Using social media to promote your business is what some might call a “no brainer.” However, with image specifications often changing for each platform, users can quickly become frustrated with creating the perfect post.
“Social media is a highly visual medium,” said Cortney Erndt, director of marketing for Shoreline Creative, a creative studio offering innovative marketing solutions for niche brands.
“Selecting and correctly formatting images before you post is key; it builds credibility and gives your brand a competitive edge. Posts with quality photos vastly outperform those without.”
Imagery boosts engagement and livens your posts. When adding visuals, it’s always best to use original assets, whether it’s your own photography or branded graphics. Canva is a great resource for creating graphics when you don’t have a designer on staff. And, if you don’t have original photography on hand, you can turn to free stock photo resources like StockSnap, Stockvault, Pexels and Pixabay. Be careful to read copyright information for each image and adhere to any photo credit requirements.
Once you have determined which images you want to use, the next step is configuring your images to an optimum size for the specific social platform.
This social media image size cheat sheet from Shoreline Creative is a great resource to refer to.
Consulting this guide will ensure your images look professional without any cut-off portions, odd pixilation or stretching. Quality photos within your posts will elevate your audience engagement and raise your brand awareness among consumers.
