Images have a positive impact on our minds due to their visual elements. This is because our brain can process visuals much easier than text and it’s much easier for us to understand it. 

In fact, the human mind can process images 60,000 times faster than it processes text. That being said, you can only imagine how many images people have to process each day on social media channels and this means that your design needs to be at the top of its game if you want to be considered. 

To make sure you are as professional as possible, we’ll show you 11 social media design tips you can follow to increase your visual strategy in 2024. 

1. Optimize your images for different social media channels 

Each image size will differ on social media channels and the most important thing is to make sure that they all remain high-quality throughout all social media networks. Each social media channel has different image size requirements. 

In order to have a better strategy of each size requirement for your social media channel, it’s best to follow these size guidelines that we put together:

YouTube 

1. 1280 x 720 pixels for video thumbnails 
2. 800 x 800 pixels for channel icons 

X (Twitter) 

1. 400 x 400 pixels for profile pictures
2. 1500 x 500 pixels for photo headers 
3. 1024 x 512 pixels for in-stream photos 

Instagram 

1. 400 x 400 pixels for personal logos
2. 646 x 220 pixels for banner images
3. 590 x 300 for shared images 

LinkedIn 

1. 400 x 400 pixels for personal logos
2. 646 x 220 pixels for banner images
3. 590 x 300 pixels for shared images 

These size guidelines show you the correct dimensions and allow you to optimize your images for whichever social channel you are using. 

2. Keep your style consistent 

Consistency is the key to having success in social media channels. If you want to keep a consistent style, you need to answer three important questions: 

1. What kind of product or service are you selling? 
2. What kind of social channel are your followers most active on?
3. What kind of brand colors do you have? 

Answering these questions helps define your brand personality and characteristics that will help you keep a consistent style. If you don’t define your brand style and personality from the beginning, you won’t be able to follow a consistent style. 

Changing your design styles might not be a practice and where there’s no consistency, there won’t be any growth.

3. Add contrast 

If you see images that are the best at grabbing people’s attention, it’s those that have contrast in them. Contrast allows visual elements to differ between each other and makes one stand out from the other.

Contrast is an excellent way of optimizing your social media images. However, you need to find a balance between visual elements and make sure you are not adding too much contrast. Image contrast can be added in three different ways: 

1. Color contrast for readability: Using contrasting colors makes texts and visuals much more readable, especially on mobile devices. For example, this includes mixing lighter colors with darker ones and the other way around, or highlighting one design element that stands out from others, etc. 
2. Shapes and sizes: Shapes are another excellent way of adding contrast to your images. This includes guiding users to focus on the most important part of your design. Don’t forget to use bold headlines or images alongside smaller and more detailed text that engages users with key information first. 
3. Font style and weight: This includes combining different styles and fonts for creating contrast in text elements. For example, using bold fonts for titles will improve readability and make your design visually engaging. 

The image included below shows a perfect example of an image with contrast. 

4. Use an AI logo maker 

AI logo makers are valuable tools you can use for creating an eye-catching and professional logo that fits with your social media brand style and audience. AI logo makers use machine learning algorithms for generating custom logo designs based on brand preferences and inputs. 

They are evolving fast and becoming a first choice amongst many business owners that are focused on social media design. Research done by Deloitte shows that AI adoption in design is expected to grow by 25% each year. 

5. Include visual cues 

Giving a feeling of mystery and curiosity are all key features of establishing a social media image that stands out and can increase user engagement. This tip is important for all brands that are looking to grab the audience’s attention instantly. 

If you want to encourage viewers to click on something faster, it’s always important to give them visual cues. For example, if you are showing food in your social media images, you can also include appetites that you think will interest your target audience. 

It’s always the visual cues that make people curious and click on an image. Here are some visual cues you can follow to include in your social media images: 

1. Highlight key information
2. Use emojis
3. Use bullet points of highlighted information
4. Add texts that will explain your image in detail 

Visual cues are what help viewers get more interested in what kind of details your design has and are great in giving a good first impression. 

6. Use templates to make it easier for you

You might not always have the time to create high-quality images, but templates can help you a lot and you can easily find them across different websites online. However, keep in mind that they should follow your brand’s style and make it easy for you to customize them based on the information you want them to include. 

Your templates should include these elements if you want it to be effective: 

1. The main image
2. Supporting images
3. Text
4. Illustrations
5. Colors

Templates can help with your social media design because of the following reasons: 

1. You’ll save lots of time from having to create all designs on your own 
2. You don’t need to spend too much money hiring someone to create the design for you

In short, templates are great for saving you time and helping you create ideal social media designs. 

7. Create different types of valuable content 

Variety and value are keywords when it comes to posting high-quality and shareable content. Always make sure that your social media posts are relevant to your target audience and website.

You can consider using the following in your social media visuals:

1. Industry tips
2. Event posts
3. Company milestones and competitions 
4. Infographics 
5. Weekly updates

More valuable content gains a wider reach across different social media channels, with the potential to generate much more traffic to your website. 

8. Make your images easy to share and share-worthy 

Always make it easy for your images to be shared, posted, and tweeted from your website. Include the social media icons at the bottom and sharing buttons. Your target audience will share information they find insightful and this will help in improving your brand recognition and awareness. 

The best method is to always include a call-to-action (CTA) to encourage users to share images. The more resourceful and insightful your social images are, the more likely they’ll be shared. 

9. Avoid copyright

It’s always important to check and create your social design in a way that doesn’t copy others. You need to understand image copyright and know that there are many consequences for any misuse. 

If you are using stock images, or templates, read the fine print before you use them. If you find anything unclear, you can always reach out to the image owner to learn more about the details. The same case scenario goes when working with an artist. 

It’s always good to give credit to these artists. Especially if you plan on reporting or posting user-generated content, this is even more important.

10. Make your social designs accessible

Not everyone will perceive visual content in the same way. Therefore, it’s important to know that when you produce social media designs, make them accessible to as many people as possible. Accessible content allows you to reach a wide audience and gain an advantage over competitors. 

Roughly 16% of the world’s population suffers some sort of disability, so accessibility is becoming more important than ever. Most importantly, it helps you earn respect and loyalty from customers. Accessible social media designs include the following:

1. Subtitles: If you are creating social media videos, you should include subtitles. They are important for those suffering from hearing disabilities. Also, those who speak another language benefit from this. 
2. Alt-text descriptions: Alt-text is great for those with visual impairments. 
3. Descriptive transcripts: Transcripts will describe all sounds that aren’t spoken. 

Customer loyalty strongly gets influenced by social image accessibility. Therefore, it’s important to consider it. 

11. Consider SEO rankings 

Social media designs can and should be designed for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. Social media SEO involves adding title tags, image alt text and keywords to improve your search result visibility. 

Keywords are important when designing social media images and creating captions for your posts. Don’t forget to use descriptive language that relates to your brand and post. This will help people find your content across social media channels through the search bar or by clicking on hashtags that have the same keyword you mentioned. 

For example, if you are including social media images about fashion, common keywords are “fashion,” “clothing,” “style”, etc. 

Don’t forget to use your creativity 

No matter what you do, never forget to use your creativity. Creative work is always the best and has the power to expand your reach and build up your fanbase. The most important part is to make sure you are remaining consistent, including great content, and creating a high-quality image that stands out. 

A well-crafted visual strategy helps in increasing brand recognition and creating a much more loyal and connected online community that will dictate your long-term business success.