Top Social Media Tools

In 2009, I started a stock media company with a single vision: to provide premium creative content that everyone could afford. This idea grew into VideoBlocks, followed by the launch of GraphicStock and AudioBlocks. Now, we’re adding millions of photos to our new image Marketplace and it’s time to bring our expanding libraries together as Storyblocks.

Visuals are the currency of sharing on social media. Text-only updates can only convey so much and get so far. Here are 3 stats that prove the worth of creating graphics.

First, 66% of all social media posts are or include images.

Second, forget native visual platforms, like Instagram and Pinterest, that allow photo sharing. In 2013, Facebook became the largest photo sharing website, with its users uploading 350 million photos every day.

Third, use of images was rated as the most important social media optimization tactic, in a 2014 survey by Adobe and Software Advice.

And, it’s not just limited to social media…Content with relevant visuals also gets 94% more views than content without. Even social media platforms now focus on images in their redesigns....

Images are a vital component of any website, and using the right ones can enhance both your content and design. The problem lies in finding the right graphics without resorting to the same free stock images everyone else uses.

 

If you really want to set your site apart, there’s an alternative to stock images – you can create your own. The best part is, you don’t need to be a designer to get it done. Nowadays, there are plenty of tools that can help you create stylish graphics with only a little practice, and they’re a great option if you don’t have the budget to hire a designer.

 

In this article, we’ll talk about why images are so important for any website, then we’ll introduce you to three tools that can help you create your own custom graphics. Let’s get started!...

There’s no reason for your designs to look drab – especially when it comes to color. A quick glance online and you’ll find a stockpile of color scheme apps ready to help you learn, play and perfect your next palette.From clever Hex code games to comprehensive color wheels, here are 15 of our favorite free color scheme apps to take your designs to the next level....

This is not another do-it-yourself website builder. The Grid harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to take everything you throw at it - videos, images, text, urls and more - and automatically shape them into a custom website unique to you. As your needs grow, it evolves with you, effortlessly adapting to your needs. Want to add e-commerce? Social feeds? A different layout? The Grid just takes care of it. This is not a website builder. This is your personal AI web developer. Its first masterpiece is the website you're looking at right now. Its next one could be yours....

You know what one of my biggest design pet peeves is? When I'm trying to design something, but there's an unwanted background on the image I'm using. Either I want to remove the photo background altogether, or I prefer a transparent background so the image assumes the look of any other background I put behind it.

Take the image on the left above, which is from our free, downloadable collection of holiday stock photos. That image would be so much more useful to my call-to-action, SlideShare presentation, blog post, or ebook if I could just remove that pesky background so it looked like the image on the right. Or maybe you've downloaded another one of our collections offree stock photos that could also use a transparent background.

Luckily, there is something you can do about it. Using either Photoshop or PowerPoint, you can easily remove the background of your photo or image in no time. And I'm going to show you exactly how to do it. First, grab an image to practice with....