Social Media Visuals: Crafting Compelling Images
Visual content is essential for cutting through the noise on social media. With so much competing for audience attention, images and videos that instantly capture interest can mean the difference between a post being seen or overlooked. This guide will explore best practices for creating and sharing engaging social media visuals.
Table of Contents
The Power of Visuals
There’s no denying the power of visuals in digital communications. Consider these statistics:
- 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual
- Visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text by the brain
- Posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without
In the ubiquitously busy, endlessly scrolling world of social media, visuals give content a fighting chance to connect. Well-conceived images speak directly on a visceral, emotional level. They transcend barriers of language and background, conveying messages universally through shape, colour, framing, and recognisable symbols.
Let’s examine specific tactics to leverage visuals for better social media outcomes.
How Visuals Help Brands Achieve Their Goals
So why has visual social media content become a must for modern brands? Compelling images and video help companies:
- Increase reach & awareness – Videos and images spread rapidly through social sharing and recommendations
- Tell their story – Visuals put a relatable, human face on a brand by highlighting company culture, employees, or behind-the-scenes glimpses.
- Educate customers – Demonstration videos and informational graphics clearly explain or showcase products.
- Drive conversions – Product imagery, styled lifestyle photos, and video testimonials nudge viewers towards becoming customers
- Build engagement – Interesting, fun visuals prompt reactions and discussion from followers.
In an increasingly crowded digital landscape, eye-catching imagery is essential for brands striving to achieve their growth objectives. The rest of this guide will explore best practices for creating standout visual content.
Crafting Shareable Social Media Images
Imagery for social sharing should be created or curated with the platform, audience, and goals in mind.
Image Types
There are three main visual formats to choose from:
- Photos: Real-world pictures captured by camera
- Illustrations: Hand-drawn or computer-generated artwork
- Infographics: Data visualisations combining text, charts, and graphic elements
Image Subjects
Almost anything can be fodder for compelling social visuals, but some common subjects include:
- People – especially faces that viewers can relate to
- Animals – cute, funny, or intriguing
- Food – beautifully plated or decadent-looking
- Nature – landscapes, seascapes, flowers
- Cityscapes – architectural marvels or street scenes
Whimsical, emotional visuals also tend to attract high engagement.
Image Composition
- Use the Rule of Thirds – Mentally divide images into nine equal parts with two vertical and horizontal lines, placing key focal points along these lines or intersections.
- Lead the eye – Use diagonal lines, framing, contrast, perspective and other techniques to take the viewer on a visual journey.
- Simplify – Remove any distracting or unnecessary details so the subject immediately draws focus.
- Use negative space – Blank areas around and between subjects can increase the impact.
Image Text
Overlaying text on photos can make the message more explicit, but it’s wise to follow a few rules:
- Keep text short and readable at small sizes
- Use high-contrast colors between text and background
- Make text pop with shadows, outlines or interesting alignments
- Don’t cover critical parts of the image
Now, let’s look at tailoring visuals for specific social platforms.
Optimising Images for Key Platforms
Understanding the types of images that garner engagement on each site allows creators to customise content accordingly.
As the largest social network, Facebook serves various ages, interests and backgrounds. Smart Facebook image strategies include:
- Portraits of people – Photos showing authentic moments genuinely connect.
- Behind-the-scenes images – Show people, processes and places usually unseen for intrigue.
- Employee spotlights – Let audiences relate personally to the humans behind businesses.
- User-generated content – People identify with real customer photos and videos.
- Photo albums – Tell an ongoing or episodic visual story multiple images can narrate.
Facebook displays image posts at 16:9 horizontal. Landscape images fit natively without cropping.
Ideal Facebook Image Size:
- Feed Post: 1200 x 630 pixels
- Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels vertical
Instagram is now used by those 18-29 who skew toward inspirational, beautiful, envy-inducing images. Ideal visuals here might incorporate:
- Influencer collaborations
- Products styled in context
- Aspirational settings and tableaus -Unique perspectives of recognisable objects
- Variations on popular meme formats
Instagram main feed image posts appear 1:1 square. To avoid cropping, original images should be 1080 x 1080 pixels.
Stories appear full screen at 9:16 vertical. Create mobile views in 1080 x 1920 pixel dimensions.
X (Twitter)
The text-focused platform still rewards stellar visuals, making posts more scannable and sharable. Some solutions include:
- Infographics
- Data visualisationsThought-provoking iconography
- Memes
- GIFs
In the main X feed, horizontal rectangle images 16:9, like 1200 x 675 pixels, display best.
For cards, 3000 x 15732 pixels fill the full expanded card display.
YouTube
YouTube square thumbnails display at 446 x 252 pixels. This small size means strong, recognisable visuals are essential. Faces, striking text contrasts, and bright, contrasting colours make the best impressions.
On the visual discovery engine Pinterest, vertical 2:3 images at 1000 x 1500 pixels best fill the columnar content feeds. Appealing food photography and unique DIY project images gain high engagement here.
Strategies for Sharing Excellent Social Visuals
Beyond crafting excellent stand-alone images, sharing them effectively greatly multiplies impact. Here are methods for getting the most traction from great visual social content.
- Enhance with editing: Use photo editing tools to refine images before posting. Adjust lighting colours and apply stylish filters. Subtle improvements go far in digital spaces.
- Add textures and elements: Layering custom graphics like textures, shapes, and lines atop photos adds artistic flair that helps stand out.
- Animate with cinemagraphs: Blurring partial movement in mostly still images creates magical cinemagraph GIFs that mesmerise viewers.
- Share natively when possible: Post videos directly on platforms instead of links to maximise watches and limit friction.
- Try embedded posts: Share content from one social profile seamlessly on another using embedded posting rather than screenshots.
- Give context in captions: Craft captions that explain what viewers see, why it matters and how they can respond.
- Tag collaborators and locations: Social handles and geotags credit contributors, which can expand reach.
- Use relevant hashtags: Include hashtags on topics depicted and emotions evoked to reach interested audiences.
- Post consistently: Share visual content regularly to stay top of mind while continuously optimising based on performance.
- Comment and engage: Respond when audiences react and keep the conversation flowing. @ mention those interacting for value and visibility.
Now, let’s analyse the data around performing visuals.
Video Marketing Methods for Social Media
Video has exploded across all social platforms in recent years. YouTube popularised video sharing and is now second only to Facebook globally. With video comprising 82% of internet traffic by 2024 per Cisco, it's a critical visual medium for brands.
Types of Videos Viewers Love
What video formats help companies achieve social media marketing objectives? Consider these high-performing options:
- Product Demo Videos – Showcase product features and functional benefits
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage – Capture work culture, team events, office space
- Expert Educational Videos – Thought leaders provide how-tos, tips, tutorials
- Customer Testimonial Videos – User reviews build credibility and trust
- Annual Recaps – Review major company milestones and achievements
- Relevant Hashtag Challenges – Entertaining riffs on viral meme trends
- Live Videos – Real-time announcements and Q&As foster connection with audiences
Best Practices for Social Media Video
Follow these tips when producing video assets for social channels:
- Lead with compelling visuals – Captivate viewers immediately to maximise watch time
- Convey authenticity – Position actual employees and customers instead of actors
- Share company personality – Let humorous, heartfelt moments shine through
- Ensure high-quality capture – Use HD equipment; improve lighting, stability, and framing
- Get straight to the point – Hook attention within 10 seconds; wrap up within 90 seconds if possible
- Boost viewability – Add subtitles, captions, and audio descriptions for accessibility
- Include Calls-to-Action – Provide relevant next steps for viewers
- Cross-promote videos – Share previews across other social channels to maximise viewership
- Analyse performance insights – Track view counts, completion rates, clicks, and engagement
Optimising Imagery and Video for Key Platforms
While many best practices apply broadly, brands should fine-tune visual content for each primary social site's audience, algorithms, and display environments.
With roughly 3 billion monthly active users (Q4 2023), Facebook remains the king of social media. It offers extensive reach, particularly among older demographics.
- Play to strengths: Personal connections, life events, news consumption
- Ideal video length: Up to 5 minutes
- Image dimensions: 1200 x 630 pixels
Instagram is seeing explosive growth, nearing 2 billion users drawn to its photo/video-first experience.
- Play to strengths: Aspiration, inspiration, behind-the-scenes trends
- Ideal video length: Up to 120 seconds
- Image dimensions: 1080 x 1080 pixels
YouTube
YouTube fuels 2.7 billion monthly logged-in viewers with boundless video content possibilities.
- Play to strengths: Entertainment, learning, problem-solving
- Ideal video length: 8 minutes or less for casual viewing
- Thumbnail dimensions: 1280 x 720 pixels
TikTok
TikTok feeds addictive short videos to over 1 billion monthly activities, skewing young.
- Play to strengths: Humor, challenges, trends, music, creators
- Ideal video length: 3 to 60 seconds
- Thumbnail dimensions: 720 x 720 pixels
Additional platforms like X, Pinterest, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and more boast hundreds of millions of active users: research optimal creative directions, video lengths, and image sizes for each.
Top-Performing Visual Content Tactics and Examples
Social listening and analytics make clear which visual strategies engage most. Some current trends in excellent performing visual social content include:
| Tactic | Example | Performance Stat |
| User Images | Customer spotlights increased sales by 39% | +39% sales |
| Behind-the-Scenes | Studio images of product photoshoots earned 984 reactions | 984 reactions |
| Curated UGC | Customer pet photos using product averaged 4X more engagement | +400% engagement |
| Comparison Photos | Dramatic before-and-after images drove 2.3K clicks | 2.3K clicks |
| Staff Spotlights | Employee family pic posted weekly improves retention | ↑ retention |
| Volunteering | Community service pics and stories upped donations by 11% | +11% donations |
| Office Shenanigans | Silly staff antics humanised the brand for 1.2K smiles | 1.2K smiles 😊 |
| Holiday Threads | Seasonal spirit weeks made employees 91% happier at work | 91% ↑happiness |
Measuring Social Media Visuals Performance
It's vital for brands to closely monitor how visual assets perform after publication across social sites. Key performance indicators reveal what works and misses the mark so future initiatives improve.
Key Metrics to Track
Review these analytics to guide decisions:
- Engagement Rate – Likes, comments, shares divided by total viewers
- Views – Raw view count for videos and image carousels
- Completion Rate – Percentage video viewed through to the end
- Link Clicks – Tap-throughs from images/videos to linked destinations
- Responses – User-generated visual content with brand hashtags
Compare performance by asset types, topics covered, product features highlighted, captions used, calls-to-action included, and more. Look for patterns informing what resonates best with each community.
Key Takeaways
Social media visuals represent an invaluable opportunity for brands. The imagery captures attention rapidly, and the video immerses viewers in messages.
Compelling photos and videos can boost awareness, highlight products appropriately, communicate cohesive stories, engage followers, drive conversions, and convey authenticity at scale when optimised effectively for each platform.
As adoption grows across new sites like Snapchat, brands must continually evolve visual content strategies. Creative, thematically relevant visuals will only increase in importance as more flashy distractions compete for finite user mindshare. Companies need to both harness trends and nurture their unique identities.
Visual social promotion requires planning, creativity, production resources, careful distribution and diligent performance tracking. But brands willing to fully leverage imagery and video can realise tremendous dividends.
FAQs About Social Media Visuals
Here are answers to five common questions about maximising the power of visual content on social platforms:
What are the most essential elements of compelling social media images?
The most critical ingredients in stellar social media visuals are simplicity that immediately draws the eye to a precise and emotionally evocative focal point, helpful context and captions, and strategic tagging and hashtag use aimed to expand the reach and ignite engagement.
What types of images should be avoided on social media?
Steer clear of imagery likely to polarise people politically and culturally or trigger sensitive health issues for many dealing with appearance criticism or eating disorders. Avoid images that could stereotype marginalised groups. Propaganda and explicit content are also no-gos.
How often should visual content be shared on social media?
There are no hard rules, but sharing a mix of visual and text updates 1-2 times per day per platform is relatively standard for active consumer brands. Photos and videos ideally keep a consistent presence while observing the optimal times your audience engages.
Should visuals be boosted or run as paid ads?
If images gain high reach and engagement organically, boosting them as ads can further supplement performance. But also test lower-performing visuals as paid placements to determine if broader exposure or targeting to more niche audiences could make them viable.
What should be done if visual content underperforms expectations?
Take time to analyse and learn from poorer-performing images. Look for common themes among low-engagement posts. Were subjects unappealing or unoriginal for your audience? Were posts shared at off-peak times? Use these insights to improve your following images for better outcomes.
