600 million. That’s how many Instagram accounts are currently live, according to the social media giant themselves. That’s a big crowd to get lost in (especially if you’re a business trying to sell a product or service), and it’s also why it’s so important to have your photos stand out from the rest.
No matter how intriguing your captions are, how great the deal you’re offering is, or how much analysis you’ve done on the perfect time of day to upload a post, you’re going to have a difficult time gaining an engaged following if you don’t have images that set you apart from the other droves of businesses saying the same things, offering the same prices, and sharing images at the same time as you. But with all the time and effort going into your own business, who has time to perfect Photoshop and spend hours editing images enough to give them that needed edge?
Luckily, like most things in life, there’s an app for that. Four, actually.
According to Inc.com, posts that include images produce 650 percent higher engagement than text-only posts, so visual content is one of the best ways to get your message across. Whether you’re promoting a sale, branding your pictures, or are simply sharing an inspiring quote, adding text to your images is an easy way to get the attention of people scrolling through their feed.
We’re taking a look at how you can use apps to make your Instagram and other social photos stand out from the rest.
TYPIC
Images VIA the App Store
Typic is an easy, all-in-one solution for someone with limited photography skills and who doesn’t want to have to split their focus on multiple apps. Unlike most of its competitors, this app doesn’t just give you the opportunity to add text to your images, it has a built in filter function so you can change the effect of your photo even before uploading it to Instagram.
With 105 fonts to choose from, multiple design elements and stickers to add to pictures, and the option to add your own logo to images, Typic is an easy way to keep branding consistent and make images pop.
FONT CANDY
Image VIA www.katharinepadilha.com
Font Candy is the ultimate tool if you’re targeting a millennial demographic. The features are somewhat limited as the app doesn’t offer the ability to layer images or add stickers to your photos, but the font options look like they’re straight out of a hipster handbook.
With an intuitive user experience and the ability to add filters to your image, Font Candy is an easy choice for people who want to make a big impact on their images with minimal time invested.
AFTER PHOTO
Images VIA the App Store
After Photo is a stronger option than the two above, but still isn’t the best overall (we saved the best for last). With AP, your options aren’t limited to having to upgrade to a paid version.
With their free download, After Photo allows you to change filters, colour correct your photos, add your own artwork, add pre-loaded artwork and choose from a wide variety of fonts to customize the overall look of your message. Unlike other apps on the market, you’re able to change the size of each line of text and even use multiple fonts in a single image.
After Photo is a little less intuitive than the rest, but that’s only because there are more options to navigate within the platform.
OVER
Over is the creme de la creme when it comes to easily customizing your visual content. It has all the features of the three apps above, and the added bonus of Unsplash.
Most companies use their own photos for social media, but let’s face it: Not everyone is a great photographer, and not everyone has the budget to hire one, either. With their newest update, Over announced a partnership with Unsplash, an open source image company that will allow you to search by subject, theme or industry, giving you almost unlimited options to customize and use as your own. There is a small premium to pay if you want access to the photos, but even without it the app is still unmatched in its offerings for editing photos on the go.
While most apps on the market have available stickers and additional designs to add to your pictures, Over is one of the only apps that has creative elements made just for their users. In addition to Unsplash, their latest update also includes six albums of graphics made by amazing designers to add to your photos; undoubtedly a huge help in having them stand out from the competition.
You only have a fraction of a second to get the attention of someone browsing Instagram, and these apps are simple solutions to easily improve your visual content.
Have a tool you like that we didn’t include on the list? Let us know and we’ll add it to our next roundup!
