Want to grab attention to your posts but don’t have a bucket of money to spend on graphics? Well look no further! In this week’s Visual Marketing Post, we have highlighted some of most accessible, cost-effective and simple ways to create engaging, fun, shareable content for your posts – on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or Google+.
Want to Create Great, Affordable Images for your Posts?
We have talked recently about the importance of creating engaging, visually attractive content by way of photos, text or graphics. Visual images are engaging. There is no doubt about it. Visual images are more likely to be shared. But how can you create your own original shareable content without enlisting the help of a graphic designer? Here are a bunch of great little apps and strategies that I use regularly to create some great shareable content…content that gets clicked on and doesn’t put a hole in my wallet!).
#1 Instagram
Instagram - Become Your Own Stock Photo Catalogue!
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a big fan of buying a good stock photo and using it strategically to make a post or an article or program “pop”. But truly, some of the best photos I have used (and have seen used) have come from Instagram. With a little creativity, something great to photograph and the clever use of Instagram’s filters, you can make any photo “pop” and catch the attention of your readers. And the best bit? They are FREE and you OWN the copyright! If you are posting them on platforms like Pinterest or Facebook, you don’t have to worry about who owns it, because you do (as long as the subject, if you have one, agrees).
Tip: Apart from being able to create killer images with instagram (that can rival a good stock photo), consider using instagram to take photos of simple text. This works really well to showcase a blog post (heading) or a quote. This trick can be applied by creating a simple font on a great background on your computer (using any design program or even Word). Then take a photo of the screen, capturing your “title” or “quote” using Instagram. When you apply an Instagram border and filter to the image, the result can be quite eye-catching – which is what you want, right? For your readers to have their eye drawn to your image…and be inspired to share it!
A Simple Heading can be made more eyecatching with Instagram
#2 Tweegram’
I have mentioned Pinstamatic before as a great tool for creating visual content. And some of our readers have taken this on board – check out this great post (with a great little matching quote made simply with Pinstamatic). Simplicity works! If you loved Pinstamatic, you will also love Tweegram. Tweegram is a great little app for creating text based images – and if you are willing to contribute the $0.99c for the Pro Version, you can also add in some images, remove the Tweegram branding and access more templates. What is Tweegram? – let’s let their app description update you:
Tweegram transforms thoughts into wonderful images. Simple!
Here are some examples of what the finished product might look like:
Tweegram is a quick way of creating text (and picture) based Content - using just your smartphone! .
Tip: Mix up a Tweegram image with your Instagram images – a quote, or hot tip related to your niche, interspersed with your Instagram Images can quickly catch the attention of your Instagram followers….with so many picture-only images, a little text thrown in can be a pleasant change inside the Instagram feed! Mix it up!
#3 Pixlr
Pixlr - the most popular online photo editor in the world - if you like some of the wow factor without having to be a photoshop wizz, then check out Pixlr!
Pixlr didn’t get to become the most popular online photo editor in the world for nothing. Filled with great filters, special effects, and the ablity to add text to images, you can do a lot with Pixlr! And don’t forget to download the smartphone app for editing on the move.
Tip: Check out Pixlr-omatic for some awesome filters (and click on the “More” Tab to find even more awesome special effects, borders and overlays. Whether you are using the Full Pixlr Editor or the Express version (all available on the main website) you can create some great images. Why not create a series of quotes or tips related to your niche – either with photos and images or just the text…and then post them up via your website to Pinterest or Facebook. People LOVE to share great tips or quotes, so give them something original to share!
What tools or websites have you used to create your own visual content – that don’t break the bank? Have you tried any of these? If you are a Pinterest user, leave your link below so that we can follow you!
Donna Moritz is a Social Media Strategist and Visual Marketing Specialist – and founder of Socially Sorted, in Queensland, Australia. Donna loves to help small businesses and companies use visual social media strategies to get more reach, referrals and results for their business. She has been a contributing author for Entrepreneur.com, Social Fresh and Amy Porterfield and has been featured on Forbes and Yahoo Small Business. Connect with Donna on Google+ and other social media networks below.
Pingback: Using Visual Marketing for Social Media Results - 3 Brands Getting it Right | Socially Sorted