4 Social Media Design Tips To Create Compelling Visual Content

Just like a chef who carefully selects the finest ingredients to create a masterpiece, crafting compelling visual content for social media campaigns requires a keen eye for design, a creative mind and a dash of inspiration.

So, grab your brushes, sharpen your pencils and let's dive into the world of social media design. We’ll cover what makes good social media design, some recent trends, how to create a brand identity on social media and 5 killer tips for creating great content.

What makes good social media design?

Good social media design is the difference between blending in and standing out. It's not just about having a pretty picture or a flashy animation; it's about capturing your brand's essence in a way that grabs your audience's attention and leaves a lasting impression.

But with millions of daily posts, likes and shares, what types of posts get the most engagement? How do you make yourself known in the sea of content?

In essence, it’s all is a delicate balance between creativity and strategy. By incorporating the latest trends with your brand identity, you can create visuals that not only look great but also resonate with your audience on a deeper level.

Here are some key social media design tips you’ll want to follow for best results!

1. Include videos

Lights, camera, action! It's time to put your social media design in motion with the hottest trend in town: videos. From TikTok reels to product demos on YouTube, videos can take many forms and allow brands to create compelling and immersive experiences that tell their story in a more dynamic and memorable way. By leveraging the power of video, you can showcase your brand's personality and stand out from the competition. With good platforms of free stock videos, the possibilities are endless.

One of the most popular ways to use videos in social media design is through animated stories on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. These short-form videos, which can be up to 15 seconds long, are a creative and fun way to create a more interactive and engaging experience for your audience.

92% of marketers say video delivers the best ROI, making it an all-time high percentage. So, remember that when you plan your strategy for social media!

2. Stay relevant

With social media, you’re definitely not going to want to be irrelevant. You’ll need to stay up-to-date with your audience's interests, trends and current events. One of the most exciting ways to do this is by creating posts that capture the energy and excitement of upcoming events.

Whether it's a music festival, a holiday or a major sports game, designing social media posts for events can help you tap into the excitement of the moment and create a deeper connection with your audience. From festive graphics to exciting video clips, you can use social media design to bring the event to life and make your audience feel like they are part of the action.

If you’re stuck for inspiration, you can find things like Instagram templates to jumpstart your creativity.

3. Stay on top of the trends

In the world of digital design, trends move faster than ever. One day your visuals are cutting-edge; the next, they're forgotten. That's why staying on top of the latest graphic design trends for social media is crucial to creating attention-grabbing visuals that leave a lasting impression.

2023 has seen an explosion in motion graphics – animation, video and captions being used by brands across social media platforms to add dynamism and energy to their posts. Alongside this trend is bold and abstract geometry, which can add depth and complexity to your visuals and help your brand capture the limelight.

If you’re looking for something even more original, why not try mixing elements together? Combining real-life photography with illustrations or hand-drawn elements with digital design can create a playful, fresh aesthetic that will surely set you apart from other cookie-cutter campaigns.

Find some spring images, spruce it up with your brand identity, and you’ve got yourself a Spring-themed post!

4. Stay true to your brand identity

It's not just about following trends blindly; your social media design should also be consistent with your brand identity. From your logo to your tone of voice, your visuals should reflect your brand's values, mission and personality. Keeping your design elements cohesive will help build trust with followers and engage them in what you have to offer.

Creating a social media brand identity starts with understanding your company’s mission and values. Once you have that foundation, you can start building visuals that reflect these ideals. For example, imagine you own a flower shop – your colors could be bright pinks and purples to represent the beauty of flowers; fonts should be modern yet cheerful to give off an inviting vibe; images might include people in beautiful moments holding bouquets.

When designing for social media, think about how each element works together to create an overall unique look. Use colors, fonts and images that are consistent with the company’s mission and values. And don’t forget to add a personal touch – after all, followers want to connect with you.

Social media design FAQs

Read on for answers to some frequently asked questions!

Why is social media design important?

Social media design is important because it helps create a cohesive visual identity across all platforms. It also gives followers a chance to get to know your brand better, building trust and connecting them with what you have to offer. Plus, it can be really fun! With creative colors, fonts and images, you can tell a unique story that will stand out in today’s crowded marketplaces.

How do you create social media designs?

Creating social media designs is like putting together a puzzle. You have to consider all the pieces that go into creating a unique, cohesive look – colors, fonts, images, videos and more.

Start by brainstorming ideas and sketching them out on paper before moving on to digital design tools, and don’t forget to add your personal elements! Incorporating elements of your style will help make your designs truly memorable.

What is a social media design kit?

A social media design kit is a collection of pre-made social media templates and elements that you can easily customize to create stunning visuals for your brand. It typically includes graphics, fonts, colors, backgrounds, icons and more – everything you need to make beautiful designs in no time. With a design kit at your fingertips, it’s easier than ever to quickly create engaging content for all of your platforms.

Another important advantage of creating a social media design kit is that it allows a brand to achieve economies of scale and coherence across different channels. By tailoring the social media design kit concept to fit into the rest channels of an omnichannel marketing strategy, a brand can maintain consistency and communicate its visual identity effectively.