3 Tools for Creating Stunning Social Media Images

Marissa Mele - February 14, 2014

Every marketer knows that visual posts receive more engagement. In fact, there is evidence that people will make quicker purchasing decisions when a promotion includes an image. Makes sense right? Think about how many images have been shared about the #SochiOlympics. We can live vicariously through athletes, journalists and correspondents and we prefer to do it through viewing pictures over reading articles and interviews.

One of the biggest roadblocks to having a visually appealing social profile is access to a graphic designer or the resources to hire one. So, how can you start adding more visuals to your social profiles if you don’t have an in-house designer? The answer is simple, with online image creation tools. Here are 3 of our favorites:

1. Canva

Canva is a free, easy-to-use tool that enables you to choose from a variety of canvases like a card, a social media feed image, a poster, a Facebook cover image, a PowerPoint presentation or a regular old Word doc.

Canva has some of the best and most well-designed stock graphics of any image creation tool, and they are continuing to add more. Plus, layouts are customizable with multiple font, and background choices and when you’ve completed your masterpiece, download it as a pdf or png or share right on your social profiles. One thing to note is that there are some premium features in Canva like layouts, images and backgrounds that do come at a cost, but for only $1 it can be all yours. Not a bad price for some gorgeous graphics.

2. PicMonkey

PicMonkey allows you to edit or touch up an image, create a collage or an original design. The tool is free, but there are quite a few features that are only available in its premium version, “Royale.”

Similar to Canva, PicMonkey allows you to customize your design with backgrounds, frames, clipart, text, textures and pre-made themes, such as the “sweethearts” theme used above.

3. Pinstamatic

Repinning images on Pinterest is easy, but creating your brand’s own visuals for Pinterest can be more challenging. Often, brands that aren’t inherently visual shy away from participating in Pinterest, but they are missing out the benefits this social channel has to offer. Enter Pinstamatic, the tool that gives you a range of options to create dazzling images.

Try out the website feature to take a screenshot of your website or create a roundup board filled with your favorite blogs. Similarly, the Twitter tool allows you to create a visual representation of your favorite Twitter profiles with the added bonus of Pinstamatic pulling in their latest tweet. This would be a perfect option if you want to spotlight any of your own brand’s tweets on Pinterest. If you have a lot of text collateral, try the quote and sticky notes tools to turn your content into a pinnable illustration. Use the calendar date feature to highlight an upcoming event, promotion or contest or use the place feature to spotlight your location to potential customers. The caption tool allows you to add captions to your favorite photos. Or, you can use the Spotify tool (my personal favorite) to give your followers a peek into what’s playing in your headphones.