What’s the key to engaging content? How can I keep people coming back for more?

These are questions that I hear all of the time, so when I had the opportunity to go to Facebook Community Boost and speak directly Facebook’s creative team, I jumped at the opportunity to ask the questions that you want answers to!

I asked about everything from increasing sales with social media to the latest ad trends and best practices. I totally geeked out! I walked away with so many nuggets of wisdom, but one theme that kept coming up over and over again, was the importance creative visuals. 

Everything starts and ends with eye-catching, visually appealing, and interesting content. 

We’re living in a world where we have less than 2 seconds to catch someone’s attention and most of the time, the visual is the only thing that stands out. The problem is, making those visuals takes time. 

Luckily, Facebook recommended 10 best photo & video apps to make better content, quicker and easier!

Before you get frustrated or spend hours trying to make a good photo or video, make sure you check out these apps to see if they can save you some time (or money). 

After all, you have better things you can be doing than editing a photo for the 1,000th time!

Best Photo Enhancing Apps

1. Adobe Photoshop Express

It’s Photoshop on your phone and at your fingertips! 

This is a very powerful app, especially, if you take a lot of photos on your phone. The app boasts being a fast, easy, and fun way to touch your way to better looking pictures, and best of all it’s FREE!

It is jam-packed with features and is a great way to edit on the go. It’s the perfect for those who aren’t as well-versed in the full Adobe Photoshop program and don’t have time to learn an entire new program.

Features Include:

• Over 60 Unique Looks (like filters)
• Image Corrections
• Dehazing (removing fog and haze from the atmosphere)
• Luminance Noise Reduction (brighten and sharpen dark, grainy photos)
• Text Styles (to make memes)
• Perspective Correction (straighten crooked images)
• Apply Blur 
• Connection to Creative Cloud (save and continue edits in other connected Adobe Photoshop apps)
• Collages

It is available on the App Store, Google Play, and the Windows Store.

2. Adobe Spark Post

A quick and easy way to make eye-catching graphics and images, all in the palm of your hand!

It’s from Adobe, so you know it has to be good. This app promises to create stunning graphics, in seconds. It is full of time saving features and is the perfect for those who aren’t the best with design and don’t have time to create templates from scratch.

Features Include:

• Professionally Designed Templates
• Themes for a Consistent Look
• Magic Text (applies typography automatically as you resize text to make it pop)
• Automatic Resize (instantly adjust size for each social platform)
• Text Effects (apply shadows, outlines, and cut-out effects)
• Animated Video Posts (one tap animations)
• Hand-Picked Designer Fonts & Shapes
• Auto Recolor (change color palette with one tap)  
• Text Cut-Outs (reveal background image through text)
• Free Premium Stock Photos
• Connection to Creative Cloud (save and continue edits in other connected Adobe apps)

It comes in both a free and premium version, and is available on the App Store and Google Play.

3. PicLab

This is another one to make eye-catching visuals, quickly and easily. 

This app aims to make editing photos fun and effortless. It’s stocked with easy-to-use features that can take your images to new heights.

If I’m being honest, this isn’t my favorite app out of the bunch, but it still gets the job done. It doesn’t have as many features as some of the other apps and it prompts a lot of in-app purchases, which I am never a fan of with free apps.

Features Include:

• Image Overlays and Masks (shapes, borders, textures, light-leaks, & more)
• Stickers and Artwork
• More Than 20 Photo Filters
• Designer Fonts & Typography
• Text Effects (adjust opacity, drop-shadows, and layers)
• Photo Effects (adjust brightness, saturation, contrast, blur, and exposure)
• Drawing Tool (scribble right on your photos)
• Collage Tool 
• Cropping Tool (preset and custom cropping ratios)

It is available on the App Store, Google Play, and the Windows Store.

4. Plotaverse

Facebook recommends this as a simple way to animate still photos or turn videos into GIFS.

Plotaverse claims to be the #1 Motion Art App that allows you to easily animate images and add video overlays in minutes. It is a premium app, that requires a membership ($4.99 monthly or $35.99 annually).

Full disclosure: I do not use this app, therefore, I do not recommend it. My promise to you is that I will not recommend something that I, myself, don’t use or test out first.

Part of the reason that I don’t use or recommend this app is because of the ongoing membership cost. I’ve looked into this app quite a bit, and I just don’t think it packs enough value for the ongoing cost. 

I’ve also looked at a lot of content made on Plotaverse (it’s website is a giant gallery), and the animations just look a little too fake to me. For the cost of this app, I would expect a high quality final product and this just falls a bit short. 

Facebook must see something in this app though since it recommends it!

Features Include:

• FX Overlays (video overlays)
• Animation and Selection Tool
• Instant Playback
• Image Adjustments (brightness, contrast, hue, saturation)
• Magnifier and Pinch Zoom
• Crop Presets
• Social Sharing Presets
• Save to Camera Roll
• GIF, MP4, and Animated PNG Exports
• Apple Pencil Pressure Sensitivity
• Real-Time Animation Speed Control

It is available on the App Store and Google Play.

5. Ripl

This is a great app that can give you professional looking content in a matter of minutes! 

You can quickly and conveniently layer animations on top of photos to make eye-catching videos and slideshows–no editing or design experience required.

It is full of templates, connects to social media so you can schedule content out, and it offers analytics to see which video is working the best. It has both a free and premium version, so you can test it out thoroughly before spending any money on it. 

This is a great app that’s very easy to use. If you have the Adobe Creative Cloud, you can make the same type of content without buying another app, but if you don’t want to learn another program, Ripl is a great option. 

Features Include:

• 250+ Customizable Design Templates (collages, banners, slideshows, etc)
• Animated Post Recommendations Customized For You
• Hundreds of Font and Music Choices
• Desktop and Mobile Compatibility
• Email and Social Media Integration (one-tap sharing and scheduling)
• Export Saving (save files outside of the app to use elsewhere)
• Real-Time Analytics

It is available on the App Store, Google Play, and Desktop.

Best Video Enhancing Apps

6. Videoshop

A simple and easy way to take your videos to the next level! 

This app boasts being a simple video editor, with fast editing tools so that anyone can have customized videos. It not only lets you combine photos and videos, but it also lets you resize videos and experiment with stop motion. 

This is another paid app with membership fees ($3.99 monthly, $23.99 annually). I’ve tested it out and it is a good option, especially for beginners, but I no longer use it. 

If you have the Adobe Creative Cloud, you can accomplish everything that this app does, without having to pay another membership fee. 

Features Include:

• Trim (cut unwanted footage, split into multiple clips)
• Music and sound Effects
• Slow and Fast Motion
• Adjust Display (brightness, contrast, saturation, etc.)
• Merger (combine clips into one)
• Text Overlay
• Voice Over (record your voice over video)
• Animated Titles
• Filters and Transitions
• Stop Motion
• Resize
• Reverse (play videos in reverse)
• Copy and Undo
• Tilt Shift and Rotate
• Social Compatibility (one-tap sharing)

It is available on the App Store, Google Play, and the Windows Store.

8. Quik

This is probably the best video editing app in the whole bunch!

It’s simple to use, and it’s made by GoPro (to edit GoPro footage), so you know it’s going to be good. The app claims that video editing has never been so fast or fun. It takes just a few taps to create a powerful, professional looking video. 

The best part is, it’s free and you don’t have to have a GoPro to use it. It is compatible with videos shot on GoPro models, phones, and other devices. 

Features Include: 

• Video Analysis to Select Best Footage (detects faces + colors to frame perfectly)
• HiLights (tag the best footage)
• Upload Your Own Photos and Video Clips
• Works with Motion Photos
• 23 Themes Designed for Any Occasion (includes transitions and graphics)
• Customize Themes to Fit Your Style (font, filters, and graphics)
• Slow and Fast Motion
• Smart Cuts (Quik will magically cut footage for you)
• Text Overlays, Title Slides, and Stickers
• Smart Audio (automatically turns on audio when voices are detected)
• Custom Formatting (cinema, square, or portrait formats for easy social sharing)
• More than 100 free songs (or upload your own)
• Sound Sync (automatically sync transitions to beat of the music) 
• Save Videos in HD (1080p or 720p)
• Easy Social Sharing
• Save Drafts for 7 Days (get more time to work on projects by saving as drafts)

It is available on the App Store, Google Play, and Desktop.

8. Instagram Stories

This one isn’t actually a stand alone app, it’s part of the Instagram app.

Facebook owns Instagram, and it is really pushing stories on both platforms as “the next best thing”, so it makes sense that they would recommend using Instagram Stories to create awesome content. 

Stories are a fun way to elevate your content with text, drawings, stickers, and more. It can be a little less polished because Stories only live for 24 hours, unless you add them into your highlights. 

Features Include:

• Stories Archive (so you never have to save it to your phone)
• Stories Highlights (save stories to your profile, even after it’s disappeared)
• Stickers (location, hashtag, mentions)
• Engagement (polls and questions)
• Text Overlays
• Drawing Tool (scribble on your photos/videos)

Instagram is available on the App Store and Google Play. 

9. Boomerang

This is another fun one from Instagram. Even though you can make a Boomerang within the Instagram app, it actually has its own stand alone app too!

Boomerang lets you easily create mini videos that loop back and forth. All you need is your phone and something that is moving. The app does the rest!

Because you can make this same type of content right on the Instagram app, I don’t think you necessarily need to download the Boomerang app, unless you want to use your Boomerangs elsewhere.

Features Include: 

• Uses Front and Back Facing Camera
• No Sign Up or Account Required (start using immediately)
• Create Video with Only One Button 
• Easy Social Sharing (share directly to Facebook or Instagram with one tap)

It is available on the App Store and Google Play.

10. Legend

Combine typography and video with this simple app. 

Legend animates text to create stunning videos and GIFs . All of the text animations were handcrafted by professional motion designers and combine hundreds of typography, animations, backgrounds, and colors. 

I love how easy to use this app is, but I don’t like that it only works on iOS.

I’m always a bit weary of apps that are exclusive to one operating system. It makes me question whether or not the developers are skilled enough to build a functioning app for both iOS and Android, or if they just didn’t care enough to put in the extra work to get it on both operating systems. 

Whatever the case, I wonder if the app will be updated regularly and if bugs will be worked out in a timely fashion.

Features Include: 

• Add, Crop, and Trim Photo/Video Backgrounds
• Background Images by Flickr
• Save Videos and GIFs to Photo Library
• Easy Social Sharing
• Send Autoplaying Messages
• Custom Animation Triggers (time, distance, percentage, etc)
• Highlights Hashtags and Usernames
• Animates Numbers and Displays Emojis

It is available on the App Store.

Standing out on social media is hard. Not only is it time consuming, but it can also be expensive and frustrating if you struggle with design. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be!

The key is to create interesting and eye-catching content.  By using any of the 10 best photo and video apps that Facebook recommends, you can create professional looking content in a matter of minutes.

The best part is, you don’t even have to be good with design because most of the apps have professionally made templates that you can customize! 

The more time (and money) you can save making awesome content, the more time you will have to do things that you want!

Next time you need to make some social media content, give these photo and video apps a try and let me know how it goes. 

Believe me, your Instagram will thank you!

The post 10 Best Photo & Video Apps for Great Content (According to Facebook) appeared first on Simple Socialite.

Roughly $15 billion dollars are spent on Facebook ads every quarter and nearly 2 billion people see ads on Facebook every single day. With numbers like that, it is no surprise that businesses are flocking to the social network for their advertising needs. 

While Facebook is pretty simple to navigate on its own, the ad platform is anything but. There’s so many places to click, different levels within the ad accounts, and the whole thing just looks overwhelming and complicated. 

Trust me, I get it! The good news is, once you know what you’re doing and where to look for things within the ad platform, Facebook ads get a whole lot easier!

And because the people at Facebook are so awesome, they offer Facebook Blueprint, which is a FREE way for anyone to learn Facebook ads. All you need is a Facebook profile! 

What Is Facebook Blueprint?

Blueprint is Facebook’s online learning platform. It contains short lessons and a variety of courses so that you can focus only on what you need. 

Its covers everything from how to make an ad, understanding the ad policies, and targeting your audience to more advanced strategies like mastering pixel analytics and optimized ad buying. There is literally something for everyone at every level! 

Facebook Blueprint is completely self-paced and is designed for you to only do the lessons that you need. You are not supposed to do them all (unless you are opting for the certification), so there is no way that you can ever fall behind.

But speaking of that certification, Facebook does offer a Blueprint certification, but most people don’t need to do this. This is designed primarily for digital agencies and professional marketers, but even most of them don’t have the certification either! 

Think of Blueprint as a resource. If you get stuck on something or have some extra time and want to learn a little more, then dive in. But if you’re pressed for time, no worries! It will be there whenever you get back to it.  

Why Is Facebook Blueprint The Best Way To Learn Facebook Ads?

1. It’s free. It will not cost you a dime (unless you want to go for the certification).

2. It’s accurate and updated frequently – it comes from straight from Facebook after all!

I can’t say enough about these top two reasons! These two things alone make Facebook Blueprint stand out against other Facebook ad courses.

3. It’s very convenient and you can do it on the go! You can fly through a single lesson in about 5 minutes and you can access all of the courses from any of your devices.

4. It lets you focus only on what you need. You can jump around and do only the courses that fit your situation and progress. You don’t have to complete one course before moving on to the next.

5. It provides personalized support, transparency with the updates, and certification options to help you troubleshoot and further your skill set.

Getting Started With Facebook Blueprint

If you need to learn about Facebook ads, or just have a quick question about Ads Manager, the algorithm, or targeting your audience, then Blueprint is a pretty awesome free tool. 

Getting started is super simple also! Just make sure you are logged into your Facebook accounts (which you most likely are anyway) and visit https://www.facebook.com/business/learn. From there, you will be able to start your first lesson or browse all of the Blueprint courses. 

With roughly 2 billion people exposed to Facebook ads on a daily basis, the opportunity for growth is huge! But Facebook ads can be very tricky, especially if you are just starting out.

Facebook Blueprint is not only free, and self-paced, but it is also completely accurate and updated frequently so it never goes out of date when something changes. Thanks, Facebook!

Because there are so many benefits of using it, Blueprint is the best place to learn Facebook ads, especially if you are just getting started!

The post The Best Way To Learn Facebook Ads For FREE appeared first on Simple Socialite.