This document discusses tools for creating visual content for social media without design experience. It recommends Canva, Adobe Spark, and various mobile apps for making images, graphics, and videos. Specific tips are provided on using these tools, such as uploading photos to Canva to design with. Infographics are also discussed as a type of visual that works well on social media. Templates, structure, and storytelling techniques for infographics are covered.

1. Evelyn McCormack
Mack Digital Communications
NSPRA 2016

2. › www.slideshare.net/evelynmccormack
› Google Drive http://bit.ly/29xPaw9
› The NSPRA website

3. › No Adobe Illustrator
› No CorelDraw
› No Photoshop
› No vector images
› No designing from scratch
I write well and take mediocre
photographs. I’m not a designer.

7. › Twitter with images = 28%
more retweets & 36% more
favorites
› Facebook images receive
120% more engagement
than text-only posts
› Instagram, Pinterest:
communicate almost solely
with images.

8. › Photos
› Videos
› Photos with Text
› Text-Only Graphics
› Tips
› Announcements
› Quotes
› Checklists
› Infographics
What Works on Social
Media

10. › Canva (free & paid
versions)
› Adobe Spark Post, Spark
Page, Spark Video (free,
some branding by Adobe)
› Infographics tools (Canva
& Piktochart)
› Assorted mobile apps I
love

11. • Two versions
• Free version, but charges when/if you want to purchase individual
graphics to dress up design. $1 each
• Can upload your photos and use those
• Canva for Work: Free for 2 months, then $9.95 a month if paid
annually, $12.95 per month if paid monthly.

13. Classic 1990s flyer Canva social media post

20. Use alone or save as JPGs
to use in publications, e-
newsletters, etc.
Share directly to social
media.

21. › Go to Canva.com
› Create a FREE account. You’ll need your email
address and a password.
› Follow along with me once you’re there.

23. › iOS apps (still free) and web-based for visual
storytelling.
› On iPhones and iPads standalone apps. (Not
available on Android yet).
› Projects stored in cloud & sync between
computer and Apple devices.
› Spark Post: creates single-image graphics
with text overlays. Can change type style,
colors, layouts and page size, through
presets or manually.

24. › Spark Page: single-page scrolling Web
pages. Combine text, photos, video. Can
upload videos from YouTube, Vimeo.
› Spark Video: Use still images or graphics,
add narration and music track, then export
as video file.
› Direct uploads to Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram. Can also download.
› Can't access project files without going
through apps. Can only export in non-
editable formats.
› Only mobile apps allow you to animate
photo posts.
› Adobe brands end of videos and pages.
Branding can be deleted from posts.
› Just came out in May.

28. › Go to https://spark.adobe.com/login
› Log in with Facebook or Google ID.

29. Mobile Apps I Love
• Allows you to
superimpose text on any
photo.
• Automatically post photo
to Twitter, Instagram,
Facebook.
• Email these to myself so I
can use on websites, print
materials.
• FREE

30. I bought the Pro Toolkit, which provides
more designs and options. That was $2.99.

32. Free on
iTunes and
Google
Play.

33. › 1. They go viral, taking awareness
of the creator’s website or FB page
with them. Should be share-
worthy & presented as simply as
possible.
› 2. Useful information at a glance,
instead of forcing busy people to
comb through a lot of text.
› 3. People find infographics hard
to resist.
› 4. Complement modern
social media.

34. › Include hook (primary take-away).
› Give most important information the
most visual weight, so viewers know
what to take away.
› At beginning of infographic,
introduce problem or thesis. Then
back up with data. Finally, end
infographic with conclusion.

35. • Have your story and facts laid out in
advance. Create a Word Doc or
Google Doc with points you want to
make.
• Ask yourself: What’s the context?
• Choose colors carefully and start by
using suggested color schemes.
• Set up structure, tell story, design
infographic.
• Can use maps, diagrams, charts.
• Have fun with it.

36. NSPRA infographic based on results of a
membership survey regarding social media use.
Made with Canva.
Attribution at top

37. › All allow users to create infographics using range of templates.
› Free versions available on Piktochart and Easel.ly, but limited in scope.
› Pro Piktochart: $40 a year for individual education accounts.
› Easel.ly Pro account is $3 a month, but have 50% education plan you can
apply for.
› Free accounts offer handful of templates, but paid versions offer more.
› There’s always Canva!

42. › evelyn.mccormack@gmail.com
› www.mackdigital.net
› https://www.facebook.com/mackdigitalcomm