Projector is the Collaborative Graphic Design Tool We’ve Been Searching For

The power of visuals in modern communication is undeniable. In the world of social media, 63% of content is made up of images, and according to Quicksprout, content with quality visuals receive 94% more views and engagement than those without. Strong visuals play an important role in all facets of business, helping you connect with an audience faster, and with more emotion, than words alone.

If you own or operate a business, you’re in the business of visual communication. From Instagram and TikTok to pitch decks, presentations and print materials, visual language filters into all channels and mediums of your business. The right designs can help bring your brand to life–and thankfully, tools like Projector make it easy for teams to create professional-looking visual content, regardless of whether you have a design background or not.

With a robust selection of templates, tools and features, Projector is the collaborative graphic design tool we’ve been searching for. It’s an entirely browser-based platform that helps teams work efficiently and in real-time. (Think: Google Docs for graphic design). From launching a social channel from scratch, to crafting a deck for your next campaign, in Projector, it's fast (and fun!) for anyone to create multimedia stories for any channel or medium. Keep reading to learn more about Projector, our favorite new design tool, and discover all the ways it can help you build and scale your business.

What is Projector? 

Projector is an entirely-browser based, collaborative tool for designing visual content. It’s powerful enough to support advanced multimedia layout and editing, but accessible and approachable for someone who’s never used professional design software before.

Who is it for?

Anyone who creates content for work. In Projector, people from all different kinds of skill sets–– writers, brand strategists, community managers, executives, marketers, creatives and designers –– can work together in one space that feels approachable and powerful for each of them.

What can you make with it?

Presentations, social posts and stories, email banners, zines, zoom backgrounds, digital flyers, pdfs, videos, and GIFs to name a few... Start from scratch, or get inspiration from a curated library of modern templates that can easily be customized in any way you want. Whether you’re running an Instagram channel for a brand, trying to launch a creative-side hustle, crafting a proposal deck or looking to spruce up your own portfolio and feed, Projector gives you one space to create everything.

How does it work?

Browse a curated library of professionally-designed templates (i.e. Instagram templates for highlighting your product or community, presentations for planning your editorial calendar, etc)

Stylize text and add movement with special media effects. Fill letters with videos, images, or GIFs, and add gradients, shadows, or outlines to create your own unique text styles.

Discover imagery, icons and more with the best content integrations via Unsplash, Shutterstock, Giphy, and Noun Project (for free!)

Share your story with a link to comment, collaborate, and present in real-time.

Why should you try it?

If you're looking for a more efficient and collaborative way to create visual content, Projector can help. They're making it easier for more people to connect with their audience through modern, multimedia design — and we all know good design is good business, after all.

Sign up here for free to give Projector a try.

This Shocking Detail Is Going to Change the Way You Use Instagram

photo credit: Becki Smith/ Smith House Photography 

Photos came first and then Instagram changed the entire game. On a monthly basis Instagram is used by 700M plus people worldwide. And it's not only influencers. Brands have totally revamped their marketing strategies and rely on the social platform to grow their businesses. That’s huge. And it’s not going away.  

At Create & Cultivate NYC, we chatted Claudine Cazian, Lila King, Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, and Virginia Nam, all of whom work in different verticals at the social platform, about how to do it right and drive impact in a meaningful way. 

It may come as a surprise that the concept of "get your grid right," is shifting. No doubt, people love pretty pics, but Cazian, Head of Entertainment Partnerships at Instagram, says that old way of thinking of the 'gram is wrong. (Don't stress, yet.) 

Social is changing. The way we use social is changing. And you should assume that your strategy should shift as the platform does.  

1. RIGHT NOW, FOCUS on MAKING STORIES YOUR NO. 1 

You may be surprised to hear that right now it’s more about your Insta Stories, and the “Explore” section, over the actual “feed experience.”

In the last year since Instagram added Stories, it has added 100 million global users to the platform. That means, those 100 million user have never known IG without Stories. It's a vital part of how they do social-- and it's where you should be focusing your efforts as well. 

As to how? Cazian says 5-8 great stories per day is a solid number and will help grow your following. 

"5-8 great Instagram Stories per day will help grow your following."  

Tweet this. 

If you’re working a big event, Virginia Nam, who works on the fashion partnerships team with Eva Chen, says that you should “front load the best content.” People don't love seeing a million tiny dashes, but if the first 5-8 stories are compelling it will draw them in to watch the rest. If you're posting so-so content as you go, you're more likely to lose their attention. 

When it comes to creating compelling Story content, Lila King, who leads global news and publisher partnerships, suggests using different formats (i.e. a still, followed by a video, followed by some Boomerangs) and mixing it up is key! Throw in some front-facing (#selfies) with some rear-facing camera action. People want to see the behind-the-scenes. And even though "news" isn't typically associated with selfies, King says people love to see "the human factor." 

2. YOUR ENGAGEMENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR GRID

This might be hard to hear, but when it comes to engagement and content, Instagram is “mobile first.” So while we’ve been working hard to “get our grids right,” Instagram is all about “real-time” in-the-moment pics. All four women agreed that pretty, neat, "mosaic patterns," etc., are not what's driving new followers to your page. And four out of four said that making it pretty is currently the wrong strategy. "It's engagement over grid, every time," said Cazian. 

At the conference, panel moderator Arianna Schioldager asked the crowd, “How many of you don't post videos because you are scared of how messy it makes your feed?” A sea of hands raised. “GET OVER IT!” called out Cabizan. “It’s a huge opportunity you are missing.”

Most people are using Instagram via their feed, which means you have to hook them while they are scrolling.

3. THINK ABOUT THE EXPLORE PAGE & THEN STOCK THOSE SHELVES

When you think IG, your first thought should be how people consume social. To see it in real time, take a trip over to Instagram’s Explore page and look at how the content is displayed.

Since “Stories” are the first thing in the “Explore” section, followed by “Video” (which is super attention-grabbing), then followed by "Photos," you need to make sure you keep your “shelves” stocked with content.

If you aren’t creating content for all three mediums, you are missing out on exposure opportunities at every turn, shared Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, Head of Music Partnerships. 

4. SHOULD YOU TURN YOUR PROFILE INTO A BIZ?

Are you a brand or a person? Or are you a little of both? If your goal is to grow your following and you have a business, it seems obvious that you should have a business profile. But some things are too big to see. 

Some bloggers and influencers have been reluctant to do this. They want to remain authentic to their audience. They don’t want to feel like they’ve ‘sold out.’ But it’s possible that you’re selling yourself short.

Business profiles have hidden benefits. You can access your Insights, have people contact you, and sponsor a post every now and then.

5. ACCOUNTS WHO ARE USING THE NEW FEATURES WELL

Virginia Nam highligted Philip Lim as a fashion brand using the carousel feature the right way. She specifically references this post, as a one that really got it right. It shows a final product and the behind-the-scenes content people crave. 

Lila King shared that the The NY Times does a great job with their IG Stories content. 

Arianna Schioldager is Editor-in-Chief at Create & Cultivate. You can follow her @ariannawrotethis. 

How are you using Instagram's new features to grow? Share in the comments below!

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Links We Love: The Election Is Finally Over

It's Friday. Take a seat and take a breather. This week has been whirlwind, but the election is finally over, we have a new President-elect, and we still have a lot of work left to do. 

But first, read up. Can't create change without being in the know of what's going on now.

Here's an open letter to Secretary Clinton.

Hillary might not have broken the Presidential glass this week, but these 6 women have sure made a dent in the political glass ceiling.

Instagram Stories 2.0 is here.

Sexism is echoing in all places, especially this week. Here's how to fight it at work.

"Trying to be a man is a waste of a woman." Damn right.

Here is one of the things women are rushing to do before Trump takes office.

Do you hate hearing these things at work as well?

We're not ready to say bye to Michelle Obama. Michelle 2020, please.

Facebook, how are some of us dead if we're still writing this? 

You know how you're inspired by bloggers to travel around the world and take amazing photos? This takes it to another level, and it's downright scary.

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Roundtable Talk: How We Really Feel About Additional Social Platforms

Source: @felixcartal

The addition of Instagram Stories raised a few eyebrows last week, not only because the newest arm of the photo-sharing app looked like a carbon copy (minus the dog filters) of Snapchat, but because it was yet another piece of the social layer cake that has many already feeling stuffed. Thanksgiving style. 

There are now a total of five major social players: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and Pinterest. Add in the characters that are brand specific-- YouTube if you're in the beauty space, Vine if you're in comedy, and LinkedIn if you're a business, and your social Rolodex is on constant spin. Update one. Then the next. Tweet this. Pin that. Share. Share. 

SHARE.  

It's OK to be tired and over it and at the same time want to keep up. Making the decision to stay off a social media platform can come back to bite you, especially if you're a brand. And for those whose JOB it is to keep up, the job description is as shaky as a fault line. 

For social directors and bloggers the ever-shifting landscape is not only difficult to navigate, but the addition of new platforms can feel completely overwhelming. For some, the challenge is exciting, keeping them on their toes and at constant warp speed. "If you want to work in social," says Priscilla Castro, Social Director here at Create & Cultivate, "you know what kind of a beast you're going to battle. It's not a secret that new platforms are added or that one day, a platform you worked really hard to build up, could all of the sudden become obsolete. But that's the great thing about this space-- regardless of your background, you learn as you go because it's constantly evolving. It's safe to say that it's quite different from when I started working in it 3 years ago." 

That's not to say it's not disheartening. "There's definitely an 'all that work for what?' feeling to it sometimes, but that's also the challenge and where the exciting part of the job is. How to stay relevant. How to be an early adaptor. How to be social, but for business. It's the new communications major." 

Artist Tania Debono who runs the popular Instagram @thewriting also makes a living as a social media strategist. Tania says that "the influx of content is drowning us all."

"The influx of content is drowning us all."

Tweet this. 

Regarding Instagram Stories she believes, "brands with a strong community on Instagram have been trying to find their ‘voice’ on Snapchat for some time, but with the new update many brands and personal brands that haven’t properly broken into Snapchat will abandon the platform to invest time into Instagram as a whole."

For her, "Snapchat has become an after-thought, I want to share more meaningful content on the fly with my Instagram community only. I’ve noticed a decline in updates from people and brands too, and those in my real life community that didn’t invest time in Snapchat are creating brilliant content through Instagram stories."

So how do you decide what your social strategy should be if it's always changing? Or when and if you can KO a platform? 

Adrianna Adarme who founded the food blog A Cozy Kitchen says, "I haven't explored Instagram Stories a ton but I do think think it can be really beneficial for people who already have a strong following on the platform; it's sort of nice that it's all in one place."

And that's the general current sentiment. It is "nice" that it's all in one place because shifting gears through the apps is exhausting, for both content creators and consumers. Adds Adrianna, "I don't think it's the end of Snapchat though, I think its core audience was and always will be a teen, early twenty-something audience and I believe they'll continue to use it. I'm testing out both to see what works for me but I already miss the dog filter and stuff." Therein lies the rub. We all fall prey to "testing out both," and before we know it, we've added them all.  

It's something that colleges have taken note of as well. Social Media degrees are becoming more popular than ever, teaching students how to engage audiences through creative content and impactful messaging. 

University of Southern California offers a master's program in digital social media from its journalism school. The degree, according to the program's website, "teaches you leadership and management of social media, digital media, and online communities," so that student, "develop expertise in the practice, theory, and strategies that are essential for success in today's business and social landscape."

But what is impactful one semester, might not be the next. The same goes for your social strategy. 

"While a degree in social media is amazing and useful," says Priscilla, "the curriculum you learned in a semester in college will be obsolete by the time you enter your work field. There is no way to 'do' social media 'by-the-book,' because it's always evolving." 

"There is no way to do social media 'by-the-book,' because it's always evolving."

Tweet this. 

"To do it right," she adds, "you have to move with the ebbs and flows of the space and not dismiss new platforms that will change your day one strategy. Just get with it, get your hands dirty, and create amazing content that you know your audience will love."

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Instagram Just Released Snapchat-Like Feature, But Here’s Why You’ll Use It

Gather 'round, it's story time kids. 

This morning Instagram introduced Instagram Stories, a new feature that lets you share all the moments of your day, not just the ones you want to keep on your profile. As you share multiple photos and videos, they appear together in a slideshow format: your story.

In a blog post the app announced, "With Instagram Stories, you don’t have to worry about over-posting. Instead, you can share as much as you want throughout the day — with as much creativity as you want. You can bring your story to life in new ways with text and drawing tools. The photos and videos will disappear after 24 hours and won’t appear on your profile grid or in feed."

Instagram has long been the "curated" social media. It's where users, brands, and influencers give the public a highlight reel of their life. No more. TechCrunch scored an interview with IG CEO Kevin Systrom who admitted to publication, “They deserve all the credit,” while insisting, “This isn’t about who invented something. This is about a format, and how you take it to a network and put your own spin on it.”

Stories is the spot where you can upload all of the stuff that isn't great for your grid-- because from a brand and gaining follower perspective we've heard over and over again how important it is to "get your grid right." 

With Stories you can doodle, draw, and like Snapchat, they'll disappear after 24-hours. 

At the top of your feed there will be a bar featuring stories from your best friends and favorite accounts. When the user adds something new to their story the profile will have a colorful ring around it. To see said story you tap the profile photo. 

The feature follows the privacy settings on your account. You can also hide Stories from followers you don't want checking in. 

According to the post, "Instagram has always been a place to share the moments you want to remember. Now you can share your highlights and everything in between, too."

It also solves the "too many apps, NO MORE!" crisis that many people have expressed anxiety over. Instagram Stories is the first useful attempt to consolidate the overwhelm of social. Clone or not, people will use it simply out of convenience. Snapchat showed that people wanted more than a highlight reel-- IG followed the crowd. 

"Instagram Stories is the first useful attempt to consolidate the overwhelm of social." 

Tweet this. 

It will also prove useful for brands hiring influencers for campaigns to engage followers in BTS footage or event photos. Bloggers and influencers wont have to switch back-and-forth between apps and they'll be able to share moments on their IG without overcrowding the feed. 

However, unlike regular posts there are no likes or public comments, so for the time being it might be difficult to measure engagement. But that's not going to stop the social platform's 500 million users from jumping on board. 

Instagram Stories will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks on iOS and Android. Your move Evan Spiegel.

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