A human brain uses millions of neurons to process visual stimuli which are about 30% of the entire brain cortex. Only 3% is used for hearing while another 8% on tactile stimuli. This is why many experts consider visuals to be a vital element in most advertising efforts. Before the advent of modern advertising using the internet, design has only been seen as the last process of a product launch. This seems to be an attempt to make it pretty and have more value. Entering the digital world and incorporating the design became a crucial step at the beginning of the product research process.

The main culprit for such attention over design is the fast development of the digital age. Many companies consider the digital platforms as their key customer touch points. It has become challenging to make an engagement as there is also a need to personalize the customer experience. Design somehow helps in making the companies remain competitive by effectively enhancing the customer experience and at the same time provide plenty of chances for engagement.

According to the recent content marketing statistics, 70% of the content is mostly visual for at least 74% marketers. The modern marketers have unlocked the secret that visually-appealing content actually performs best in increasing customer engagement, reach, and eventually, sales.

This leads to the majority of marketers seeking for the best methods to create engaging visual content. While there are those who claim that only less than 10% of the marketing budget is spent on visual content creation, there are also those who are bold enough to spend more than 40%. This is enough to prove how companies have come to realize the importance of investing more in visual content, especially on design.   

If you are among the 66% of marketers who have seen more leads by spending at least six hours on improving social media content, then you are at the right track. There are thousands of other brands that you compete with and social media is a good platform to leverage your brand to the audience. A good design can make this happen so you must be aware about the different principles of design that will enable you to create effective and good-looking social media content.

When we speak of principles of design, it refers to different tactics that would make your visual content more engaging. Humans are visual beings and having a few methods to tickle their visual senses will be a huge help to increase engagement over your marketing content.

Here is a list of 7 principles of design that can enhance the quality of your social media posts:

1. Be consistent with logo placement.

Being consistent with where you place your logo on every content somehow makes the content neater to look at.  You must be particular with working on a design that will look great once the logo is added. Another essential tip is to make the logo look not too overpowering but not too small either. Both the positioning and style should complement the whole design so as not to have it end up sticking like a sore thumb.

2. Stick to your brand colors. 

Did you know that up to 90% of consumers make a purchasing decision just by the colors alone? It would be best to remember that colors portray emotions so you must make it a point to consider what colors to use for your brand. Just for you to imagine how colors can literally make or break your brand, it would help to know that Red is usually used to create a sense of urgency. Orange encourages an aggressive persona, while yellow portrays optimism and a youthful vibe. Green is almost synonymous with nature but it also signifies wealth and a sense of calmness. Blue, on the other hand, gives a sense of trust and security and pink is usually associated with femininity.

It is encouraged that you choose colors that would support the image that you want to portray. Once you have decided on your brand colors. Using them consistently on your campaign will not only encourage brand association but will also strengthen the portrayal of your personality.

3. Match typography with your brand values.

Another way to create a sense of harmony between your brand and your ideals is to use typography that matches with your brand values. Fonts can also help embody character and will make your design’s message more effective. For example, if you are after creating a strong personality for your brand, choose a typography that is simple and yet bold, such as the sans serif font in regular uppercase. 

Cursive fonts, on the other hand, are typically used for women’s beauty products as they evoke a feminine and gentle character. Again, be consistent with your choice of fonts as this is also a great opportunity to get creative while at the same time introduce your brand values to the target audience.

4. Use effective imagery. 

Most people like social media images, like memes, because they are concise and are easier to digest than actually reading a few sentences of explanation about a context. The use of image and graphic design in your posts minimizes the use of text while at the same time adds visual interest to your content. For commercial posts, having the images processed or edited by professional photo retouchers can make the most ordinary photos look extraordinary and professional. Most people respond to graphics very well that is why they are used more to engage the audience.

5. Be consistent with your layouts.

When choosing layouts for your social media content, take note that humans usually gravitate towards something that looks familiar. It would be clever to actually make the layout a part of your brand by being consistent in using it. Make campaigns that are based on your design layout. If you are to make use of colors or graphics, for example, make sure that they will blend in with the layout and not stray away from the theme. This is both time-efficient and a great way to boost user engagement.

6. Learn about image optimization for every one of your social media platforms.

Different social media platforms vary on their preferred image dimensions. It is very crucial that you are able to optimize the images that you use for your design accordingly in order to treat the audience with a good quality picture. Fail on this and you will risk having a photo that will look stretched, pixilated, and less effective.  Graphic designers would suggest finding out about the different image sizes that work with a specific platform. You can make a reference note for this so that every time that you are going to use an image, you are sure that it will look great once uploaded on your page.

What is great in today’s social media marketing is that there are plenty of tools that you can use to make image optimization a lot easier. Tools like a free background remover that can remove background from image sometimes come with a photo editor where you can instantly resize images. This is the best and simplest way to ensure that images remain in great shape across any social media platform.

7. Make your design alive!

A great social media content is one that conveys happiness. Make your posts alive by injecting humor into the design. Create excitement with your content by evoking emotions with your posts. The audience must be curious about what you will post next and you must not disappoint by giving them something that would war their hearts. If there is one tip that you must remember at all times from all these principles of design, it is that content with a positive sentiment tends to perform best.  

It cannot be denied that social media now serves as a brilliant content marketing opportunity across many industries. These principles of design are just a few but excellent digital marketing tips that could boost your current social media marketing efforts. It is fascinating how as simple as using colors can influence a potential buyer into actually buying something from you. These principles of design must be seen as social media strategy hacks that actually work on your advantage.

If you want to boost your social media presence, increase engagement, and better conversions, it is essential that you live by these principles. They will serve as your guide to creating designs that could be your brand’s fortune.