Visuals are essential to marketing but time-consuming to create, so we’re giving you seven image creation shortcuts in this post.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Content Strategy from Scratch workbook
Daily Achiever’s Weekly Action Planner
Oberlo – example of infographic repurposing
Canva, Crello (now vistacreate) – animation
Lumen5 – blog content to video
Lately – blogs, videos, and podcasts into social media posts
SocialStudio – auto generated Instagram images with text and captions
Headliner – podcast episodes into audio clips
Go Social Content Club
Healthinomics
Virality Content
[Meghan] Images are a really big part of your marketing. They are essential. In fact, visuals are more effective and influential than text in conveying information, emotions, and concepts.
In a survey of marketers, 78% described visual content as “very or quite important” to their marketing strategy. And, over one-third (35%) of those same marketers reported spending between 5 to 15 hours a week producing visual content. [Source: Venngage]
And, according to Orbit Media’s annual blogger survey, which was just updated for 2021, the bloggers who publish content with tons of pictures are the bloggers who are the most likely to report “strong results.”
[Theresa] Of course, the problem is that creating visuals gobbles up your time. Inevitably, that impacts productivity.
[Meghan] So, although visuals improve your marketing, creating them is a task likely to get demoted on the to-do list—or maybe even sacrificed entirely, right?
[Theresa] Right. And you don’t want to skip the visual elements in your content. Because if you do, your blog posts, social media posts, eBooks, and webinars won’t be as impactful and effective.
So, let’s talk about ways to create images faster so that you maximize your marketing productivity.
1) Capture Screenshots
[Meghan] Alright, the first image creation shortcut is to use screenshots. This is one of my personal go-to tactics.
Take screenshots of other people’s graphs, charts, infographics, and visuals and insert them in your content to help convey your message. The goal is to use existing imagery from reputable sources to support your point of view while adding meaning and context to your content.
Obviously, you only do this when these visuals are relevant to your content. And, obviously, you always credit the source and link to it since this is someone else’s work.
Often there are important concepts or research that have already been transformed into great visuals. So, why not take advantage of this?
[Theresa] I know this is one of Meghan’s favorite ways to not only incorporate more data-driven graphics but also to boost credibility.
When you refer to authoritative brands, a lot of time this confirms your expertise and knowledge to your audience. This tip is effective beyond just the visual aspect.
[Meghan] Exactly. So, screenshots not only reduce your time spent on image creation but also they make your content more understandable and can strengthen your reputation.
[Theresa] Plus, you’re helping these resources get more visibility and traffic—maybe even a backlink. So, it’s good for them too.
2) Break Up Long Infographics into Single Graphics
[Meghan] Another tip to reducing your design time is to take an existing infographic and break it up into separate images. This can be an infographic you’ve created or someone else’s design. But, again, if you refer to other people’s work, give them credit!
Usually infographics are divided into sections. So, use one divided section alone in your content, like blog posts or social posts. I also like to screenshot even smaller areas of infographics. Of course, you can always use full infographics too!
[Theresa] If you’re using your own infographic, this is another example of content repurposing. You reuse one content asset multiple times. That’s going to save you time.
[Meghan] I’m always thinking about repurposing when I create any content!
I use this shortcut, but so do plenty of others. Oberlo is one example. They create an infographic. Then, within a blog post, they divide the infographic into sections and use each section as its own graphic under a heading. At the end of the post, they include the infographic in its entirety.
It’s a clever way to present an infographic and to break up the text in a blog post. Plus, then you have all of those separate images for other uses, like social media, for you and for others to share.
[Theresa] You know, infographics are awesome since they transform a lot of data into something easy to consume. People like infographics.
So, side note here, consider creating infographics! They do take a bit of time to create. But they’re popular.
Infographics get shared more, viewed more and they get more backlinks. [Source] Plus, they can be reused in so many ways! And that makes them another way to improve your marketing and your productivity.
3) Transform Existing Data or Research Into a Visual
[Meghan] And while we’re talking about infographics, they are usually based on what? Data and research, right? So, that leads us to tip number three. And that is to take existing data or research and turn it into a visual.
Search online for a reputable statistic from a study, survey, research company, or compilation post and turn that into a simple visual. I use this shortcut all of the time! You’ll see it in the podcast blog posts as well as on my website.
If you have a little extra time, you can even use someone else’s data or research to come up with a more detailed infographic, graph, or chart.
[Theresa] This really is an easy way to quickly come up with content for a visual. You’re also providing relevant insight for your audience, which makes your content more impactful.
[Meghan] And, 40% of content creators say that original visuals drive the most engagement in their marketing efforts. Stock photos may be the fastest image to create, but they are the least effective!
[Theresa] So, go the extra step to create an original image and add some data to your visual.
By the way, use a template to turn the data into something professional looking and to increase your productivity even more!
4) Invest in AI Apps and Templates that Create Content for You
Speaking of templates, they are our fourth shortcut for fast tracking your image creation. But, not just any templates. Let’s chat for a minute about AI-driven apps!
A few episodes ago, we covered how marketing templates make repetitive tasks go faster and easier. But…artificial intelligence can streamline your work even more.
[Meghan] That’s right. Technology has come so far that some of your menial tasks can be handled by an app rather than you doing it manually. AI and advanced tech use templates and do a bunch of the heavy lifting for you.
You can automate tasks like:
- Animating static images – Canva, Crello (soon to be vistacreate)
- Transforming blog content into video – Lumen5, Recreate.ai
- Turning blogs, videos, and podcasts into social media posts – Lately
- Creating branded Instagram images with text and captions – SocialStudio
- Adding subtitles to videos – Wave
- Turning podcast episodes into audio clips and images for social media posts – Headliner
These are just a few examples. And as AI gets more advanced, there will be more options for you. And, hopefully the cost will decrease too.
[Theresa] These AI-driven templates and apps do a lot of the image creation work for you. It’s pretty incredible when you think about it!
And, with all templates – AI or not – there are added bonuses, like maintaining cohesive branding and saving time on design work. Using templates also helps you to stay consistent with your marketing.
5) Quote Your Favorite Sources and Resources
[Meghan] The AI stuff is so cool and a little scary too, but it’s great for marketing and productivity.
The next image creation shortcut is simple and straightforward. A lot of times you don’t know what to put in your image, and that consumes way too much bandwidth.
So, here’s something I love to do that’s quick and easy. Quote industry leaders, influencers, popular resources, or even yourself as a graphic.
The key is to keep the quote relevant to your topics and brand messaging.
[Theresa] To make image creation faster, have 2-3 templates specifically for these types of quote graphics.
Also, keep a spreadsheet or use an app to collect relevant quotes and their source URLs as you discover them. That way, you save time and hassle later when you need a quote and don’t have time to search for one.
[Meghan] By the way, this is not only an image creation hack but also a visibility hack. Industry influencers and brands will often share your content when it includes them in it!
[Theresa] That is another win for sure. And, this can help build up your social proof and reputation.
So, again, you’re achieving multiple objectives, which is amazing!
6) Invest in Done-For-You Visual Content
[Meghan] Now, if you really want less involvement in image creation, another shortcut is to invest in done-for-you content.
[Theresa] Done-for-you content is exactly what it sounds like: visuals that are already created that you purchase and brand as your own.
[Meghan] Over the past few years, done-for-you content has really taken off. Typically, the content is divided into categories or industries, like inspiration and motivation, health and wellness, coaching, or business.
Search online using your subject area or niche plus the keyword phrase “done for you content.” Then look for the done-for-you content that fits your brand, business, and industry.
[Theresa] You can usually invest in one time purchases of specific content, including images. Or, sometimes you can sign up for a monthly membership to get access to new content each month.
After you make a purchase, you download the content, then brand it with your logo or website URL. In some instances, you may also be able to tweak the designs a bit.
[Meghan] There are tons of options out there! For instance, there’s the Go Social Content Club, which is a membership program for social media content by Kim Garst. She also offers graphic bundles for one-time purchase.
If you’re in the health and wellness space, there’s Healthinomics. And, there’s Virality Content, which specializes in fitness, health, and business content. Those are just a few of many, many examples!
I used to be in the done-for-you content space, and my members would use the social media images on their websites and in their email newsletters as well as on social platforms. So, consider all of the ways you can use ready-made content.
This is a really good alternative if the content fits your brand and industry. It’s affordable and potentially an enormous time saver!
7) Outsource to a Contractor or Intern
[Theresa] The next best thing to buying done-for-you content is having a team member doing your visual creation. Naturally, this shortcut is the ultimate solution for reducing your weekly output on images, right?
I have a virtual assistant who manages my visuals, and I am over the moon about it! It’s freed up my time and improved how I feel about my business. I’m smiling a lot more and getting so much more done in more important areas of my business.
If hiring a contractor feels like too big of a commitment, consider using an intern or a student who wants the experience. We recommend you pay the intern, but the fees could be reduced since they are learning on the job.
[Meghan] Yeah, having someone else to complete this work is really a good feeling. It’s one of the best image creation shortcuts of all!
Getting outside help means you gain more freedom to do other things in your business, and that often leads to a better attitude and more happiness—just like Theresa described.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and share this episode with your fellow solopreneurs who could use some marketing productivity help.
