Did you know that around 65% of people are visual learners?
It’s no wonder, then, that Facebook posts with images have significantly higher engagement rates, with studies finding a 37% increase in interaction and 150% more reposts.
While social media may be a newer invention, the idea of visual learning certainly is not. From the earliest cave drawings to the infographics of today, the use of images to convey information is nothing new. And as a small business owner, it’s important to tap into this strategy with some stunning, memorable images of your own.
Let’s explore how to create online graphics for free. Plus, we’ll delve into how good graphics can boost your brand’s online engagement.
Creating graphics may feel a bit intimidating, especially if you don’t have a ton of experience using a specialized program and didn’t go to school for graphic design. Thankfully, there are tools like Stencil by Visual that make graphic design for social media accessible, easy, and fun.
Stencil by Visual is a simple-to-use graphic design tool for bloggers, business owners, and social media marketers. From compelling ads to blog headers and much more, Stencil by Visual has you covered. Wield it in any modern web browser to create images faster than ever before without the need for complicated, expensive software. Simply pick a background, add some text, and boom — you have a design that takes social media posts to the next level.
Here are the main features of Stencil by Visual that will have your brand bursting with potential and uninhibited influence:
Memorable designs can make a world of difference for your business. Understanding the benefits of this form of visual communication can work wonders for the success of your brand, whether you’re just getting started or your company is hitting a major growth spurt.
A fundamental component of any brand is brand identity, which references the copy, visuals, and every other element that helps communicate your values. An identity is what separates your brand from the other artisanal soap makers, sock shops, or wedding photographers. Enhancing your social media profiles with high-quality graphics that follow your brand style guide reinforces your uniqueness. And it allows customers the opportunity to appreciate your signature color palette anywhere.
Stumbling upon a page with outdated fonts and low-res images may not spark confidence in your products or services. That’s because we trust polished presentations with our hard-earned money. Correctly-sized, high-quality images make your brand appear professional, which builds credibility. If a brand invests in their design, then it says a lot about how they conduct their business, too — with great care and skill.
With any brand identity, there has to be consistency to achieve brand recognition and, ultimately, brand loyalty. A strong brand is easily recognizable — it has a logo, slogan, or color scheme that makes you crave burgers or pops into your head when you need craft supplies. Similar to professionalism and credibility, unity builds trust. That clear messaging gets customers in the door. Once they have a positive experience with the product or service, they’ll come back for more — and they’ll recommend the online seller with that interesting vintage logo design to their friends.
Aside from the stats proving the increases in engagement on posts that feature images, the billions of users worldwide also present endless possibilities. So if you want to make your marketing work for you, carefully plan your posts and make your feed pop. Social media is already heavily visual, with platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest centered around images. Well-developed content that people click on has the potential to increase your likes, comments, saves, and follower count.
If you schedule your content well and get in the groove of posting what your followers care about, there’s tons of room for connection on social media. Today’s consumers want to connect with the brands they buy from — they want an image behind a brand name. A graphic that shows the amount of waste a company saved that year by switching to eco-friendly packaging demonstrates that your organization doesn’t just talk the talk. When you develop posts with meaning, then you can interact in the comment section and build something more than a transaction.
A strong visual identity that’s consistent with its messaging across all platforms does a lot for a brand’s credibility and engagement. Since so many prospective customers are on these platforms, your small business has limitless potential. Plus, if you have a personal brand where you’re working to build an artistic community, social media is perfect for that, too. The origins of social media spring from a desire to connect when you can’t physically meet in person. It’s all about coming together.
Now that you know the benefits of graphic design and the importance of images in a visual world, start boosting your business with Stencil by Visual. This graphic design tool is free to use and sets you up for success. The option to use different web browsers, templates, images, icons, graphics, and more make producing brilliant content easy for any individual or business owner. You don’t have to have a graphic design background or fancy software to wow your audience. So here’s to designer-quality results, in a fraction of the time. Happy branding!
Yes, the Stencil app is free to use. Those who use the app for free can save up to 10 images per month. If you want to create and save more images, you can sign up for a paid Stencil plan. With Stencil Pro, you can save up to 50 images monthly and enjoy access to a larger selection of photos, icons, templates, fonts, and more. Stencil Unlimited plans include all of the Pro features and allow you to create as many images as you want.
To create graphics with the Stencil design tool, go to the Stencil app and choose from a selection of images and icons. Then, add text to personalize your graphic. Finally, save it to your account to download later or share it directly to your social media accounts using Buffer.
The Stencil app makes it easy to design social media graphics in just minutes. Simply select a background, add your text, and save the image to your account. Then, you can download it and post it on any of your social media accounts.
Yes, the Stencil app has a library of more than 5 million stock photos, all of which are high-resolution and royalty-free. Because the photos are already included in the Stencil app, you don’t have to download the images or upload them to your canvas. Simply click on a photo and it will be instantly added to your graphic.
The correct size for social media graphics varies based on what platform you’re using and how you plan to share your images. For example, you may need different sizes to correctly display Instagram graphics as a story, reel, or grid post. Stencil by Visual makes it easy to achieve the correct dimensions with more than 140 preset canvas sizes for social media graphics across a number of platforms.
Yes, the Stencil design tool features more than 1,350 image templates which have been specifically formatted for social media. If you don’t want to start with a blank canvas, you can simply select a template and customize it to suit your needs.
Yes, Stencil allows you to download your saved graphics as a JPG or PNG file. You can also use Buffer to schedule and share your graphics to your social media accounts directly from Stencil.
From voice to visuals, here’s how to create branding that everyone will recognize.
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