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Using Graphics to Better Market Your Shop
It’s a slow day in the shop and you’re scrolling through Facebook when lo and behold Aunt Carol is posting about her cat…again. Your eyes glaze over the massive block of text dedicated to Mr. Whiskers. Now are you going to read all of that? Of course not! No one wants to read a dissertation and more importantly no one has the attention span. But if Aunt Carol would finally upgrade from her Kodachrome, she could be posting pictures of Mr. Whiskers instead. Notwithstanding the internet’s general love of cat pictures, you’re more likely to stop scrolling for a graphic than a chunk of text.
People are highly visual. We’re far more likely to pay attention to information when it's accompanied with a graphic. A study found that “posts with images produce a 650% higher engagement rate than regular text posts”. But adding any old picture to your content isn’t enough. Consumers are increasingly savvy when it comes to digital media. Professional graphics build trust between your business and your customers. They unconsciously associate the quality and professionalism of your graphics to the quality and professionalism of your business. If your graphics are poorly made, confusing, or even worse, hard to read you are losing potential customers.
But don’t panic! Gone are the days when you needed to be a professional graphic designer to create clean, eye-catching graphics. There are so many affordable (or FREE!) online, ready to use photo editing and design programs that there is no reason you can’t create your own professional graphics.
Here are some of the best & most affordable graphic design websites that can get you making killer graphics TODAY:
If you haven’t signed up for Canva yet, you are missing out. Seriously, open a new tab right now and create an account. With Canva you can create powerful designs that will entice customers without breaking the bank. Canva is free to use, but also has an upgraded Pro account which provides a more extensive content library, additional storage, and business-wide branding. Upgrading to a Pro account will run you $9.95/month paid yearly. But the increase in available content and services makes this one of the most affordable and easy ways to step up your digital marketing game. Canva also has your back if you are aesthetically challenged. They have a library of hundreds of templates pre-made and ready for you to use. The easy to use interface, affordability, and library of templates make Canva the #1 pick on our list.
Other than the amazing name, BeFunky has a lot going for it as an online digital design platform. Much like Canva, BeFunky has an enormous template library that you can use with minimum effort to make jaw-dropping designs. They even have an entire folder of social media templates ready to be customized for your business. How easy is that? The downside of BeFunky’s template library is that some of the templates are only available for BeFunky Pro accounts. But at only $6.99/month or $59.88/year, the sheer amount of content and templates available with Pro make it a worthwhile investment in your shop’s visibility.
Last, but not least, on our list is Crello. Coming in at #3, Crello allows you to put together eye-catching designs through a simple drag and drop interface. Much like the other services on the list, there is both a free and Pro account. However, where Crello stands apart is that a significant portion of their content is only available to Pro account holders. For $7.99/month you can have access to Crello’s library of images, videos, and even animations to really make your graphics pop. They have an extensive range of blank size templates available, so you never have to guess what dimensions you need for an Instagram post vs. a Facebook post. Crello is easy to use and while their content library is limited for free users, upgrading to a Pro account gives you access to thousands of new pieces to create amazing graphics for your shop.
With these affordable services you can create your own custom graphics that will make your posts (and your shop) stand out in a crowded social media feed.
Looking or more ways to improve your store? Check out our recent blog filled with tips on what your store can do during the Coronavirus.
Are there any design tips you have that weren’t mentioned here? Drop a comment below or give us a call at 1-800-697-5583