. The app adds animation/movement to your photos and videos. The app is available for free or you can use the paid version for $10/month. Great for: adding animation.
- Prisma: This app is for those looking to create more artistic photos. By applying patterns and treatments from famous artists, Prisma helps transform your photos into visual works of art. Great for: artistic animation.
- Adobe Spark: This tool is great for those looking to create quality videos in less time. You can use Spark to create graphics, web stories and animated videos for free. (Vlog Boss Amy Schmittaeur has a great tutorial on the tool that I recommend checking out before you get started.) Great for: efficient creation.
Regardless of which tool you use, it’s important to carve out adequate time for testing.
You need to play around with each tool to see what features and functionality you enjoy and utilize the most.
Once you’ve created images and video in each of the 5 tools, get them scheduled on social media and watch the data!
Your social strategy should be data-driven, so pay attention to which photos and platforms are performing the best.
Those are the ones you’ll want to focus on moving forward.
There’s no fast-track when it comes to improving your imagery; these tools aren’t going to transform your social strategy overnight.
These tools will, however, immediately position you as more creative and credible.
That’s a win-win if you ask me.
What do you think? Do you use any of these tools currently? Are you inspired to get started?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!