Best Color Combinations For Social Media Posts

Colors are a vital part of graphic design, as well as most visual media. Social media is no different. How to use colors in your visual social media? That’s why we’re here. Let’s learn all about the best color combinations for social media.

It takes a lot of creativity and inspiration to create something aesthetically appealing. Still this is not as subjective as we’re frequently made to believe.

While it is often said tastes and colors shouldn’t be debated, humans are wired to detect and respect harmony, whether it’s the shapes, forms, or the patterns and colors that surround us. Social media colors are no exception.

The first and most difficult challenge in being noticed on social media is to keep your audience from glossing over your content. This is why it is a good idea to use more basic building elements in your design, such as unique colors and innovative design techniques. There isn’t one answer to the question ‘what colors grab attention on social media’. But, there are some ways to make sure your social media color palette grabs and keeps the users’ attention.

Color psychology is an important aspect of creating the best color combo for your social media. But what is it? In simplest terms, color psychology studies the meaning we associate with colors. All colors are associated with multiple emotions or concepts, negative and positive.

However, your posts need to include at least one color that your brand regularly uses, for consistency and brand awareness. Social media colors are often picked according to popularity, but completely abandoning your brand guidelines can be hurtful in the long run.

How to use colors in your visual social media?

As in singing, the beginning is a very good place to start. And the beginning for creating an effective social media color palette (or any color palette) is the color wheel.

There are primary colors – red, blue, and yellow – and secondary colors that are made out of the primary colors. Naturally, the full color wheel has tons more different tones of colors, but the basic principles of combining colors remains the same for all of them. There are several ways in which you can combine colors. Some of the most well-known color combinations are:

• Complementary – complementary colors are two colors on the opposing ends of the color wheel. For example red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple. These colors together make for dynamic and in-your-face color schemes.
• Analogous – analogous colors are the colors next to each other on the color wheel. Analogous color schemes can be for example red, violet, and blue, or yellow, orange and red. These color schemes can be used for all kinds of projects. They are usually more subdued and elegant.
• Triadic – as the name suggests, triadic color schemes are three colors, evenly spaced on the color wheel. One of the most popular (and obvious) is combining the three primary colors.
• Tetradic – the combination of four colors equidistant from each other on the color wheel. These color combinations can get quite loud and busy, so if you opt for a tetradic social media color palette, consider having one or two main colors and the rest being accents.

However, these are only the basic principles of color combining. Let’s take a look at some particular combinations, often hailed as the best color combinations for social media.

Bright colors on neutral backgrounds

This is a tried-and-true way to use color in social media. Bright colors tend to be the stars of the show, and using them against a neutral background is a no-brainer.

Many brands opt for this route when choosing their social media colors, as neutrals allow them to use their brand colors to their full potential in their posts. Neutral backgrounds will contain and ground the brighter colors and keep the design from looking cluttered and tacky.

Black and white are usually the go-to background colors, but they aren’t the only neutral colors out there. A lovely, warm tan or gray color can be a wonderful background for brighter colors, creating a stunning visual.

Colorful monochrome

When they hear the word monochrome, they think of black and white and clear, precisely cut lines. While this is a timeless combination that can always be a sound choice, monochrome can also be the various shades of one color.

This is a great way to infuse color, yet still keep the palette streamlined and neat. Using one color can save you from having to come up with appropriate tints for your attractive 3 color combinations.

Some regard monochrome color palettes as boring and uninventive, but that’s far from true. Single color palettes can bring a sense of unity into your social media designs. The picture below is the perfect example of that. The lovely shades of violet are anything but boring and they make for elegant, yet still interesting design elements.

Warm+cool

Combining warm and cool colors is a sure way to create a dynamic and interesting look. Finding the right social media colors is all about creating visual harmony. There is nothing more harmonious than opposites in perfect balance.

Selecting two colors that work well isn’t only the case of color theory, though. If you have a specific idea on what colors you’d like to use, you might think you’ll be limited in your choices. Combining earthy tones with zany neons is difficult, but if done correctly can produce amazing results.

The graphic below is a wonderful example of this. The cool blues and grays suggest professionalism, stability, and dedication, while the little splashes of warm oranges and yellows help to round out the sharp edges and make the design more grounded and dynamic. It’s also a great example of a tetradic color scheme – main colors augmented by accents.

Soft pastels

Pastel colors have ruled the social media sphere for a while now, and the trend shows no sign of stopping or being perceived as dated. We loved them in the early 2010s, during the early flights of social media as we know it today, and we love them now, a decade later.

Why is that? It could be because pastels are closer to colors we might see in real life – muted, softer, and relatively unintrusive. Even though they’re quite delicate, pastels are incredibly versatile. Some of the most popular instagram colors are millennial pink, baby blue, mint green, mauve, and pale yellow. Cheerful and easy to combine, they can make tons of cute color schemes that will brighten the users’ day.

The visual below is a stellar example of the use of pastels. The combination of millennial pink and black and white makes for an interesting, yet sophisticated design.

Primary colors

Sometimes you need to go back to the basics. Combining primary colors might seem daunting at first, seeing as all of them together can often look garish, but when done properly, a primary color palette can make for wonderful visuals.

Primary colors contain all the hues, and have been popular in marketing and branding for decades, if not centuries. Whether you use two or all three, primary colors are bound to attract the gaze of the viewer. They’re brash, loud, and demand attention.

If you opt for a primary color palette, a good idea is to use simple, geometric shapes and outlines. This creates a Mondrian-esque look that always looks impressive and fresh.

Neon on dark

When you ask yourself “What colors grab attention on social media?”, neons usually spring to mind. Neons are excellent color choices for social media. They’re eye-catching, loud, and screens give them extra glow.

Neons are often associated with being cutting-edge, futuristic, and powerful. Pairing them with a dark background gives them a cyberpunk vibe that works wonderfully for tech, finance, or even companies in creative fields.

The graphic below shows us how effective this color combination is. It makes you stop and pay attention. However, make sure the neons you pick fit your brand aesthetic and colors.

Black and white with a splash of color

Black and white is the ultimate elegant, classy color combo. It’s one of the best color combinations for social media. In a sea of loud colors everywhere, sometimes the most impactful thing to do is the opposite.

If you have text in your posts, selecting a black and white color scheme and showcasing a beautiful font is a great way to add visual interest. However, there’s no rule that says you can’t add a splash of color, too.

A black and white post can really come to life with a high-contrast detail. A shape in a bold color can work wonders in social media. In the next example you can see how a simple color scheme seems elevated and fun through well-designed elements.

Conclusion

We hope this list has inspired you to experiment with your social media colors. Thoughtful design pays off in heaps, and selecting the right color palette is one of the pillars of any design project. This is true for social media marketing, and even more so for branding, logo, web, or app design.

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