Do you know how fast people make judgments about your business? We’re talking milliseconds.
That’s why it’s crucial to make a good first impression with your audience. One of the best ways to do so is by creating beautiful, strategic, and eye-catching graphics.
As a content writer for pet businesses, I’m big on the power of blogging. Whether you have yet to get started on your blog posts or you’re blogging and have yet to see the results, it’s time to create branded visuals that not only create eye-catching first impressions but also have the ability to convert (i.e. making viewers click on the post, save it to their Pinterest's, or better yet, share it with their friends).
The pet industry is, of course, very saturated. When it comes to graphics, it doesn’t matter whether your blog post is great or not. Someone with a (for lack of a better word) crappy blog post can get 10 times more traffic than yours simply because their graphic was better. That’s how essential creating powerful graphics can be!
So, how in the world do you create branded blog post graphics that stand out from the millions of other posts out there?
We’re here to help you get you started!
Create Templates
I always recommend getting started by creating 2-3 graphic templates. Why? It helps your brand become more recognizable in the future as your audience revisits your website or scrolls through Pinterest. If they see another one of your posts, they’ll be more likely to stop after they’ve already clicked on another one, or at least begin to recognize okay this business is an authority figure on X topic.
P.S. Obviously, in order to create blog post graphics, you need blogs. If you're struggling with coming up with strategic blog post topic ideas, I gotchu. Get access to my list of blog post ideas for pet businesses here.
Stay Consistent with Your Graphics
If your website platform allows it, stick with a vertical layout. This is the best format for Pinterest graphics, which is where you’ll want to share your blog post once it’s ready!
Additionally, each template should have the same guidelines in terms of colors, fonts, style, etc. You want it to match your brand, so that if someone visits your website, your social media, sees a flyer around town, and sees your blog posts or graphics on Pinterest, they’ll know it was from the same company. This also helps with recognizability and brand effectiveness.
Use Minimal Text & Negative Space
Keep it simple. Text can very easily clutter up your graphics and lose your audience, so you’ll want your messaging to only take up less than half of the graphic, or if it ends up covering more than that, then the rest of it is simple with negative space.
Don’t be afraid to leave space for ‘nothing’ (aka use negative space). It’s one of the best things you can do to create professional blog post graphics, especially if you have text in it.
While some of these tips seem oddly scientific or technical, please know that while your viewer may not know these specific recommendations, they will still experience the effects of them. For example, a viewer will still feel crowded and uneasy if your graphic is too cluttered. This means they may feel a bit overwhelmed and not bother reading through the information that’s meant to draw them in!
Use Purposeful Imagery
Obviously, graphics are a great way to get attention. Photos are also processed faster and elicit responses and emotions faster than reading text.
The two main purposes of your imagery should be:
To give a hint at what’s to come so they can get an idea of what the blog post is about
To make sure it’s consistent with your brand and sends a message.
Photography has the power!
If you need some wonderful branded photography, check out Unsplash.com and Pixabay.com for free stock photography. Just be sure to take the extra minute to find photos that go with your brand!
Add Your Business Name, URL, and/or Logo:
You should never miss an opportunity to share your business info. You don’t want people just getting the information and bailing, not even knowing who you are and what you do. So, give them the information to know either what you do or how to connect.
People should know who is creating the blog posts or images that they’re clicking on. By including your URL, you’re giving them access to who the valuable information comes from.
Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment
You can do this by using two Pinterest pin templates for the same blog post on Pinterest and see which one gets the most clicks. From there (and over time), you’ll be able to narrow down which templates your viewers like and don’t like! To learn more about how to utilize your more popular blog post, I highly recommend integrating Google Analytics (amongst other wonderful reasons) in your website. And, if you need help getting set up, I have a blog post here on how to connect your website to Google Analytics.
Also, P.S. You don’t have to stick with these templates forever. As your business evolves, you can experiment with designs you like better!
Other Pro-Tips
Be sure to keep the rest of your blog post photography consistent. So, if you have a vertical image as your main Pinterest cover image for the blog post, I recommend keeping the rest of your photos vertical as well. Otherwise, if you need a horizontal image in the blog post, just be sure to keep the rest of the photographs horizontal, too, even if the blog post pin graphic is vertical.
After you’re done writing your blog post and adding in the graphic, be sure to pin it to Pinterest or add it to your Tribes in Tailwind.
Blogging SEO: Be sure to add alt text to your blog post graphics and let Google know what’s in the image to assist with SEO and those who cannot see your graphic. Here is a general format you can follow for your alt text: “DESCRIBE IMAGE | BUSINESS NAME | BUSINESS LOCATION (if applicable)” For more assistance with blogging SEO, read my blog post on it here.
How Can You Make Graphics?
User-friendly and free, Canva is a great place to get started. If you’re a professional graphic designer or have more experience creating graphics, Adobe is also wonderful. However, I assume that if you’re reading this, you’re not an expert designer and you’re looking for something that will create what you need, quick and easy. In that case, I strongly recommend Canva.
For inspiration on the platform, get started by searching their Pinterest Pins templates and editing them from there. Then, in one document, create those 2-3 templates I mentioned earlier by adding new pages.
That way, once you write your blog posts each month, you can simply change up the title and images and you’ll have graphics ready to go! These templates will also help you to stay consistent.
For other related blog posts on getting started with blogging, check out:
Ready to up your blogging game? Maybe it’s time to enroll in the Blogging For Your Pet Biz Course! In the course, you’ll learn how to compile everything you need together, such as:
Connecting with the proper mindset and your ideal audience
Coming up with blog post topic ideas
Writing a blog post title
Structuring your blog posts
Converting blog readers to purchasers
Marketing your blog posts
Getting started on Pinterest
And more!
It's time to bring in a game-changer to your pet business. One of the best ways to do that is through blogging like a pro! Shop the course here.
