Color Psychology and Social Media Images

Did you know there’s a science behind how you feel when you see certain colors? Psychologists have known about this for decades and great marketers and advertisers have been taking advantage of this knowledge for just as long. These days, digital marketers tap into color psychology when it comes to designing social media images. Just think about it… if a certain color makes you feel happy or evokes trust, brands are going to use those colors to try to get you to buy their products or services.

If you’re an entrepreneur trying to figure out how to get more conversions on social media, maybe you’ve been thinking about the colors that you use in your imagery. Choosing social media images that are not only pleasing to the eye but also stand out in the very busy, very crowded social media landscape isn’t easy. Using every tool in your arsenal, even psychology, is just smart business.

The Basics Behind Color Psychology

It’s important to understand that choosing a certain color for your social media images isn’t going to guarantee more sales. It’s more subtle than that. However, certain colors do evoke certain feelings or connotations. For example, green is often used by people in the wellness industry because there’s a strong connection between the color and health. Think of brands like Whole Foods, The Body Shop, Subway, and Green Giant.

Red generally connotes excitement and energy. Think of brands like Nintendo, Coca-Cola, LEGO, and Target. These are all brands trying to capitalize on the feeling of fun. Blue is the color of trust and dependability, and brands like American Express, Walmart, Facebook, and GE are all definitely trying to evoke those feelings with their brand colors.

Research has found that up to 90% of snap judgments made about products can be based on color alone. While there are no clear cut rules about what color to use for a certain company or situation, playing on the general feelings that go with each color can definitely give you an advantage when it comes to attracting the right people and getting them in the preferred mindset to make a purchase.

Choosing Social Media Images That Work

When it comes to choosing social media images for your brand, you want to be sure that the colors in the images match your already established brand. You don’t want to confuse your followers by all of a sudden switching from mostly dark, moody images to bright pink images without any explanation.

If you’re thinking about a rebrand or if you’re launching a new company, give some serious thought as to what the colors you want to use will communicate to your target audience. We recommend this guide if you want to learn more about the psychology behind different colors.

Our sister business, Soiree Stock, specializes in creating a wide range of styled stock photography, from dark moody images to light, feminine ones (and everything in between). You’ll be able to find dozens of images at any given time in your preferred color scheme, and we add at least 50 brand new images on the first of every month. You’ll always have a large library to choose from for your social media campaigns. Want to learn more about becoming a member? Visit the membership page to learn about our monthly or discounted yearly options!