Optimising visual content for social media with Adobe Express.

Summary/Overview

Content is king in our digital world. Visual content that stands out gives your brand a chance to cut through the clutter and noise of a busy marketplace to catch the attention of users.

There’s a lot going on, with every company vying to grab social media users’ attention in the hope of getting them on board. Compelling visuals are key for social media, as eye-catching content has the power to capture attention and drive engagement.

In this article, we’ll consider the importance of visual content, and how you can use Adobe Express to boost your business’ social media content.

What do we mean by visual content?

Visual content is image-based content that’s not limited to just text. Images add that extra spice, with striking visuals ‘peacocking’ content – like a cherry on top of a sundae.

It’s a great way of offering emotive messaging, which can evoke reactions in customers. After all, emotions influence decisions more than logic.

Some visual content examples include:

• Photos – High quality images can be used to show off your products, new menu items, business locations and more.
• Videos – Think tutorials, how to video guides, and promotional vids.
• Infographics – A handy way to present complex data in an easily digestible format. For example, to showcase research findings.
• Memes – Viral images with text overlayed for a comedic effect.
• Stories or Shorts – Short-form videos used to display quick messaging or document activity. Most social media platforms have their own version.
• GIFs – Stands for Graphics Interchange Format, essentially soundless videos that play on an endless loop.

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Why is visual content important on social media platforms?

Visual content is a powerful tool which your business can use to connect better with its audience. Catchy social media visuals can communicate your message in a way that’s absorbing and memorable.

Visual content allows you to:

• Create more engaging or shareable posts: Grab users’ attention with eye-catching visuals, which can lead to higher engagement rates. Posts with images or videos are more likely to be liked, shared, and commented on, which helps increase visibility.
• Make complex information easier and quicker to digest: Simplify complex data in the form of infographics or charts. Have it in an easy digestible format so that followers can get a snapshot at a glance and share with their own audiences.
• Increase brand awareness: Strengthen brand identity and build recognition with consistent, eye-grabbing content. When people repeatedly see a brand’s distinctive visual style, it becomes more familiar and sticks in their mind.
• Improve return on social media investment: Striking visuals on your social media ads can also help boost overall campaign performance through higher engagement, increased website visits, and even conversions.

Boost your social content with free editable examples.

How to optimise visual content for social media with Adobe Express.

You can easily create striking social media visuals with Adobe Express tools. Make images, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and more using the steps below.

1. Setting up your brand on Adobe Express.

Create a Brand kit, complete with your colour scheme, fonts and logos on Adobe Express to help keep your social media visuals consistent. Think of it as a quick ‘go to’ that has all your brand’s core elements in, so anyone in your business or team can craft designs that align with your branding.

2. Selecting a social media template that fits your content or campaign.

Adobe Express gives you access to a library of free, ready-made social media templates that you can use to inspire and enhance your own social channels. There are different formats available for the various social media platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Don’t forget to optimise and resize your assets to align with each format.

3. Apply your brand colours, fonts and logos to your social media content.

Remember that brand kit you created? It’s time to put it to good use. With just click, you can apply all your branded elements to the template. This can help make things more efficient as there’s no need to design from scratch every time. It’s an easy way to increase your workflow efficiency, while still creating on-brand social media content.

4. Optimise your post with extra features and tools.

Make your content more accessible by adding little extras such as captions to TikTok videos, or Instagram reels. You can also upload your own images and edit them to your liking too. Cropping, resizing, brightness, contrast, and saturation – all this and more is easy to manage with Adobe Express. You can also animate your visuals with the free animations tool.

5. Craft a caption for your post.

Every social post needs a snappy caption. Use Adobe Express’ generative AI tool to craft effective social media captions in minutes. Type in a prompt around what you need to say and let the AI tool do the work for you. It’s useful for those times you’ve ran out of creative juice and need a little help. You can then edit and refine the output to your liking.

6. Schedule your post to go live.

Publish social media content, even when you’re not around. With Adobe Express, you can schedule content to post at a time that suits you. Simply upload your post and set a time for it to publish, then Adobe Express will do the rest. It’s a handy way to plan out your content and implement your social media calendar ahead of time.

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Top tips to optimise your social media visuals.

Social media content needed will be distinct for every brand. There’s no one-size-fits-all method – you need to ensure you capture your brand’s unique audience, tone, and message. However, there are some general guidelines you can follow to enhance your visual content across different platforms. Below are some tips to help you get started.

Match the content to the platform.

Different platforms cater to different types of visual content. For example, eye-catching imagery works best on Instagram and Pinterest, whereas infographics and professional photos may perform better on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. Posting on a shorter form channel like YouTube Shorts? Succinct messaging and simple videos that get straight to the point might be best.

Consider a consistent colour palette for your brand.

Use a consistent colour palette that aligns with your brand identity. This not only reinforces brand recognition but also helps your content feel more cohesive, even when you’re sharing different types of media across various platforms. Being recognisable wherever you are is the key to maintaining, and even increasing your brand identity.

Always use clear, high-quality imagery.

Blurry or pixelated images won’t cut the mustard and can negatively affect your brand’s credibility. Ensure visuals are clear, crisp, and professional. Quality is king – using high-calibre images puts your brand in a positive light as it can help you appear more professional. And help you stand out in crowded feeds.

Ensure video thumbnails are engaging.

Thumbnails are the first thing people see when looking at social media – so make them attention-grabbing. Crafting interesting and stimulating thumbnails can cause people to click and view your video. Steer away from misleading click-bait titles by making it relevant. Social media users will only have a few seconds to glance at it – so make it interesting and authentic.

Consider captions and alt-text descriptions.

Adding captions to videos ensures your content is more accessible to a wider audience, including those hard of hearing. Similarly, alt text can help make videos and images more accessible for people with visual impairments, through the use of screen readers

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Useful things to know.

How can I improve my social media visibility?

You can improve your social media visibility by:

• Crafting quality content
• Knowing peak use times for your audience
• Connecting with the audience in the comments section
• Trying new formats and testing different ad types
• Teaming up with other brands
• Jumping on viral trends that may be relevant
• Utilising hashtags where appropriate.

Which social media platform is best for visual content?

Which social media platform is best for visual content will depend on your goal. If you’re showcasing products then consider Instagram, as it’s good for images and videos. LinkedIn is for professional networking, and X (Twitter) is ideal for microblogging. If it’s video only, then YouTube might be your best bet.

What content do people want to see?

According to a HubSpot survey – 25% of consumers like educational and informational content that’s exciting and sticks in the mind while 52% like humour. So, making educational and informational content that’s funny, interesting, memorable, and relatable is a good recipe when deciding on visual content creation.

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