But accessibility doesn’t always equal effectiveness. 

When it comes to building a brand, the do-it-yourself approach often creates challenges that businesses don’t realize until it’s too late.

When Everything Looks the Same

Today’s design tools offer thousands of templates, icons, fonts, and layouts. While that sounds like endless creative freedom, we often see the opposite effect. When everyone is pulling from the same template libraries, brands start to look, well, identical. 

You’ve likely seen it before. The same minimalist logos, the same script fonts, the same color palettes, the same website layouts. Eventually, it all blends together. 

The purpose of a brand is to establish a unique identity. It should help your business stand out in a crowded marketplace. When your brand looks like dozens of others using the same template, that distinct identity disappears. Good branding isn’t just about making something that looks “nice” or “passable.” It’s about creating something that is recognizable and memorable.

First Impressions Matter

Your brand is often the first interaction someone has with your business. Before a conversation happens, a service is explained, or a product is purchased, people are making quick judgments based on what they see and feel. 

When branding feels pieced together or amateur, it can unintentionally signal that the business itself may operate the same way. Even if the service or product is excellent, that first impression can create doubt.

Strong branding, on the other hand, communicates confidence. It signals that a business is established, thoughtful, and invested in its presence.

Branding is More Than Design

One of the biggest misconceptions about branding is that it’s just a logo. In reality, branding is a strategic process that considers:

• your audience
• your positioning in the market
• how you want people to feel when they encounter your business
• how your visuals and messaging work together

A logo, color palette, font, website layout, and messaging should all reinforce the same identity. Without strategy guiding those choices, it’s easy for a brand to feel inconsistent or unfocused. Brand identity should be a company’s north star. 

General templates can produce designs, but they can’t replace intentional brand strategy.

Learn about our Brand Voice Workshops here.

Time Has Value, Too

Many businesses choose the DIY route to save money. What we forget is that DIY costs another very important resource: Time.

Hours spent scrolling through templates, tweaking colors, adjusting layouts, and learning unfamiliar platforms are hours taken away from running the business itself. In many cases, the time investment alone outweighs the perceived cost savings.

Invest in Standing Out

The tools available today are powerful, and they absolutely have their place. But building a strong brand requires more than assembling pieces from a template library. It requires clarity, strategy, and thoughtful design. Because the goal of branding isn’t simply to create something that looks acceptable. The goal is to create something that people remember.

And sometimes, the best way to achieve that goal is to bring in the professionals (cough, cough, us!) who do it every day.

Ready to get started?

The post Why Doing it Yourself Might Not Work first appeared on Coal Creative.

Here are five recent projects where illustration helped our clients tell their stories in meaningful ways.

1. North Branch Land Trust

An illustrated fox led an anti-littering campaign, paired with a coloring page that gives kids time to connect with the message while they color, turning learning into something hands-on and memorable.

2. Wyoming Valley Sanitation Authority

We used simple, clear illustrations to explain the difference between sewer and stormwater systems, plus a Rain Barrel poster that makes an everyday sustainability action feel easy to understand.

3. Northeast Regional HIV Services

A series of minimal, inclusive character illustrations helped represent all kinds of people across social ads, event materials, and their website, creating a supportive, human-centered visual identity.

4. Future Ride NEPA

At the start, we had limited photos and brand assets to work with, so we illustrated Rick and the vehicle fleet to create a recognizable look. It helped engage his community early on while the brand was still growing.

5. Visit Luzerne County

Illustrated trail signs added personality to outdoor spaces and helped visitors feel welcomed and excited to explore, making the trails feel like part of the region’s story.

Bonus: Coal Dust Stout

We might be a little biased for this one, but it was a lot of fun! What started as an April Fools’ joke turned into a real beer, and the illustrated can design became part of the fun. The coal-mining inspired artwork wraps around the can so there’s always something new to look at while you sip, making the label itself part of the experience.

Illustration can bring your brand to life in a way that feels personal and memorable. Whether you’re educating your community, promoting an event, or building a visual identity from the ground up, we’d love to help you explore what custom artwork could look like for your organization.

Contact us today to get started.

The post Why Brands That Use Illustration Stand Out first appeared on Coal Creative.

At Coal Creative, we define marketing as something more thoughtful, more strategic.
Marketing is how you share what you do in a way that actually connects with the people you’re trying to reach.

It’s storytelling with purpose. It’s message, timing, audience, and medium all working together, not just to “get attention,” but to build trust and create results.

What Does Marketing Entail?

There are a lot of buzzwords people might sell to you about marketing, but we like to keep it simple: Marketing is the plan.

It’s the framework behind what you say, how you say it, and where it shows up.

That includes:

• Clarifying your goals
• Understanding your audience
• Deciding what platforms and formats make sense
• Crafting a message that’s worth someone’s time
• Executing consistently and adjusting based on results

In other words, if you’re doing “stuff” online without a plan behind it, you’re not marketing. You’re just posting.

Why Marketing Matters (Even If You’re Small, Busy, or Skeptical)

We’ve worked with clients of every size, from one-person teams to national companies, and here’s the thing we hear the most:

“We know we should be doing something with marketing, but we’re not sure what, or where to start.”

That’s a very normal place to be. But here’s why it matters: If you don’t tell your story, someone else will… or no one will.

Marketing gives structure to your communication. It helps people understand:

• Who you are
• What you offer
• Why it matters

And ideally, it does that before they need you, so that when the time comes, they already trust you.

Collaborate with Coal Creative to Optimize Your Marketing Efforts

Marketing is essential for getting your company’s name out there and connecting with potential clients. It’s also a complex process, however, and many organizations dedicate entire departments to their marketing efforts. 

Whether you have an entire marketing division or you’re the sole member of an organization, Coal Creative can optimize your campaigns and put you on the path to greater returns. We’re an all-bases-covered creative collaborator that can help you set marketing goals, conduct research, construct assets, steer your campaigns, and much more.
Consult Coal for a proposal—we’ll simplify and optimize your marketing efforts right before your very eyes.

The post What is Marketing and Why is it Important? first appeared on Coal Creative.

And at the heart of this belief lies our content team. 

Our content crew puts the creative in creative agency. Together, they’re responsible for distilling diamonds out of Coal. Get to know them—and their approach to content design—below.

Meet the Content Dream Team

They say it takes a village to raise a child. In much the same way, it takes a team to craft captivating content for your brand. That’s why Coal doesn’t just boast one designated content creator, but a squad comprised of four diversely talented individuals, including:

• Lead Web Developer and Lead Designer Matt Simoncavage
• Content Director Samantha Buchernatale
• Campaign Manager Jesse Macko
• Design Specialist Mia Cundro

This core crew handles the meat and potatoes of our content creation. Their projects range from written work to social media management but in their own words, they usually deal with:

• Designing traditional projects like logos, print materials, and direct mailers

• Brainstorming campaign ideas

• Writing content like blogs, website copy, social media posts, newsletters, and even simpler, smaller projects like single headlines or slogans

• Creating assets for videos, social media, and more

• Designing banners, billboards, and other more overt advertising mediums

In essence, our team dreams up and designs the visual and written content brands need to tell their stories. Content is your narrative, and who you choose to write it makes all the difference. 

That said, why should you go with Coal Creative over other authors?

Coal Creative Has an Eye for Design and the Determination to Satisfy 

One of the unique advantages of partnering with Coal is the content crew themselves. They’re the committed personnel working on the custom campaigns and personalized projects that drive our collaborators’ success—and they’ve been doing so for years.

Perhaps the most evident reason to choose the Coal team for your content creation is their history of stunning designs and unparalleled experience. Matt puts it best by saying: 

“As a full-service agency made up of so many talented creatives with years and years of combined experience, we can handle every step of your project with passion and knowledge to ensure you believe in the end result as much as we do.”

Our crew hasn’t just seen and done it all, however. Their experiences have likewise driven them to approach their projects with more:

• Effort – As Jesse puts it, “Our team truly puts everything they have into every project. From our operations team to our content, web, and video teams, we’re a cohesive unit that wants to see their business/project succeed.”

• Zeal – We wholly commit ourselves to each and every job. As Samantha says about our dedication: “Our whole team throws passion and creativity into everything we do. We hear criticism and build off of it constructively. Our partnerships are true collaborations. We take the time to get to know you and your business so we fully understand what strategies could work best for each individual case.”

• Commitment to collaborators and community – Our collaborators and the Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) community at large are sources of inspiration.

• Humanity – AI is everywhere these days, filling feeds with generic posts, cookie-cutter logos, and templated designs. At Coal Creative, we do things differently. While we responsibly use AI as a tool when it makes sense, our real strength lies in the human touch we bring to every project. Our team of creative professionals collaborates closely with clients to craft meaningful, one-of-a-kind work that builds real connection. When it comes to storytelling and design, people still make the biggest impact.

Ultimately, when you collaborate with Coal Creative, you gain access to committed and caring content creators who are highly skilled in cutting-edge design. Don’t leave your content up to chance—partner with the best to connect with more customers and elevate your brand.

Coal Creative: Crafting Content That Tells Your Story, As You See It

There’s so much more we could mention about Coal’s content team. We could discuss how several of their favorite projects have been in collaboration with The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association or share how they dream of working on an animal- or brewery-related campaign.

But at the end of the day, what matters most is that each content journey with Coal is unique. As Samantha so accurately states: “Strategies are not one-size-fits-all, so we make sure that we gather all of the information at hand and hear their stories. Then, we can build from there.”

Are you ready to start your journey? Request a proposal to start building a better brand story with Coal.

The post Meet Coal’s Content Team first appeared on Coal Creative.

Plus, we’ll even show you some examples of how we’ve used them here at Coal Creative and with our collaborators.

Why Carousels Work

Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes engagement, and carousel posts are a built-in way to increase it. Each time someone swipes through your post, they spend more time interacting with your content. That extra time being spent signals to Instagram that your post is valuable, making it more likely to be shown to a larger audience.

More Swipes = More Engagement

Every swipe counts as an additional engagement metric, meaning carousels will naturally boost your visibility. So instead of just one chance to capture attention with a single photo, you get multiple opportunities within one post by creating a carousel.

How to Make the Most of Carousels

Here are a few ways you can leverage carousel posts to increase engagement and maximize reach:

Don’t have any ideas?

Have five tips? That’s a carousel. A step-by-step tutorial? Perfect for multiple slides. Instead of cramming all your information into one image or video, spread it out across slides for better retention.

Repurpose Instead of Reinventing

Content creation takes time, so work smarter! If you have a long-form blog or video, break it down into digestible slides. One idea can become multiple posts—a carousel today, and a single post later.

Make Every Slide Count

Think of each slide as a new opportunity to hook your audience. Keep your text to the point, use bold headlines, and encourage swiping through by building curiosity between slides.

Start Using Carousels Today

Even adding just one carousel post per month can improve your engagement and reach on Instagram. If this tip helped, feel free to share it with a fellow content creator and start experimenting with carousels in your content plan! 

Need help getting your social media strategy together? Send us a message!

The post Maximize Your Instagram Strategy with Carousels first appeared on Coal Creative.

But there was a steep hill to climb—a nest egg overflowing with community statistics, spoken stories, and resident aspirations that the organization had been collecting for three years. How could they turn this treasure trove of data and narratives into a short, actionable document? 

Coal Creative was up to the challenge. Let’s dive into this project from start to finish and reveal the final product: An action report quite literally filled with the heart and soul of Wyoming County.

Meet Wyoming County Heart and Soul

Our collaborator, Wyoming County Heart and Soul, is a group of dedicated volunteers, local residents, and organization members from Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. Together, this vibrant team seeks to listen to the community and use local voices to guide future decisions. 

But this isn’t your everyday community development organization.

National Roots, Local Impact

Wyoming County Heart and Soul is a chapter of Community Heart and Soul: a humanities-based approach to community and economic development. While most Community Heart and Soul initiatives focus on just one town, Wyoming County is unique. With around 26,000 residents, the county is roughly the same size as the individual towns that typically participate. 

Including the whole county in the initiative helps to:

1. Promote and protect a wider geographic area
2. Hear from a larger variety of residents
3. Establish a strong sense of pride county-wide

Wyoming County Heart and Soul is funded by both state and national groups, including:

• PA Humanities
• The National Endowment for the Humanities
• The PA Department of Community and Economic Development
• The PA Route 6 Alliance
• Community Heart and Soul

Despite its far-reaching support, Wyoming County Heart and Soul seeks to make an impact at the local level. By collecting “thin data” (like demographic information) and listening to in-depth resident stories, the organization sought to establish a clear vision for the community from locals themselves—a vision that could be used to inform future policies, programs, and development efforts in the county. 

A Mighty Team

Throughout the project, Coal Creative had the opportunity to work with Wyoming County Heart and Soul’s vibrant team of:

• Grant partners – Representatives from each grant organization that funds the local chapter

• Team members – The Project Leader, Project Administrator, and Core Team members

• Team volunteers – Community representatives—both individuals and members of local businesses and organizations
  
• Story listening volunteers – Fellow locals who sat down with their neighbors to hear their stories, perspectives, and visions for the future

“There were so many people who helped make this booklet what it was,” says Coal Creative project lead Samantha Buchernatale.

The most important collaborator was the community itself: especially the “unheard voices” of Wyoming County. Wyoming County Heart and Soul worked tirelessly to identify groups that typically didn’t get a say in community planning and made connecting with these groups a priority—seasonal residents, veterans, ethnic minorities, and people facing immense struggle (the hungry, homeless, and addicted). 

The Action Report: A Tapestry of Community Data and Stories

With a mountain of data, photos, and local insights, Wyoming County Heart and Soul needed a North Star document: a digestible, actionable record of community goals and aspirations. 

Enter the Action Report.

Project Goals

The main deliverable for the project—the document Coal Creative would create—was an Action Report. Deborah Shurtleff, the Community Project Assistant at Wyoming County Heart and Soul, says that the goal for the Report was to develop “a professional, readable compilation report of project processes and outcomes.” 

Deborah also succinctly summed up the project’s greatest challenge: “Compiling three years of data, photos, and verbiage into a readable document.” 

The key word? Readable. Wyoming County Heart and Soul wanted to share information—their findings, plans, and goals—countywide with all residents. Not just people working in local government (who read data-dense documents for a living), but also everyday residents looking for answers.

Beyond the Booklet

In addition to sharing information with community members, Wyoming County Heart and Soul also wanted to be able to use their Action Report to:

• Communicate with prospective collaborators – The Action Report needed to become an asset the organization could use when approaching prospective collaborators in the future. The document needed to illustrate both the needs of Wyoming County and the goals of its Heart and Soul initiative.

• Inform policies and programs – It was also important that the Action Report provide a clear picture of the community’s needs, goals, and character that could be referenced when building future policies. 

Ultimately, the Action Report needed to fill three distinct roles: community bulletin, information sheet for future partners, and policy playbook.

Building the Booklet

What did the creative process look like? 

We turned to our Content Director Samantha Buchernatale for project insights.

Step 1: Listening

Like every Coal Creative project, we started by listening to our collaborator’s goals, needs, and concerns. Samantha says, “To kick off this process, I had a meeting with some of the members from Wyoming County Heart and Soul. I learned more about their mission and the reason behind creating the Action Report. It was really inspiring!”

In these initial meetings, our team:

• Explored the ample data collected by Wyoming County Heart and Soul
• Brainstormed about the Action Report’s design and content with team members
• Asked key questions about the team’s expectations and visions for the final product

“This project really embodied the word ‘collaboration,’” says Samantha.

Step 2: Drafting the Document

With Wyoming County Heart and Soul’s expectations, ideas, and data in hand, Samantha moved on to the design phase. 

Based on the organization’s priorities, Samantha made a few key design decisions:

• Incorporating color – “The Wyoming County Heart and Soul team wanted a lot of color in the design, as their motto is ‘Kaleidoscope of Communities.’”

• Using community-sourced design elements – “My goal was to capture the ‘heart and soul’ of Wyoming County in this booklet. We were able to use a lot of artwork and photography from local residents, which was really special.”

• Prioritizing visual appeal – “While working on the booklet, I needed to select and edit the best content while also figuring out how to design and lay out the booklet in a visually appealing way. There was a lot to fit in!”

The project went through multiple draft phases. After submitting each draft, Samantha collected feedback from the entire organization.

Step 3: Refining the Design and Content

Throughout the drafting process, Samantha and the Wyoming County Heart and Soul team had a lot of decisions to make about which data to include and which to omit. 

“Jill Robinson from the Wyoming County Heart and Soul team wrote a ton of amazing content and the whole team had been collecting years’ worth of data before our partnership even began.”

This conundrum didn’t begin and end with the first draft. 

“There was a lot of material to boil down into a 20-page booklet—we could have made it twice that long. Deb [Shurtleff] and I had many calls where we would strategize this. Instead of just dropping the content from the collaborator into the design, I really had to think through what would best work for their goal and target audience while actively designing it at the same time.”

This process—designing the booklet and editing the content at the same time—was unique for a typical Coal Creative project. Samantha says, “Usually, we try to strategize the content before jumping into the design, but the timeline didn’t allow for this. Looking back, doing it this way helped me to become a more flexible designer.”

After multiple revisions and many conversations with the Wyoming County Heart and Soul team, the Action Report was finally finished. “Once the final version was approved, we worked with a local printer to make copies, and I worked with the team to get a digital version added to their website so anyone from the community could access it.”

A Window Into Wyoming County

How was the Action Report received? Did Wyoming County Heart and Soul get to reach all three of their audiences (residents, organizations, and policymakers)? 

Let’s zoom into the impacts of this partnership. 

The Action Report

The internal team at Wyoming County Heart and Soul loved the final Action Report. One core team member, William “Bill” Brennan, said, “The booklet was very well written and easy to understand! Great job all.”

Deborah Shurtleff appreciated both the quality of the final product and the process of making it. “Coal Creative was professional, organized, and collaborative throughout the process. We are grateful to them for supporting our community project!”

But the Action Report turned out to be more impactful (and have a wider reach) than our collaborator initially anticipated.

Far-Reaching Impact

Wyoming County Heart and Soul shared this document with locals, policymakers, and even the national Community Heart and Soul initiative. The responses exceeded expectations:

• The community adopted the Heart and Soul statements – After compiling data and meeting with locals, Wyoming County leaders representing every municipality adopted the statements developed during the project—in other words, they’ll use the information gathered as a compass while making future development decisions.

• The Action Report made the rounds county-wide – After seeing the Action Report, Wyoming County Heart and Soul made efforts to make it as accessible as possible to locals. They mailed postcards to all nine zip codes across Wyoming Valley that included a QR code linking to the digital report. 

• The national Community Heart and Soul organization is using it – After the project was complete, Deborah Shurtleff reached out to share some exciting news: “Community Heart and Soul [the national organization] will be using Wyoming County’s Action Report as a training tool for other community-based organizations across the United States.”

Coal Creative even received feedback from two Community Heart and Soul stakeholders at the national level. Community Heart and Soul coach Alice Trowbridge told us, “This is an amazing document—both beautiful and full of great information. You’ve really captured the feeling of Wyoming County, both in photographs and text. This report reads so easily and provides very important information for guiding decisions about the future of Wyoming County.”

Program Associate Joan Wagner also weighed in: “You can be sure we will be celebrating this achievement alongside you and sharing your Action Report with others as a demonstration of what’s possible!”

Coal Creative and Wyoming County Heart and Soul: Beyond Collaboration

At Coal Creative, our collaborators’ reflections are a critical takeaway from every endeavor. But even more important are the personal connections we make with our fellow creatives—the relationships we build while working alongside our community’s best and brightest. 

For Samantha, the personal connection forged during the Wyoming County Heart and Soul project is undeniable. 

“I truly enjoyed working on this project. I loved working with Deb [Shurtleff], and we built up a great rapport. After the project was completed, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Deb in person for the first time at a women’s event—we hugged like old friends!”

This is what we seek to create with every partnership at Coal: a high-impact creative product and a genuine connection with our collaborators.

The post Case Study: Showcasing a Kaleidoscope of Communities with Wyoming County Heart and Soul first appeared on Coal Creative.

In the past, pictures appeared on your profile’s feed with a 1:1 (square) aspect ratio. Now, they’ll have a 4:5 (rectangular) aspect ratio. 

What does this mean for your social media presence? Can you keep uploading the same video and image sizes—or will you have to adjust to the app’s new settings? Let’s dive deeper into Instagram’s new layout change and discover what it means for your standard posts, reels, and more.

What is an Image’s Aspect Ratio?

A picture’s aspect ratio refers to the relationship between the size of its two key dimensions[1]:

• Width
• Height

Aspect ratio measures the proportions of your image and compares the measurement of one side to the other using the formula X:Y, where X represents the photo’s width and Y denotes its height. 

A photo with a 1:1 aspect ratio, as Instagram image sizes used to be, is a perfect square. Under the app’s new 4:5 ratio, pictures will be slightly taller than they are wide.

What Does This Change Mean for Your Posts?

The change in aspect ratio means a shift away from square photos to upright rectangles on your profile’s feed. Whether you run a business or personal account, you’ve likely already noticed this change on your app (or will in the coming weeks). 

But does this new look change the way you should take and post photos?

Perhaps, depending on how you already shoot and upload your content. Different aspect ratios have different ideal dimensions to minimize blur and attain maximum image quality, clarity, and sharpness. For instance, on Instagram[2]:

• A 1:1 aspect ratio works best with a 1080 by 1080 pixel (px) photo
• A 4:5 aspect ratio appears clearest with 1080 by 1350 px photos

If you’ve already been uploading 1080 by 1080 px posts to optimize your photos, switch to the new 1080 by 1350 px standard to keep the same quality. This will prevent cropping, stretching, compressing, and the addition of blank space around the edges of your post. 

To ease the transition and meld your shooting style with Instagram’s new aspect ratio, start capturing most of your pictures with your phone held vertically (if you’re not already). This will help your photos fit more naturally into the new 4:5 ratio and minimize any potential resizing. 

Will Instagram Reel Sizes be Affected by the Change?

Yes—reels will also follow the new standard 4:5 aspect ratio. But that doesn’t mean you need to change how you plan, shoot, or edit them. The best practices for Instagram Reel sizes remain:

• Utilizing a 9:16 aspect ratio
• Posting with Instagram’s maximum supported dimensions of 1080 by 1920 px

However, the 4:5 feed previews may lead to some cropping on your reels. If you have any pertinent information to share—like titles, text, or graphics—put them front and center on your reels so they’re visible in the previews.

Other Things to Note

The aspect ratio for the previews users will see on your profile grid will be 3:4 instead of 4:5 (like they’ll see on the full photo or video). You should still upload your posts in a 4:5 aspect ratio with dimensions of 1080 by 1350 px—but know they’ll be slightly resized if seen in grid mode until the viewer taps on the post to view it in full size.

This goes for most kinds of posts, including:

• Singular photos
• Stand-alone videos
• Carousel posts

Carousels are of particular importance because users tend to add multiple photos to one post without checking their sizing or aspect ratios. All photos you add to carousels should still maintain the new 4:5 ratio with dimensions of 1080 by 1350 px. 

Aside from how to perfect future posts, you may also wonder what will become of all those square photos and videos you uploaded in the past. As Instagram transitions to its new layout, they’ll be altered to fit into the new 4:5 ratio. Photos will be cropped at the sides and appear as rectangles while videos will play with black borders at the top and bottom.

Post Perfect Photos and Create Coveted Clips with Coal Creative

Instagram is constantly updating its layout, preferred aspect ratio, and other settings to remain fresh and engaging. While staying on top of these changes can be fun for certain creators, it can also pose a challenge to busy brands trying to maximize their online presence while still conducting day-to-day operations. That’s why many businesses rely on a marketing agency to create their posts and steer their Instagram page. 

Your brand is your pride and joy, so don’t let just anyone represent it—instead, partner with Northeast Pennsylvania’s (NEPA’s) leading creative agency, Coal Creative. 

From shooting professional videos to curating your Instagram presence and more, we offer a full range of promotional, creative, and marketing services. Request a proposal today to see how we can enhance your Instagram page, website, or any other aspect of your brand’s story.

Sources: 

[1] Adobe. Understanding Aspect Ratios in Photography. https://www.adobe.com/express/discover/sizes/photo-aspect-ratio. 

[2] Adobe. Your guide to Instagram image sizes. https://www.adobe.com/express/discover/sizes/instagram. 

The post How to Size Your Posts for Instagram’s New Layout first appeared on Coal Creative.

Additionally, 75% of people “feel special” when they receive print media in the mail and 90% of the time, they choose to open and read it [2].

Print media is a cultural mainstay and isn’t going anywhere. But for your pamphlets, packaging, and posted advertisements to stand out from the crowd, they’ll need unique print designs that capture your customers’ attention and leave a lasting impact.

From business cards to mail advertisements, let’s draw up some basic guidelines for print and graphic design to make your physical advertising more eye-catching and memorable. 

Bolster Your Business Card Design

Business cards are booming and are as relevant as ever. Every year, around 10 billion business cards are printed and distributed to would-be customers. Unfortunately, just a week after being handed out, 88% of those cards end up forgotten or discarded [3].

Yet unique, attention-grabbing designs stick around for much longer than drab, run-of-the-mill cards. In fact, simply adding color will cause your customers to keep your card for ten times longer than basic black-and-white designs. Plus, there’s even more you can do to improve their aesthetics [3].

To give your business cards star power, put your own unique flair on their design with:

• Fun, die-cut shapes – The original purpose of business cards was to blend into the pack as they were shoved into a Rolodex, wallet, or desk drawer. In modern marketing, camouflaging your card amongst the masses will simply leave it ignored and discarded. For maximum visibility and memorability, try retiring the standard rectangle design altogether in favor of another, more unique shape—preferably one related to the goods or services you sell.

• Quality printing details – The further from black-and-white, the better. That doesn’t just mean splashing a palette of paint across your cardstock and calling it a day, either. Be conscious of your color choices and pick accenting details that complement your card’s overall design. Try embossed lettering with subtle metallic embellishments for a refined, classy look. And try printing on soft-touch paper so customers can tell which card is yours without even looking at it.

Make the Most of Your Mailers

When you send someone an advertisement in the mail, they tend to remember its design and contents. For instance, print media enjoys an 80-90% higher recall rate than digital advertisements [2]. That means the recipients remember it far more clearly than any on-screen ads they encounter.

When you think about it logically, it makes perfect sense. Physically holding and looking over a piece of media is far more memorable than quickly scrolling past an ad you never wanted to see in the first place. And, to make that experience stick with your recipients even longer, use:

• Unique shapes – Similarly to business cards, cutting your mailed-out media into fun shapes distinguishes it from standard pamphlets and flyers. Again, going with shapes that match your industry—such as barbells for gyms, dogs for veterinarians, and so on—can raise that recall rate even higher and keep your ads (and business) at the top of consumers’ minds.

• Engaging campaigns – Don’t just list out your offerings and prices. Instead, add a little mystery, fun, and flair to your advertising campaigns. You could hint at future product drops, give clues about upcoming pop-up events, or use any other sort of advertising technique that fits your organization and its goals. If you need help dreaming up compelling campaigns, partner with a proven marketing agency to elevate your ideas and designs. 

Take Your Trade Show Handouts to the Next Level

Attending trade shows and similar industry conventions can increase your brand awareness by 76%. In addition, over 80% of attendees can recall at least one brand they interacted with a whopping six months after the show [4].

To ensure it’s yours, hand out catalogs, brochures, and other print media for your visitors to take home and consider. Recent Harvard studies identified a 170% increase in ordering from such mediums over the last couple of decades—so your handouts won’t just remind attendees of your business, they’re likely to increase sales as well [5].

Ensure your trade show collateral has everything your potential customers need to learn about your business, including:

• Information about the goods and services you offer
• High-quality graphics
• An overall theme related to your industry
• Your company’s contact details

Bring Your Print Media Ideas to Life With Coal Creative

Truly beautiful print media has an intangible, magical, nostalgic quality to it. If you’ve ever received a pamphlet or business card and found it simply too well-designed and appealing to commit it to a life in the rubbish bin, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.

Coal Creative is the leading creative agency in Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) and beyond for gorgeous graphics and powerful printouts. From drafting up your company’s logo to sticking it on meticulously crafted business cards and mailers, we’ve got every aspect of graphic and print design covered for your business.

Browse our portfolio to get a taste of our work and, if you like what you see, request a proposal to partner up on your next project. Together, we can create profound and captivating designs that perfectly encapsulate your message. 

Sources: 

[1] “Why 56% of people find printed marketing the most trustworthy of all the marketing channels.” Data and Marketing Association. July 7, 2016. [Online] Available: https://dma.org.uk/. Accessed June 18, 2024.

[2] “31+ Print Marketing Statistics & Market Size (Latest Report).” Persuasion Nation. April 13, 2024. [Online] Available: https://persuasion-nation.com/. Accessed June 18, 2024.

[3] ‘Business Card Statistics.” Credit Donkey. July 20, 2022. [Online] Available: https://www.creditdonkey.com/. Accessed June 18, 2024.

[4] “[2024] 150+ Trade Show Stats That Reveal All.” Trade Show Labs. March 3, 2024. [Online} Available: https://www.tradeshowlabs.com/.  Accessed June 19, 2024.
[5] “Why Catalogs Are Making a Comeback.” Harvard Business Review. February 11, 2020. [Online] Available: https://hbr.org/. Accessed June 19, 2024.

The post Print Designs That Can Elevate Your Marketing first appeared on Coal Creative.

Consumers don’t just crave clips, however, but images as well. Nearly half of all marketing professionals use both pictures and videos to appeal to a wider range of clientele and drum up more business [2].

As social media platforms continually change their guidelines regarding video and image size, more and more brands are adding stretched, shrunken, or distorted posts to their feeds. This guide will cover the correct social media sizing rules for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn in 2024 so your followers get the whole picture as they browse your pages.  

Best Sizes for Facebook Reels and Standard Video Posts

Facebook enjoys up to 200 billion hits on Reels on a daily basis [3]. That’s a lot of potential viewership for your products, ideas, and creativity. If your videos are too zoomed in, small, or distorted, users will likely scroll by to the next post.

As of June 2024, Facebook’s official guidelines for posting Reels include [4]:

• Keeping them between three and 60 seconds
• Using .mp4 format
• Shooting in a minimum resolution of 1080p
• Maintaining a 9:16 aspect ratio on iOS or your screen’s aspect ratio on Android devices

Reels aren’t the only kind of clips you can use to reach your Facebook followers. Businesses can (and should) also post standard videos to their feeds and pages—but the size of these videos varies depending on exactly where they’ll be hosted. For example [5]:

• Your Facebook feed
• Marketplace
• Facebook in-stream
• Stories

Can all support multiple aspect ratios, including [5]:

• Horizontal 16:9
• Square 1:1
• Portrait 4:5
• Vertical 9:16

Facebook stories can also support an aspect ratio of 1.91:1. Meanwhile, videos within search results are limited to 1:1 squares.

The maximum length of Facebook videos also varies as follows [5]:

• On Feed, Marketplace, and within search results – 240 minutes
• On Stories and In-Stream – 120 seconds

Facebook Image Size Guide for Business and Event Page Covers

Posting a captivating cover image lets browsers on your page know about your brand, personality, and creative flair. But, if it ends up stretched and skewed, they’re not going to be able to tell what it is.

Thankfully, Facebook lays out some clear guidelines for posting the perfect cover image [6]:

• Cover photos are displayed at 830 x 312 pixels on computers and 640 x 360 on mobile

• The minimum size for any cover image is 400 x 150—though these dimensions may lead to some distortion

• Cover photos load best as an sRBG JPG image that’s 851 x 315 pixels and under 100 kilobytes

Likewise, if you’re hosting a riveting event and want to include a charming cover photo on its Facebook page, they load best at 1920 x 1005 pixels—so stick to that size for maximum resolution [7].

How to Size Instagram Reels, Story Posts, Videos, and Regular Photos

With the third most daily users of any social media site and the perfect platform for videos, images, and more, you’re not going to want amateur, missized posts on your Instagram page [8].

When it comes to stories and Reels, your best bet is to maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio and use images and videos sized 1080 x 1920 pixels. Keep in mind that their maximum lengths do vary, however: stories top out at 15 seconds while Reels can contain up to a minute of content [9].

If you’re posting regular photos and videos to your feed, their ideal size depends on their orientation [9]:

• Square posts – Square pictures and videos maintain a 1:1 aspect ratio and are best posted at 1080 x 1080 pixels for maximum quality.

• Portrait – Instagram recommends posting portraits with a 4:5 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1080 x 1350 pixels.

• Landscape – If you’re flipping your phone sideways to snap pics or record video, be sure to post them at 1080 x 566 pixels with a 1.91:1 aspect ratio.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Penn Lee Footwear (@pennleefootwear)

Check out this Reel we made for Penn-Lee Footwear. 

Ideal Dimensions for LinkedIn Videos, Photos, and Business Profile Cover Images

Last but certainly not least, let’s discuss the ideal photo and video dimensions for everyone’s favorite professional networking platform: LinkedIn.

When it comes to posting videos, LinkedIn is pretty lenient about its guidelines. They allow a variety of dimensions depending on your chosen orientation and aspect ratio, but these are the maximum recommended (and thus, clearest resolutions) they support [10]:

• Vertical videos with 4:5 aspect ratios – 1536 x 1920 pixels
• Vertical videos with 9:16 aspect ratios – 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Landscape videos with 16:9 aspect ratios – 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Square videos with 1:1 aspect ratios – 1920 x 1920 pixels

When it comes to posting photos, what you’re posting dictates its ideal size. When using your company logo as a profile photo, for instance, your best bet is a 300×300 pixel square. Meanwhile, the background image that gives your page character and life displays most clearly at 1584 x 396 pixels [11].

If you’re having trouble resizing images to fit perfectly into these dimensions—or want to upgrade your graphic and video production with the help of some visionary masterminds—don’t just call any marketing agency. Instead, collaborate with the most artistically skilled and technologically savvy creative agency in Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) and beyond… Coal Creative. 

Confide in Coal Creative for All Your Video, Graphic, and Social Media Marketing Needs

At Coal Creative, we have our finger on the pulse of modern marketing and rapid technological advancement. Every time a leading social media site changes its posting guidelines, we’re there to create ads that leverage these new rules for maximum exposure. 

When an emerging platform rises in popularity, we get to work optimizing our marketing techniques to adjust to its growing potential. And when a new collaborator approaches us with dreams of social media success, we put our full attention and brainpower towards enhancing their online presence. 

From creating Reels, graphics, and posts for every popular platform to crafting paid advertising campaigns, we’re your trusted partner for social media marketing and growth. Request a proposal to see exactly what Coal can do for your social media presence—perfectly-sized pictures and videos are just the beginning!

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Sources: 

[1] “Video Marketing Statistics In 2024 (Usage, ROI & More).” Demand Sage. January 16, 2024. [Online] Available: https://www.demandsage.com/. Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[2] “52 Visual Content Marketing Statistics You Should Know in 2024.” HubSpot. September 11, 2023. {Online] Available: https://blog.hubspot.com/. Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[3] “24 Facebook statistics marketers should know in 2024.” Sprout Social. March 19, 2024. [Online] Available: https://sproutsocial.com/. Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[4] “Requirements for Facebook Reels.” Facebook. [Online] Available: https://www.facebook.com/. Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[5] “Video Requirements.” Facebook. [Online] Available: https://www.facebook.com/. Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[6] “Business Help Centre.” Facebook. [Online] Available: https://www.facebook.com/. Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[7] “Create stunning Facebook Event Covers.” Canva. [Online] Available: https://www.canva.com/. Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[8] “Social Media Fact Sheet.” PEW Research Center. January 31, 2024. [Online] Available: https://www.pewresearch.org/. Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[9] “Your guide to Instagram sizes.” Microsoft. November 14, 2023. [Online] Available: https://create.microsoft.com/.  Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[10] “Video Ads.” LinkedIn. [Online] Available: https://business.linkedin.com/. Accessed June 19, 2024. 

[11] “LinkedIn sizes.” Canva. [Online] Available: https://www.canva.com/. Accessed June 19, 2024.

The post A Guide to Social Media Image and Video Sizing in 2024 first appeared on Coal Creative.

And, when your business really hits, your fans will be ever-hungry for more posts, pictures and creative productions. Luckily, there’s a creative agency in Northeast Pennsylvania that can help you deliver the awe-inspiring, engaging content your customers, clients and connections crave.

Coal elevates the essential elements that fuel your brand—from social media strategy to video production and graphic design, we’re your companion in creativity. And, when you become a retainer client with Coal, you’ll unlock some of the best benefits in the business—including unfettered access to all our services, consistent communication and collaboration and the confidence of knowing NEPA’s most capable creatives have your back.

#1: Keep the Keys to Coal’s Creative Closet

When you become a retainer client with Coal, you’re instantly invited into the family. As a close collaborative partner, you’ll gain access to every service we specialize in. And when we say every service, we really mean it. With Coal powering your creative engine, you can unlock:

• Catered social media content creation complete with graphic and video design, seamlessly implanted ads and other engaging elements that keep users on your page

• Website design and content, including powerfully penned blog posts that drive more traffic to your page

• Bold branding services, including impeccable logo design and messaging guidelines that distinguish your business from its competitors

• Bespoke ad design for whatever your business needs—from digital platforms to billboards and traditional print mediums like magazines and newspapers

• Email marketing campaigns that drive new subscriptions and effortlessly integrate new users into your website

• Videos and commercials coordinated into energetic over-the-top (OTT) and social media campaigns

Providing consistent, on-brand content across these different styles and mediums is critical, as customers no longer encounter companies at just one touchpoint—on average, it’s across six [1].

Furthermore, they expect a consistent experience on all of them. That means the same playful humor in your Instagram and TikTok ads, a recognizable color palette on your web and print ads, and a signature voice in all written correspondences. As a retainer client, Coal works to implement all of these creative forms and more to suit your personal desires and business’s direction.

But how do we ensure our content flows seamlessly into your branding and marketing strategy?

Let’s talk about it.

#2: Strategically Steer Your Ship with Consistent Communications

Retainer partners are invited to meet with Coal on a monthly basis—at a minimum—to review our relationship and collaborate on effective marketing strategies. While you’ll stay firmly at the helm, we’ll be your loyal co-captain ready to suggest a route or take the wheel when you need it.

Put simply, with Coal on retainer, we become an extension of your business, working carefully with existing marketing teams. Collaborating with external creatives has meant big boons for businesses as of late, with the market for such partnerships expanding by nearly 30% in 2021 alone [2].

More marketing masterminds means more resources to determine and accomplish creative and advertising goals. Whether it’s crafting a theme for your next social media campaign or reimagining your entire aesthetic, our creative team helps you achieve it faster and exceed your highest expectations. 

What’s more, as a retainer client, you don’t have to draft up additional contracts, proposals and offers for every piece of work. Your monthly budget can be put toward whatever services are most relevant at the moment (we’ll iron out the specifics over our monthly catch-up). 

#3: Rest Easy with Coal’s Capable Crew of Creatives On Every Job

While we’re not fans of tooting our own horn, we’ll gladly point out when others do it for us. Perhaps the most blatant benefit of becoming a retainer client with Coal is teaming up with an award-winning agency that has the skills and know-how to deliver poignant video, visual and written content. Don’t just take our word for it, however, take:

• The American Business Awards’ – In 2022, Coal took home two medals for outstanding videos, including first place for their epic Hocsocx spot that taught us all It’s what’s underneath that counts. 

• The American Advertising Foundation’s (AAF) – The AAF’s American Advertising Awards recognized Coal’s 2022 work on The Bench Project as the winner of the Brand Campaign category. We’d love for you to sit with us and see how we can craft an equally evocative campaign to suit your brand’s image.

• Times Leader Media Group’s – We were honored when, in both 2021 and 2022, Times Leader Media Group’s Best of the Best recognized us as its top Video Production and Ad Agency. We were also particularly proud when they named us one of the best places to work in NEPA not once, but five times running.

With Coal on retainer, you’ll never have to worry: Will my marketing agency be up to this task?

Our highly skilled, knowledgeable and imaginative creators specialize in a diverse range of skills. From corralling clients to fine-tuning special effects and writing emotionally evocative stories, we’ll combine our creative capacities to deliver salient, sizzling content that meets the evolving needs of your brand.

Reap the Rewards of Keeping Coal on Retainer

Whether you’ve worked closely with us in the past or it’s your first time experiencing our services (oh boy, are we excited for you!), any brand can benefit from keeping Coal on retainer. 

Having a marketing agency that knows your brand and can help you grow as a company facilitates smooth, satisfying workflows and results. Coal taps into the very pulse of your organization to learn what makes it tick. From messaging to aesthetics to strategy, Coal is the creative agency that understands your brand’s vision and has your back as you steer toward success.

 To see firsthand how joining the ranks of Coal’s retainer clients can keep you on top of your business’ growing creative needs, request a proposal. 

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Sources: 

[1] “Modern Customers Expect An Omnichannel Experience, And Marketers Need To Rise To The Occasion.” Forbes. November 1, 2021. [Online] Available: https://www.forbes.com/. Accessed September 23, 2023.

[2] “Growth rate of U.S. agency revenue from 2009 to 2022, by discipline.” Statista. April 2023. [Online] Available: https://www.statista.com/. Accessed September 23, 2023.

The post The Bountiful Benefits of Keeping Coal on Retainer first appeared on Coal Creative.