The internet has paved way to a new era of self-publishing. There are a lot of content out there and the challenge is to rise above the noise. A compelling visual content usually always beats plain text social media status updates. Needless to say, visuals are strong hooks to any audience. But what if you have a limited budget and couldn’t hire a designer?

Here are three of the best ways you can create compelling visual content even if you have a limited budget:

Tip #1: Conduct a market study.

Creating a compelling visual content will sure create engagement and make even a non-ideal client interested in what you have to say. So, conduct a market study first. Find out which type of visual content works best. There’s also a myriad of genres you can try inspirational memes to infographics. Look into symbols and graphic styles, and discern which color palettes your target market is most drawn to. Be sly and insert your brand colors or logo somewhere in the image, and you should be on the way to creating a strong and shareable image. Here is a sample of one of our Instagram posts to better illustrate a good insertion of a brand logo:

Tip #2: Go for a test drive.

If you are unsure about what kind of visual content works best, test some out with a handful of clients. You can even conduct surveys to help you get to know your target market better before handing out “samplers.” If your brand allows you to have an expert’s tone on certain “life hacks” for example, try tip-giving videos or powerpoint presentations, which can still be visually appealing.

If you have the budget for it, go all out on production and create a poignant, short, slice-of-life video that incorporates your brand. This, of course, takes more creative juice (and money), but if you make a lasting impression, the investment will pay off. Here is a sample of MoxieDot founder Kelsey Jones‘ presentation: (Note that powerpoint presentations can also be repurposed to a short video or individual slides can be converted to images.)

Tip #3: Look into cheaper alternatives for resources.

If you’re flying solo on your startup, you may not have the budget to hire a professional, which is completely fine. At first, you will have to do most of the work. Look for free stock images and convert these to awesome visuals.  Also look into free photo editing tools online that are not as complicated as Photoshop to save time. One of our favorite free image editing tool is Canva. Here is a sample template:

What other tips do you have? Let us know on Twitter!

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