8 tips for your life science social media creatives
Our guest writer this month is James Craker. James has worked with Social Medicine on many of our life science clients and campaigns, so he knows what he’s talking about! James founded CrackerJac in 2003, he is an accomplished creative graphic, motion and web designer, and a children’s book author and illustrator based in Hertfordshire and London. You can see some over the work he has produced for us here.
When it comes to creating your social media posts for your life science brand there are a number of considerations. Getting these right means you’ll stand out in a sea of posts and stop the scroll. An expert in his field, here are James’s top tips for choosing the right photos or animations for your social media posts.
Make it memorable
Choosing a memorable image or animation will stick in your audience’s mind. Unexpected elements, creative cropping and interesting colour combinations can really help to stand out from the crowd.
Get animated
Users tend to engage with animated content more than static content. Add some life, fun and interaction to your posts. Animated posts are unique and they stand out in the huge ocean of information.
Quality is key
Viewers link the quality of your photos and animations to the quality of your product or service. No surprise there! Make sure your images are of high enough resolution and the subject matter is good.
Stock or not?
Stock photography or videos can be useful but it can, in some instances, make your brand look cheap. If you have to use stock images or videos, manipulate them a little and add your brand; colours, design elements or a cool crop. Consider commissioning a photographer to capture those special bespoke images or videos that can build trust with your audience.
Engage your audience
Designs become effective and memorable when you evoke emotions in the audience. However, you’ll need to know your audience well enough to achieve this. If you don’t know, try to learn more about your audience and really understand their perspective.
Don’t be too square
Landscape, portrait or square? There’s a multitude of social media sizes out there. Using a larger picture will allow you to crop images or videos to fit the required size. And never stretch a photo!
That personal touch
Using an image of a person can have a positive impact on the trustworthiness of your post. Use a smiley person too! Phycologically, your audience will tend to follow the eyes of people in images. This creates a directional cue towards text, buttons or CTAs (Call to Actions).
Get help
If you don’t have the ability, desire or time to achieve the perfect social media asset, reach out! There are plenty of design professionals out there that can help you.
More about James
Think leg warmers, cassettes and Wham!
James Craker began his graphic design journey during secondary school selling caricatures of teachers to his fellow students. These days, James runs his own design company that helps a variety of businesses with their visual communications. He creates designs for a wide range of business needs from entire websites to stunning logos, unique business cards and extraordinary animations. James also draws on the expertise of others who shine on the field of design, development as well as SEO specialists
