Lifting your social media game is necessary now more than ever.
In 2016, studies from Social Media Examiner and The Content Marketing Institute have found some shocking news. This year, people are looking at spending more on social media and content, and creating more content.
I believe this is in response to reduced reach and engagement over the last couple of years. However I also believe that the point has been missed.
It’s not about quantity, and needing to constantly be in everyones faces to the point of annoyance. Businesses are now at a tipping point, where unless an effort is made to move away from the average and into the extraordinary with content, they are going to be lost in the crowd.
Below, I have 8 tools which I think you should be thinking about using if you are one of these people, to help you move out of the average and into content that your users actually care about.
#1 Canva
Canva is by FAR my favourite. It makes it super easy to create graphics that get engagement on social media. With hundreds of layouts for Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Google +, it shouldn’t take long at all to create something that stands out and looks great online.
Canva has emerged as one of the most impressive tools for small business owners, social media marketers and entrepreneurs. The perfect quick to market tool! Canva has pre-designed graphics that allow for complete customization in a clean, drag and drop environment for almost all digital specs you could possibly think of.
I highly recommend the business version for about $13 a month, as it allows you to upload fonts and other key business tools, and the layout helps you to create things a bit faster.
#2 Over
Over is an app available on both Android and iPhone. Over keeps me coming back with features that give me far more flexibility over the design than many other apps which are currently available. With Over, you can turn your mobile device into an on-the-go design studio, as you can see based on the images seen above which you can produce.
Over makes it easy to add text, choose your background, font and save or submit directly to your social networks. Turn an average picture into eye-catching social media images.
#3 Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark is the latest software from Adobe which allows you to tell your story in a more compelling way. Spark is web based, with three main tools (Post, Page, and Video) each with an accompanied mobile app. The three tools create social memes, mini websites, and narrated tutorials, respectively.
Spark I believe is one of the top tools out there to get people interested in your message. It’s definitely worth a look and is free!
#5 DesignFeed
Designfeed is a great new platform (currently in BETA) that creates gorgeously-rendered content, sized to fit all relevant platforms, and scalable to reach any sized audience. Designfeed makes the images with a platform that creates content automatically, gorgeously rendered and personalised for you. There are no pre-existing templates; which I think is interesting for a content creation tool. Designfeed however, tailors content to your specific needs and preferences with a behind the scenes algorithm. The more you work on it, the more it learns your preferences and adapts.
#6 Piktochart
Piktochart is an easy to use infographic maker. They have pre-set templates for all kinds of sizes, and allow fantastic customisation opportunities for you to make it work for your business. Infographics are always a great way to tell a story also, which is really beneficial for social media.
#7 Wordswag
Wordswag has been gaining popularity rapidly over the last few months, and is available in both the Android and Apple Store.
With Wordswag, you can create beautifully custom text layouts that would normally take minutes – or even hours – with just a tap.
One area that I think is pretty cool is it’s inbuilt captions, to help you get inspired on copy. Hundreds of quotes, thoughts, and jokes are included, which is perfect for writers block or those times when you need something up quick!
Finally, it’s got some fantastic features for design to allow you to truly have a designer in your pocket.
Wordswag is ideal for Instagram or Facebook. This App makes images in square shape – but the images will also post well to other platforms.
#8 Afterlight AND Pixlr
When looking for the final addition to the team of 8 I had prepared, I really couldn’t choose between these two great apps. Both have unique editing ability and filters across desktop and mobile. Definitely both worth a play around and I believe that most people will choose one or the other for these two based on their preference and brand.