Which colors work best for social media images?


Standing out on social media will decide whether a follower or consumer engages with your brand.
Color is one such tool that can be used to make our posts more noticeable in our social media feeds.
Regarding social media, telling what works can always be problematic.
What appeals to one person may turn off another, even if our personality traits align.
Besides, when everyone follows what others do, standing out becomes even harder and people begin to switch off.


“The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.” – Coco Chanel
Color context
Whether Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram, you will need to consider which colors are harmonious with the platform you are posting on.
When posting, will your image stand out amongst the other pictures and videos, or will it be lost in a sea of content?
Working on your color contrast is a way to avoid your pictures becoming lost on social media platforms.
Color contrast is most striking when it is between dark and light colors, namely black and white. Beware though, black and white do not work so effectively on social media, nor websites in general.
To make your social media images really stand out, you should consider:
- Which social media platform you are posting on. Colors in your visuals can be lost amongst the platform’s own branding (think blue images on Facebook).
- The color psychology behind why brands choose specific colors over another (think green for organic foods and farming/tractors).
Color harmony
It is common practice that brands use a limited color palette rather than using so many. The purpose is that the consumer familiarizes that brand with a specific color palette. Much like red and white are with Coca-Cola.
It does not matter if discussing graphics, billboards, photos, paintings, or social media images.
Plus, the color palette should consist of harmonious colors that work with each other.
Brands, social media managers, graphic designers, and influencers use a color wheel to determine the relationships between each color. Color wheels provide a kind of map, or a guide to how the color palette is selected, concerning:
- Color opposites
- Color similarities
- Tints
- Shades
When viewing a color wheel like below, observe where the colors are located:
Colors that are situated closely are known as analogous colors:


Colors that lie within the same ‘area’ of the color wheel appear visually harmonious, like this :


Colors that lay opposite one another (in different areas and rings) on a color wheel appear to clash in a high-energy way, like these:


Use the free Adobe Color Wheel tool for creating color themes like these.
Best colors for social media images
Facebook: Lively, vivid and bright colors


According to research, using bright, clear, and energetic colors increase Facebook ‘Likes.’
To make colors more noticeable on Facebook, you should use warmer complementary colors. But, don’t overdo it; otherwise, your images will look cluttered.
As you have probably guessed, blue does not help you stand out on Facebook because Facebook’s branding is blue itself. If you need to use blue because it is part of your branding, then combine with a warm color to your social media images.
Instagram: Light colors, white space, and textures


According to research from Curalate, Instagram photos tend to work better when:
- Lighter monochromatic or neutral colors are preferred.
- Images with background white space work better than pictures with little or no background areas.
- Images with bluish filters receive more likes than a reddish-tone picture.
- Less intense colors, those with low saturation do better than vivid, vibrant colors.
- Textured images are preferred to smooth pictures.
Instagram with its grid layout displays all your images for perusal, so your colors must work in harmony.
Hence, why social media influencers ensure that the entire images have the same color tone, saturation, and branding.
Brands and social media managers should use the color wheel and examine which colors work harmoniously together. Ensuring they will work together on a grid section, before finally adding touches of white space to unclutter image backgrounds.
Pinterest: Warm and feminine colors


Although Pinterest is more of a search engine than a social media platform. Its excellent use of visuals means that brands and social media managers should not ignore it.
Neil Patel has done some Pinterest research and found out that on Pinterest:
- Multiple colors work best than a single color, with dark not preferred
- Reddish-tone pins work better than blueish-toned ones.
- Less than 10% of the background space is preferred.
- Images without faces get 23% more repins.
- Desaturated (grayscale) images don’t look good.
- Smooth images are favored over textured ones.
- Lighter images get repinned 20 times more than dark ones.
- Instructographics (how-to) and infographics (stats in a top-down format) work very well.
Red, pink, and purple images receive more engagement than blue, green, and black ones. Hence why women tend to favor this platform.
But, men are getting the Pinterest bug, so if your audience is for the make market, edit your color palette to target the male demographic.
Yet, these are only statistics. As with all stats, they may not apply to your business.
What they demonstrate is that it is better to create images with a specific social media platform in mind.
Plus, don’t forget your own brand personality.
Your brand colors are what your images are trying to convey. Veering too far from your brand colors messes up your brand message. It’s a balancing act to ensure that your social media images look good, no matter what platform you use.
Recent articles
-
Marketing Tips How to Sell Digital Downloads on Etsy – The Ultimate Guide -
Marketing Tips Introducing The Guest Post Guidelines For Mediamodifier Blog -
Mockups & Templates 10 New Logo Templates You Can Use For Your Print Company -
Design Tips The Best 7 Colors to Use for Your Social Media Posts in 2023 -
Marketing Tips 4 Useful Tactics That Will Boost Your Website’s Conversion Rates -
Tutorials How to Request a Custom Mediamodifier Mockup -
Marketing Tips The BEST Marketing Calendar 2023 + 12 FREE Post Templates -
Marketing Tips The Complete Guide To Image Licenses In Marketing -
Mockups & Templates 10 Awesome Christmas Mockup Templates For Last Minute Marketing -
Marketing Tips Video Ads 101: Do They Work, and How To Use Them? -
Mockups & Templates 16 Corporate Stationery Mockup Templates For Beautiful Previews -
Blog 5 of the Best Design and Mockups Affiliate Programs Compared -
Mockups & Templates 10 TV Mockup Templates For Quick Marketing Images -
Mockups & Templates Free Neon Backgrounds with Instant Download -
Mockups & Templates Must Try: 9 Volatile and Practical Collage Mockup Templates -
Marketing Tips What Is an Employer Branding Specialist, and Do You Need One? -
Design Tips Turn Boring Photos into Artwork with PNG Shadows (50 Free Overlays) -
Mockups & Templates 16 Incredibly Useful Print Mockup Templates For POD Businesses -
Design Tips 40 Free Organic SVG Backgrounds From Mediamodifier -
Blog Affiliate Marketing Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2023 | Affiliate Marketing 101 -
Mockups & Templates The 9 Best 3D Browser Mockups for Previewing Your Website -
Mockups & Templates 10 Clothing Mockups With Models You Should Use For Your Online Business -
Mockups & Templates What Does Mockup Mean? – A Beginner’s Guide to Mockups -
Tutorials Mockup API – The Complete Guide -
Blog TikTok & The Music Industry: The Impact of Viral Content -
Blog 3 Tips to Improve the Quality of a Mockup -
Mockups & Templates 15 Greeting Card Mockups With Flowers -
Mockups & Templates 10 Most Popular Website Screen Browser Mockup Templates -
Marketing Tips 4 Failproof Ways To Make Money on TikTok -
Mockups & Templates 11 Beautiful Poster Mockups To Preview Your Designs and Artwork -
Blog Best Types of Affiliate Marketing Content | Affiliate Marketing 101 -
Mockups & Templates 11 Business Card Mockups For Quick Professional Previews -
Design Tips Can AI Generate a Product Mockup? We Tested All the Tools to Find Out! -
Mockups & Templates Free Podium Backgrounds for a Stunning Product Showcase -
Blog Logo Design 101: 5 Reasons You Need a New One and How to Nail It -
Mockups & Templates iPhone 14 Mockup Templates With Colorful Backgrounds -
News New Feature: Edit Brightness/Contrast of a Mockup Layer -
Mockups & Templates 6 Loungewear Mockup Templates to Showcase Your Apparel Designs -
Tutorials How to Change the Instagram Story Default Background -
Mockups & Templates 21 Logo Mockup Templates Available in the Mediamodifier Generator -
Mockups & Templates 14 Professional Samsung Galaxy Fold Mockup Templates -
Design Tips How to Add Animated GIF to an Image -
Mockups & Templates 33 Beautiful Blanket Mockup Templates to Use Right Now -
Marketing Tips How to Present a Logo to a Client – 5 Useful Tips -
Blog Tips to Achieve Affiliate Marketing Success | Affiliate Marketing 101 -
Mockups & Templates 5 Quiz Templates for Instagram Stories to Boost Your Engagement Fast -
Tutorials How to Use the Mediamodifier Mockup Generator for Free -
News Now Is The Best Time to Invest in Mediamodifier -
Blog How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing | Affiliate Marketing 101 -
News 6 Instagram Updates You Need to Know About – July 2022 -
Blog What is Affiliate Marketing | Affiliate Marketing 101 -
Mockups & Templates 5 FREE Social Media Templates to Celebrate Pride Month -
Marketing Tips The Marketing Budgets of Big Companies -
Tutorials How to Add a Screenshot to a Computer Screen Stock Photo -
Marketing Tips The Secret to Promoting Your Product with Models -
Design Tips How to Create an Infographic Online With Mediamodifier -
News You Can Now Download SVG Vector Illustration Sets From Mediamodifier -
NFT NFTs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly -
Blog 8 Tools to Help You Become More Organized, From a Very Unorganized Person -
Design Tips Need Some Font Inspiration? Try These 5 Fonts Available on Mediamodifier -
Marketing Tips 6 Websites That Will Make It Easier to Stay on Track When Working From Home -
Marketing Tips Make Your Work Easier With These 10 Productivity Tools -
Mockups & Templates How and Why to Use Client Testimonials + 5 Free Templates -
Tutorials How to Make an Online Invoice With Mediamodifier -
Marketing Tips Case Study: This User Creates Etsy Listings In Seconds With Mediamodifier -
Marketing Tips The Best POD Tools for a Successful Print-On-Demand Business -
Marketing Tips Case Study: Etsy Star Seller Increased Their Production Speed by 90% With Our Tool -
Design Tips Improve Design Skills With These 6 Projects -
NFT A Look Into the Future of NFT: What Will the Space Look Like in 10 Years? -
Mockups & Templates 10 Easter Instagram Post Templates That You Can Publish in Seconds -
News Spring Sale: Mediamodifier PRO Annual Plan Now 50% Off! -
Marketing Tips Use These Social Media Job Post Templates to Attract the Best Talent -
Marketing Tips 6 TED Talks That All Marketing Students Should Watch -
Marketing Tips 4 Elon Musk Marketing Tips You Could Apply Today -
Marketing Tips April Fools’ Day Marketing Ideas: 4 Brilliant Ideas for 2022 -
Design Tips The Ultimate Design Cheat Sheet for Students -
News New Feature: Mediamodifier Team Accounts Plan -
Mockups & Templates How to Design a LinkedIn Banner for Your Profile -
Blog Introducing the New Mediamodifier Website -
Marketing Tips 5 Ways Mockups Are The Eco-Friendly Marketing Tools of the Future -
News New Feature: SVG Illustrations Inside the Mediamodifier Design Editor -
Marketing Tips 6 Tips to Get More Clients for Your Small Business -
Marketing Tips 5 of the Best Marketing TikTok Pages to Follow for Inspiration and Advice -
Mockups & Templates How to Preview Social Media Posts Without Publishing Them -
Marketing Tips 6 Tips for Taking Better Product Photos -
Design Tips 5 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Used to Be Designers -
Post Ideas 10 Post Ideas for Social Media in March 2022 -
Design Tips 8 Design Tips for Making a Good Concept Even Better -
Marketing Tips 5 Common Misconceptions About Social Media Managers -
Marketing Tips Improve Your Content With These 6 Tools For Small Businesses -
Mockups & Templates How to Preview Product Packaging Online (Mockup Tool Tutorial) -
Design Tips 5 Principles of Psychology You Can Use to Improve A Design -
Marketing Tips 3 Smart Valentine’s Day Marketing Ideas To Promote Your Business -
News Why You Should Use This WordPress PoD Plugin for Your Store -
Mockups & Templates 20 Valentine’s Day Card Templates (That You Can Use Right Now) -
NFT 3 Reasons to Use an NFT Maker -
Marketing Tips Print on Demand: 6 Easy Steps to Start a Profitable Side Business -
Post Ideas 10 Post Ideas for Social Media in February 2022 -
News This New Feature Makes It Even Easier To Use Our Mockup Editor -
Marketing Tips 5 Smart Ways to Spend Your Marketing Budget -
Marketing Tips Starting a Small Business? 5 Things You’re Forgetting to Do -
NFT How to Use the Mediamodifier NFT Maker -
Mockups & Templates Boost Your Engagement: 9 Instagram Story Ideas -
Design Tips The Best 5 Colors to Use for Your Social Media in 2022 -
Marketing Tips Ultimate Social Media Size Guide [Updated July 2022] -
Showroom iPhone Mockup Held in a Hand in Open Area -
Showroom iPhone 14 with AirPods Hovering around Photoshop PSD Mockup -
Showroom iPhone 14 Pro PSD Mockup with Simple Background -
Showroom iPhone 14 App Screen Mockup with a Wall Background -
Showroom Photoshop Mockup of iPhone 14 Pro with Floating Airpods -
Showroom Mockup of a Square Wood Frame on Wall with Shadows -
Showroom TV Mounted on Wall Photoshop PSD Mockup
Visualize your design Use a product mockup to showcase your design


Create your design Use our templates to create delightful designs for any medium

