**Guest post written by Scott Aumann, originally featured on The Legit Musician blog.

"As we grow our online presence for our music, we need to pay attention to how things look. The main graphics banners on social media is one thing that we need to get correct to make a big impact. The only problem is that each platform has their own way of displaying these graphics. On top of that, we have to remember that a lot of people are viewing our online entities on their mobile devices. We also need to pay attention to that and make sure those same graphics look great on those small devices.

Let’s start with sizes for each platform. Each platform has their own specific sizes for graphics to fit their style and look. These can change as the platforms change over time. You should try to make graphics to fit into the style of that platform. That way it doesn’t look like you tried to force something made for something else into another place it doesn’t belong. It is also a good idea to check how things look from a visitors’ perspective from time to time to make sure everything looks good.

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WHAT ARE THE SIZES FOR EACH PLATFORM?

I found the link below that explains the different platforms and sizes for each graphic requirement you will have. This should be the easiest way to see that you are providing the correct graphic sizes for your social media needs. You could also go to each platform and check their FAQ sections for this information. I prefer the cheat sheet below.

http://makeawebsitehub.com/social-media-image-sizes-cheat-sheet/

HOW DO I MAKE THESE GRAPHICS IN THE FIRST PLACE?

If you don’t have any skills as a graphic design person, then I would highly suggest finding somebody to help. Bad graphics can make somebody leave your social media sites quickly. Great graphics can make them stick around longer.

If you are on a strict budget then send out some posts asking if a fan would like to do some graphics work for you. Some fans would jump at the chance to be a part of what their favorite band is doing and do it for free. You could also trade them some merch or tickets to a show in their town in exchange for their work. Make it worth their while and they will do a good job for you.

When all else fails then look online to find somebody to do the work. In fact, I wrote a previous post of just this very thing. You can read it here: Get other people to do the dirty work for you!

Maybe you feel ambitious and want to do this yourself. You have a few options. The real thing that helps with all these online graphics is having good software. I personally use Adobe products including Photoshop for my graphics. These programs once cost thousands of dollars and were out of reach for most people. Now you can pay for a subscription of $20 a month and get access to a bundle of their programs.

Another option is an online app called Canva. You design everything through their website and don’t need to install any software. The other great feature is that it is FREE! Canva has lots of pre-made templates to help you create the perfect graphics for all your social media needs.

CHANGE THINGS UP, BUT BE CONSISTENT

Try to keep things fresh by changing your graphics every so often. Just remember to keep your overall look consistent across all platforms. You are making your brand and looks play a big part in that. If your Twitter has one look, Facebook another, and Instagram has a third different look then people will get confused. They should all put out the same look and message to keep your fans on track with what you want them to experience when they visit.

Remember to keep certain events or holidays in mind. Use these as a reason to change your graphics. You could use your banner graphic to promote your CD release, or to say happy holidays. Either way, it can be a powerful tool for promoting your band.

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BE CREATIVE

Don’t forget to have fun and be creative. Even though you are limited by the restrictions of each platform, you still can come up with a unique look for your band. Look at other bands’ social media and see what they are doing to get ideas. Even look at some of your favorite products’ social media profiles to see how they handle graphics. If you don’t like any of those then experiment to see what happens. You may discover the next big thing.

Speaking of social media, please follow me on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with all my new posts."

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