We talked about mock ups in a previous post which are important for showcasing, but have you considered what makes a GREAT promotional image to showcase your design work?

I have been through three re-brandings since starting my shop in 2018. When I got serious about selling, I re-branded again, and just recently did it YET again. It's important to change things up as the market ebbs and flows, so keep that in mind. The next time I make the jump, I'll probably outsource it because changing 400 plus listing photos in two different image sizes was PAINFUL. Regardless, it's done, so keep that in mind if you already have a large amount of files, you can pay someone. Hell, pay me, I'll do it for you!

I can also create a template image for your branding, just go here and fill out the application.Each promo image will come in two different sizes and I work with any and all budgets. 

So let's get to it already!

What makes a great promo image?

Showcasing what you're selling is the number one thing I can STRESS to anyone. A lot of people thing putting their links or other text information is important and it's NOT. People don't want to see a bunch of advertisement, they want to see the design as big and clear as day! Here are the best tips for you

I'll make this the TOP item of the list. You want your image to stand out. A Bunch of text and a huge logo is deterring the eyes away from the main event. The main event is what you're trying to sell. In this day and age people have short attention spans. The bigger and bolder the image, the better off you are catching someone's eye. 

What one would you choose if you had to between the two? On the left is my original branding, in the middle was my second and on the right is my new branding. See how the last one has a MUCH bigger design space. 

Most people view things left to right on the screen, so including your image on the left and your info bar on the right, might prove more fruitful. I personally use a left sided bar, but that's my personal preference. 

Neil Patel has an interesting article on eye tracking studies that I read before creating this post. Feel free to check out his case studies on how people perceive images. 

Keep your color pallet easy on the eyes

Eyes can get exhausted pretty quickly browsing the web. High contrast colors exhaust the eyes and pairing colors is just as critical as creating a great image showcasing your design. Brush up on some color pairing and check out this article devoted to 40 eye catching color combinations used in every day adverts. It may prove inspiring. 

Before I rebranded I was using black and yellow and soon realize that was a BIG mistake. Way too contrasting. Now I used a muted purple and white which marries well. 

Include a small logo

Your logo should be included but not overpower your image. For my mockups I use a small watermarked logo in the corner as to not detract from the image. This ensures if something is shared on social media on its own, it's recognizable with the watermark as seen below. 

For your normal image you want a small logo that doesn't take up a lot of space. Highly recommend included it into the actual bar of information in your image itself.

Keep text minimal

The more text you include in your image the more it will detract from the design itself. I only include the file types in my promo image and that's it. Other people include shop links and things of that nature but that really takes away from it. 

Keep watermarks out of it

Unless you're putting in a small watermark for mock up images as mentioned above, try and keep your watermarks out of it. A lot of people are afraid their images will get traced or stolen, so they include a watermark, but the reality is that if someone really wants to take your work they can easily defeat anything with an advanced photo processing program like Photoshop or Corel Draw.

Here is an example of one watermarked image and one not. Which one is more visually appealing?

Conclusion

I'll show my three promo images again from original to final (or so I think!)

You can see in the right one (current branding) it contains a large design, easy on the eye colors, pertinent information and a logo. Try to keep yours similar. 

If you keep up with the above tips and tricks you're well on your way to create an image that will stand out in the sea of digital designs out there now. 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask below in the comments. As always, join my Facebook group to keep up to date with new blog posts as they are published. 

Cheers
Tanya