11 Oct 8 Social Media Design Fails Brands Should Avoid

Are your social media posts not performing like you hoped they would? Your hashtag game might be strong and target audience research extensive, but your visuals may not be as eye-catching as they need to be. We’re here to help with our top 8 social media design fails to avoid when you want to create images that convert. Are your social media posts not performing like you hoped they would? Your hashtag game might be strong and target audience research extensive, but your visuals may not be as eye-catching as they need to be. We’re here to help with our top 8 social media design fails to avoid when you want to create images that convert.  

1. Your Images Mimic What It’s Like to Have Mild Vision Loss

  If your images are making your audience question whether they need a new eyeglass prescription, your photo quality stinks. Posting blurry, pixelated visuals makes your brand look lazy and cheap.   Pixelation happens when there isn’t enough image data (aka resolution) to fill a larger space. If you try to resize a low-quality, low-resolution photo, you’ll just end up with a distorted, substandard image.   To help you avoid such a gaffe, we’d like to share some ideal image sizes for some popular social media platforms used by businesses:  

• Facebook: 1,200 x 628 pixels for horizontal images or links with an image; 1,080 x 1,350 pixels for vertical images; 1,080 x 1,920 pixels for stories.

 

• Instagram: 1,080 x 1,080 pixels for square images; 1,080 x 566 pixels for horizontal images; 1,080 x 1,350 for vertical images; 1,080 x 1,920 pixels for stories.

 

• Twitter: 1,200 x 675 pixels for single or multiple horizontal images; 800 x 418 pixels for links with an image.

 

• LinkedIn: 1,104 x 736 pixels for horizontal images; 1,200 x 628 pixels for links with an image.

 

2. You Use Wingdings or Some Other Absurd Font

  Translation: You Use Wingdings or Some Other Random Font.   We know you want to create original, on-brand, eye-popping visuals for your social media feeds – and that’s spectacular! We love your passion; however, choosing the prettiest or most daring fonts can turn eye-grabbing images into eyesores instead.   People might spend, on average, 2 hours and 25 minutes browsing their social media feeds, but they’ll scroll right past your post if you make them work too hard to get the message.   There are numerous font options available when it comes to choosing one that matches your brand style. Whatever font you choose, just be sure that the characters have the right weight and are easily distinguishable from one another.   Some examples of easy-to-read fonts include:  

• Futura: If you want to be happy, be. – Leo Tolstoy

 

• PT Sans: You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take. – Wayne Gretzky – Michael Scott

 

• Helvetica: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein

 

• Verdana: Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. – George Addair

 

3. Your Color Scheme Should Come with a Trigger Warning

  When it comes to your brand, you’ve probably spent quite some time on your color scheme to ensure you’re evoking the desired response from your audience – we’ve all heard of color theory and psychology. BUT have you considered how these colors will look on screen? It’s important to test your color palette across a variety of mediums to see whether the eye can handle the visual – you don’t want to cause a migraine. This goes for your social media posts, too. Some things to consider when creating social media images include:  

• Does your image match your overall brand aesthetic?
• Is there enough contrast between your font color and the background to ensure your message is legible?
• Have you consulted a color wheel to make sure your color choices mesh well?
• Do your eyes hurt after looking at the image for any length of time?
• Are you using a good mix of primary and secondary colors?

 

1. Your Content Is Too Big to Fit in Those Skinny Jeans

The way your social media post displays on a desktop will differ from how it appears on a tablet or smartphone. While you probably design your visuals on a laptop or desktop, they will most likely be viewed on a handheld device. Just let these stats sink in:  

• 80 % of social media scrolling happens on a smartphone.

 

• About 95 % of Facebook users access the platform via smartphone.

 

• 86 % of Twitter consumption is mobile.

 

• Mobile views account for more than half of LinkedIn usage.

  The moral of the story here: adapt for screen size – with an emphasis on mobile.  

1. Your Images Are So Last Season

  We’d like to have a word with you about your copy-paste use of stock images…   Stop it.   There are so many tools available, such as Canva, that allow you to choose from a plethora of stock photos and make them your own by adding elements, such as shapes, graphics, visual and animated effects, and text.   In addition to customizing stock images and templates from various graphic design platforms, you should consider commissioning some original graphic design work from a company dedicated to creating visuals tailored to social media. Your audience will appreciate the authenticity, showing their gratitude in the form of free shares and profitable brand engagement.  

2. You Don’t Embrace the Negative

  No, we’re not talking about your attitude. We’re referring to negative space.   Negative space is the empty areas surrounding your image elements – the background. While it might be tempting to fill every square inch of space with something to look at to grab your viewer’s attention, the over-kill makes it too hard to focus on anything at all.   Negative space balances the composition of your image and guides the eye to a focal point – hopefully, an engaging message or useful piece of information. We’re not talking minimalism, but you should avoid making images that look like that old 1970s couch in grandma’s living room.  

3. You’re Off the Grid

  Remember when your mom would yell at you for not putting things back where they belong? That lesson applies to text placement in your social media posts and all other digital content – put those words where they belong.   People have subconscious expectations when it comes to how your writing flows within your visuals. When you’re creating content for social media posts, consider the size constraints and where your viewers’ eyes are most likely to be drawn. Is the spacing just right? How’s the alignment? Many photo editing and graphic design tools have a grid option, so you can better visualize how your image elements line up.  

4. You Live by the Motto DIY or Die

  The days of rugged individualism are fading – today, strength is shown in knowing when to ask for help. If you find that your social media performance is lagging behind your competitors, it might be time for a new look and a fresh approach. Social Spice Media offers graphic design and social media marketing packages to make your brand stand out from the pack. Let’s talk about how we can revitalize your brand aesthetic: (805) 482-8312.