It’s Sunday! That means it’s time for a friendly (virtual) brunch with our blogging buddies. Bloggy Brunch is one of my favorite link ups and I look forward to reading the posts that link up every week. This week, I’m also bringing you a view quick tips about which three graphics I create for every blog post.
I love blogging Facebook groups. (In fact, I even run one of my own.) That being said, I noticed that the same question was asked several times this week in different blogging groups. The question took on many different forms but it boiled down to “What graphics do you make for your blog?” I have used a very effective system for about a year now and after reading (and responding to this question), I felt it was time to share my method. This week, I’m focusing on which graphics you should be making. Next week, I’m going to share my tips for creating a template in Canva to keep your branding the same.
I love Canva – it makes blogging graphics super simple to make, especially when it comes to graphics that will fit with social media. They have pre-sized templates for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and so much more. They’re super easy to use but there’s still the question – Which ones should you use though?
I recommend creating three graphics for every blog post. With these three graphics, you’ll be able to accommodate most (if not all) of your social media platforms. I’m going to list them by size and then tell you exactly why I chose this size and how I use them. (The names match up with how they are listed in Canva.)
Facebook App
This is the image you’ll see at the top of every one of my blog posts. (Well, at least those published in the last year or so. Some of the archives still need to be updated.) I consider this to be the “header” image of my post. I do put a little introduction text before this header to make things a bit more personal, but the heart of my posts starts with this header. I use this image when I’m doing social shares on Facebook and Twitter as well. I chose the “app” template over the “graphic” template for Facebook because I know more people access this platform from their phones.
Pinterest Graphic
This is the graphic you’ll see at the end of all of my posts. Pinterest is a popular visual bookmarking tool. Almost every blogger tip guide will recommend using it to your best advantage and including a pinnable image in your post. Personally, I don’t like the way this graphic looks at the beginning of the post which is why I choose to put it at the end. By being consistent, it also helps give my readers a start and finish for each post.
Instagram Post
This last graphic doesn’t appear on my blog. However, I do feel that it’s an important graphic to create because it’s square and that makes it very versatile. I’m working towards sharing more posts on Instagram and this image size will certainly be helpful for that. I also use the square image when I participate in links ups and occasionally in my newsletter. This one is just super helpful to have on hand since it’s square.
I wanted to share my template making tips this week but I don’t want to take up all of your time. So, we’ll stop with the graphic types and I’ll share my template making tips next week. It takes me 10 minutes or less to make the graphics for each post – making graphics is actually one of the easiest parts of my blog posts now that I use set sizes and templates for every post.
What are your thoughts about blog graphics? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below after you link up with Bloggy Brunch for the week!
Welcome to Bloggy Brunch!
Can you believe that 2016 is almost up? Two more months and we’ll have to remember to write a new year on everything. For now, it’s time to highlight a few favorites from October. If you’ve been highlighted below, don’t forget to snag the graphic and share it on your blog!
Mommy Time Management Shouldn’t Be Complicated from I Am Zoe Watson
5 Ways I’ve Become a Happier Me from The Petite Mrs
Italian Potato Pastries from Eattiamo
Ugly Lamp Makeover from Grandma’s House DIY
Making Changes from Sunshine and Elephants
Gilmore Girls Workout from Girl on the Move
There were SO many great posts linked up this month! It was really tough to choose favorites. I can’t wait to see what you share this month!
