Designing Social Content to Promote Virtual Programming
Hello there and happy new year!
This weekend, I’ve been tuning in to the virtual ALA Midwinter meeting (and learning a lot that I can’t wait to share!). I also applied to a dream full-time librarian role today that I am very excited about!
As I continue to tune in to Midwinter 2021 today, I just wanted a share a quick post about designing visual graphics to promote virtual programming.
This past summer while interning with a public library branch, it was my role to effectively promote (then brand-new) virtual programming. I took this responsibility seriously, and designed and managed an entire social media content creation calendar (more about this in an upcoming post) for the library I was interning with, along with a neighboring branch in need of assistance promoting their adult and youth programming. Along the way, I enjoyed the process and the challenge of designing some fun and colorful social posts. I realized that I hadn’t shared these on the blog yet, so today’s the day!
Here are some of the adult and youth programming designs I created for this branch (including one designed recently for an upcoming virtual event), establishing an open, friendly, and fun feel with a minimal, colorful aesthetic. More tips on designing visuals for social media content below!
Some tips to consider when designing content for social media:
Look around: find libraries on social media to get new inspiration and ideas on how they promote their virtual programming.
Find the most up-to-date social media dimensions with a quick internet search, or use the preset dimensions in Canva for specific platforms and types of content.
K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, please! It is difficult for people to process visual information when it looks too cluttered, or there is no clear visual hierarchy. Select only the most relevant information (program title, date, and a very brief description), and save the rest of the details for the body copy of your social post. It shouldn’t look like a flyer - it should be geared towards attracting an audience on social media, a platform with different visual and communication standards.
Whatever the program, the graphics used to promote it should feel inviting, exciting, and inspire the person seeing it to learn more! That’s when they’ll seek out the details within the body copy and take action.
Whether you’re designing content for your library or working with someone who is, I hope this information helps to deliver the best possible visual communications to your patrons!
