As I’ve written before on the the fastest and best ways for small businesses to improve engagement on social media is by incorporating better images into their updates. Studies have shown that content with images receives 94% more views!
One of the biggest issues for small business owners is how to create images without access to a graphic designer. One of my now favorite tools for creating amazing images without having to use the services of a professional graphic designer is an app called Stencil.
While I’ve covered some other great social media image creation tools for creating images like Canva and Adobe Spark Post, Stencil has become my most-used image creation tool for a number of reasons.
- 800,000+ background photos
- 200,000+ Icons & Graphics
- 34 Preset Image Sizes (Optimized for Social Media & Blogging)
- 50,000+ Quotes
- Chrome & Firefox Extension
- Easily Integrates with Buffer
After using Stencil for the last few months, I can say that access to the photos and quotes have been among the best features for me so far. Since most of my simple graphic design needs are for blog post and social media images, using Stencil allows me to create them with just a few clicks.
Initially, I was very hesitant to give Stencil a try though I was initially impressed when I tried it under it’s earlier iteration, Share as Image. (I originally tried Share as Image’s Chrome extension, and was very pleased with the simple ability to create images.) I had already been using Canva and Adobe Spark Post and felt that I was pretty set with options for creating small business images.
Though I wasn’t actively looking for a new tool, I saw an offer on AppSumo.com. I ended up doing some quick research and took a look at their interface and pricing but didn’t actually purchase a license at the time. I’ve since kicked myself for not taking advantage of that offer through AppSumo.
If you’re not familiar with AppSumo it’s a collection of curated tools and online services that was founded by Noah Kagan, 4th employee at Mint and 30th at Facebook. It is an excellent way to get special pricing on tools you can use to grow your small business. I definitely recommend joining the list as I’ve been able to redeem several offers for marketing and design tools I now use on a daily basis. Stencil even has a testimonial from Noah on their homepage.
Overall I was so impressed with the speed at which I could create images using Stencil, that I ended up purchasing an Unlimited License. Since purchasing the license several months ago, I’ve have had tremendous success with growing engagement and traffic through social media. In addition to creating images for Instagram. I have found Stencil to be a quick way to create images for a variety of projects and uses including Facebook & Twitter ads, custom profile pictures, and even a quick logo. If efficiently creating quality images for your small business social media profiles and advertising needs, is something you currently struggle with I highly recommend giving Stencil a try.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. You may just find like I did that creating additional engagement on social media, led to better lead generation and revenue.For a minimal monthly investment you can be sure you are maximizing your business social media efforts without the need for an in-house graphic designer.
Below is a quick look at how fast you can put together a small business social media image using Stencil. Don’t hold your social media efforts back anymore. Get started using Stencil today!
Starting With A Blank Image
Choose From Over 800,000 Background Photos
Choose From A Library Of Stock Quotes
Pick From A Large Selection of Fonts
Quickly Resize Your Image or Change Logos
Adjust Font Size and Line Spacing or Choose From An Overlay
Share To All Your Social Media Profiles Via The Buffer Integration
Instagram Posts Created With Stencil
If you are not hitting your goals, it’s time to take a different path…
I definitely give Stencil a 5-star review and recommend anyone who markets or owns a business gives it a try!