Running your own business is no small task. Naturally, you want the best you can get on what may be a smaller budget. If you have the budget to go with marketing design professionals, absolutely go for it. This will allow you to focus more on the technical side of your business. However, if you don’t have the budget to hire marketing professionals, then the following tips will help guide you down the right path.
Basic Design
Less is better. The fewer colors and different types of fonts used will give your marketing material a clean look.
Using so many different colors and fonts will cause confusion and potential customers are less likely to take your brand seriously. That is the complete opposite of what we are trying to do. Instead, create different versions of all the design elements you’re attracted to and are feasible for your brand. If you’re having trouble deciding which version you like the best, you can ask friends, and family members, or create a poll and let others help you pick the most eye-catching design. Pinterest is also a great way to get ideas if you are at a loss about where to begin.
Best Platforms to Utilize for Creating Graphics
Canva
Canva is one of the most user-friendly marketing tools when it comes to creating graphics. They provide a multitude of marketing templates ranging from social media, presentations, email, and video. They also have a great printing service that has a very quick turnaround time. Canva is a great one-stop-shop. Best of all, it is a free platform with a Canva Pro subscription option.
PicMonkey
An alternative to using Canva is PicMonkey. This service is not free, but it’s just as great. It has all over 8,000 graphics and textures, hundreds of fonts, and millions of stock photos within the platform. A bonus that Canva doesn’t have on their free service. PicMonkey’s cheapest subscription is $7.99 a month and includes stock photos as opposed to Canva’s pro subscription at $12.95 a month.
Best Sources for Stock Photos
Taking photos yourself is always the best choice because the more original your design, the more unique to your brand. It is not uncommon for someone to create graphics and see that someone else has used the same content. If you’re not the best at taking photos and are unable to hire someone to take photos for you, stock photos are an amazing resource to utilize.
Free Stock Photo Websites:
- StockSnap
- Pexels
- Unsplash
These photo hubs are holy grails for free stock photography. As long as you’re crediting the photographer or label it as commercial use, you can use these photos as you please. Keep in mind that you don’t want to use stock photos for every piece of marketing material that you create. Try to switch things up between your photos and stock photos. This can strengthen your eye for photography and you can eventually use stock photos as a source of inspiration.
Sources:
https://www.cgpl.com/about/blog/graphic-design-tips.html
https://medium.com/swlh/design-for-small-business-owners-eb920d57ddd5
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-use-stock-photos-slideshare
