Social Media Marketing Fundamentals

Module 6: Visual Content Best Practices

Learning Objectives

• Understand visual content importance
• Learn design principles for social media
• Master photo and video best practices
• Create consistent visual branding

Key Concepts

Why Visuals Matter

Social media is inherently visual. Research shows:

• Posts with images get 2.3x more engagement than text-only
• Video content is shared 1200% more than text and images combined
• The brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text
• 65% of people are visual learners

Even on "text-first" platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, posts with visuals consistently outperform.

Design Principles for Social Media

You don't need to be a designer. Follow these fundamental principles:

1. Simplicity

• One main message per visual
• Minimal text (let images speak)
• Clean, uncluttered compositions
• Avoid competing elements

2. Contrast

• Text must be readable against background
• Use bold colors strategically
• Light/dark balance draws the eye
• Size differences create hierarchy

3. Hierarchy

• Most important element should be most prominent
• Guide the eye with size, color, and placement
• Headlines bigger than subtext
• Clear visual flow

4. Consistency

• Same color palette across content
• Consistent fonts (2-3 maximum)
• Repeating design elements
• Recognizable brand style

5. White Space

• Don't fill every pixel
• Breathing room improves readability
• Margins around text
• Space between elements

Platform-Specific Dimensions

Always use correct sizes to avoid cropping:

Instagram

• Square posts: 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Portrait posts: 1080 x 1350 pixels
• Stories/Reels: 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Landscape: 1080 x 566 pixels

Facebook

• Feed posts: 1200 x 630 pixels
• Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Cover photo: 820 x 312 pixels

LinkedIn

• Feed posts: 1200 x 627 pixels
• Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Cover image: 1128 x 191 pixels

Twitter/X

• Single image: 1200 x 675 pixels
• Two images: 700 x 800 pixels each
• Header: 1500 x 500 pixels

TikTok

• Videos: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 ratio)

Photography Best Practices

Composition:

• Rule of thirds (place subject at intersection points)
• Leading lines guide the eye
• Frame your subject
• Experiment with angles
• Get close to subject

Lighting:

• Natural light is usually best
• Avoid harsh midday sun
• Golden hour (sunrise/sunset) for warm tones
• Face the light source
• Avoid mixed lighting temperatures

Smartphone tips:

• Clean your lens (seriously)
• Tap to focus
• Use gridlines
• Take multiple shots
• Edit afterward, not with filters

Product photography:

• Simple, clean backgrounds
• Consistent lighting setup
• Show scale and context
• Multiple angles
• Lifestyle shots + detail shots

Video Content Essentials

Video types for social media:

1. Talking head: You speaking to camera
2. Tutorial/How-to: Demonstrating a process
3. Behind-the-scenes: Showing your work/life
4. User-generated: Customer content
5. Animation/Motion graphics: Animated text and graphics

Basic video principles:

• Hook immediately: First 2-3 seconds are crucial
• Shoot vertical: For Stories, Reels, TikTok
• Stable footage: Use tripod or stabilize arms
• Good audio: More important than video quality
• Adequate lighting: Natural or ring light
• Clean background: Remove distractions

Video editing tips:

• Cut out pauses and mistakes
• Add captions (85% watch without sound)
• Use jump cuts to maintain pace
• Add text overlays for key points
• Include music when appropriate (check licensing)

Smartphone video settings:

• 1080p minimum (4K if storage allows)
• 30fps for standard, 60fps for action
• Lock focus and exposure
• Horizontal for YouTube, vertical for others

Creating Graphics Without Design Skills

Tools that make anyone a designer:

Canva: Templates for everything, free and Pro versions Adobe Express: Simple graphic creation Unfold: Story templates Mojo: Animated story templates CapCut: Video editing (free, powerful) InShot: Simple video editing

Using templates effectively:

1. Start with a template close to your vision
2. Replace placeholder content
3. Adjust colors to match your brand
4. Change fonts (sparingly)
5. Keep modifications minimal

Building Visual Brand Consistency

Create a simple brand guide:

Color palette:

• Primary color (main brand color)
• Secondary color (accent)
• Neutral colors (backgrounds, text)
• Note hex codes for consistency

Fonts:

• Headline font (bold, attention-grabbing)
• Body font (readable, clean)
• Stick to 2 fonts maximum

Brand elements:

• Logo placement
• Recurring graphic elements
• Photo style (bright and airy vs. dark and moody)
• Filter or editing preset

Content patterns:

• How quotes look
• How tips posts look
• How testimonials look
• How announcements look

Create templates for recurring content types so each post doesn't start from scratch.

Stock Photos and Resources

Free resources:

• Unsplash: High-quality photos
• Pexels: Photos and videos
• Pixabay: Images, vectors, music
• Icons8: Icons and illustrations

Paid resources:

• Shutterstock: Extensive library
• Adobe Stock: Integrated with Adobe tools
• iStock: Quality options

Stock photo tips:

• Avoid obviously "stock" images
• Look for authentic, unstaged moments
• Edit to match your brand colors
• Combine with original content

Accessibility in Visual Content

Make content accessible to all:

• Add alt text describing images
• Ensure sufficient color contrast
• Don't rely on color alone to convey meaning
• Caption all videos
• Use readable font sizes
• Avoid flashing content

Exercise

Visual Audit and Brand Board

1. Collect: Screenshot 5-10 posts from accounts you admire
2. Analyze: What visual elements do they have in common?
3. Define your palette: Choose 3-4 colors for your brand
4. Choose fonts: Select 2 fonts (one for headlines, one for body)
5. Create one template: Using Canva or similar, design a template for one content type (e.g., quote posts or tips)

Summary

Visual content dramatically increases engagement across all platforms. You don't need design training—follow basic principles of simplicity, contrast, hierarchy, and consistency. Use correct dimensions for each platform. Master basic photography and video techniques for mobile content creation. Leverage design tools like Canva for professional-looking graphics. Build visual brand consistency through a simple style guide, and make content accessible to all users.

Next Steps

Great visuals stop the scroll, but captions drive action. The next module covers writing captions that convert—turning attention into engagement and action.