Academy / Design posts that stop the scroll
Lesson 1 of 5 · 4 min
One message per post
In a feed, your post gets about a second. In that second people see one thing: the biggest words, or the strongest picture. If the post tries to say five things, they see none of them and scroll on.
Pick the one thing
Before you open Design, finish this sentence: "After seeing this post, I want people to know that ..."
- "... the new evening class starts on Monday."
- "... our coffee beans come from one farm in Colombia."
- "... a haircut takes 20 minutes, with no booking."
If you have two answers, you have two posts. Save the second for next week.
Make it the biggest thing
- Open Design and pick a template close to what you want. You can search for it, like "class" or "opening".
- Click the big headline and type your one thing in as few words as you can. Six words or fewer is a good goal.
- Delete what does not help that message: an extra line of text, a second logo or a sticker. Select it and press Delete.
- Put the details, like times, prices or the address, in the caption, or on the next page of a carousel.
The squint test
Lean back from the screen and squint. You should see one big thing first, then maybe one smaller line. If three things fight for attention, make one of them bigger and the others smaller, or take one away.
Before the next lesson
Make one post with one message. Keep it open, because the next lessons build on it.
Quick check · 3 questions
Check what stuck
A post says "New class Monday", lists six times, shows two logos and a discount. What should you do first?
Show the answer
Keep "New class Monday" big, and move the times and the discount to the caption or a second page. One message per post. Details go in the caption or on the next page of a carousel.
You have two things to say this week. What works best?
Show the answer
Two posts, one message each. Two answers to "I want people to know that ..." means two posts.
What does the squint test check?
Show the answer
That one thing stands out first. Squinting blurs the details, so you see what people notice in their first second.
In this course
- 1One message per postWhy a post with one message stops more people than a post with five, how to pick the one, and how to make it the biggest thing on the page. · 4 min
- 2Text people can read at a glanceSize, contrast and photos behind text. How to make words readable on a phone, and what Design checks for you before you save. · 5 min
- 3Your brand on every pageSet your colors, fonts and logo once, then put them on any template in one click, and try new looks that stay yours. · 4 min
- 4Photos that fitPick a photo that tells the story, drop it where it belongs, and crop it so the important part shows, in a box, a circle or across the page. · 5 min
- 5Make it moveSmall movement catches the eye in a feed. Turn a design into a short video, animate the headline word by word, and let a number count up. · 5 min