Design Assets for Social Media: What Brands Buy

Design Assets for Social Media: What Brands Buy

A complete playbook to build, package, price, license, and sell design packs that marketing teams actually use

Brands don’t buy “pretty files.” They buy speed, consistency, and outcomes—assets that reduce creative turnaround, keep campaigns on-brand, and scale across channels. This guide details the exact asset types, specs, workflows, pricing, licensing, packaging, previews, marketing, SEO, and metrics you need to sell social media design packs that get repeat purchases from startups, agencies, and in-house teams.

Who this is for (and the promise)

If you’re a designer, illustrator, motion editor, or Canva/Figma power user, you’ll learn how to turn your skills into ready-to-use social kits that brands can deploy the same day—no handholding, minimal support.

What brands actually buy (by use case)

1) Instagram/LinkedIn Content Systems

• Carousel templates (cover, inner slides, CTA slides)

• Single-post templates (quotes, tips, promos, announcements)

• Story/Reel covers (series consistency)

• Ad variants (A/B headline and price spots)

2) Promo & Launch Kits

• Countdown stories, “drop now” posts, product feature posts, price-change notices, seasonal banners.

3) UGC & Creator Collaboration Kits

• Branded frames, “duet me” overlays, influencer codes, partner co-brand variations.

4) Brand Starter Assets

• Profile/cover sets (IG, FB, X, YouTube, LinkedIn)

• Highlight icons (15–30 icons with style variants)

• Grid systems (planned 3×3 or 6×3 visual flow)

5) Vertical Video & Motion Overlays

• Lower-thirds, captions bars, progress bars, stickers, swipe prompts, end cards.

6) Niche Packs

• Restaurants (menu specials, combos)

• D2C beauty (before/after, ingredients)

• Ed-tech (lesson tiles, tips, testimonials)

• Fitness (workout cards, challenge badges)

Exact platform specs (ship formats brands expect)

Static

• IG Square: 1080×1080 (1:1)

• IG Portrait Feed: 1080×1350 (4:5)

• Stories/Reels cover & TikTok: 1080×1920 (9:16)

• LinkedIn image: 1200×1200 (1:1) or 1200×1350 (4:5)

• X/Twitter post: 1200×675 (16:9)

• YouTube thumbnail: 1280×720 (16:9)

Video/Motion Overlays

• 9:16 (1080×1920), 1:1 (1080×1080), 16:9 (1920×1080), 30fps or 60fps. Export .MOV ProRes or .MP4 H.264 with alpha where required (use .MOV ProRes 4444 for transparency).

File Types to Include

• Editable: PSD, AI, Canva template link, Figma (.fig or duplicate link)

• Ready-to-use exports: PNG (transparent for stickers/overlays), JPG (quality 85–92)

• Motion: .AEP (After Effects), .MOGRT (Premiere), .MP4/.MOV previews

Fonts & Colors

• Global color styles/swatches; style tokens in Figma/Illustrator.

• Never redistribute paid fonts; link to official sources and provide free alternatives.

Non-destructive, reusable build workflow

1. Master components: create button bars, badges, price chips, logo locks, and CTA chips as symbols/components.

2. Text styles: H1/H2/H3, body, caption; include a type scale and usage notes.

3. Auto-layouts (Figma/Canva grids): ensure headings adapt to 1–3 lines without breaking.

4. Smart object/photo frames: one-click image swap; mask shapes for portrait/landscape.

5. Edge cases: test with long product names, multi-price scenarios (MRP vs offer), dark/light backgrounds.

6. Export presets: build batch exports (1:1, 4:5, 9:16) with naming rules.

Packaging that reduces support and increases trust

Folder structure (ZIP):

SocialPack_ModernLaunch_v1.2/

├── Canva_Link.txt

├── Figma_Duplicate.txt

├── PSD/

├── AI/

├── Motion/

├── Exports/

│ ├── 1080x1080/

│ ├── 1080x1350/

│ └── 1080x1920/

├── Fonts_Readme.pdf

├── License.pdf

└── Start-Here_QuickGuide.pdf

• Start-Here_QuickGuide.pdf (3–4 pages): install, brand swap, export, FAQs.

• License.pdf: personal/business use allowed, no resale/redistribution of source files, multi-brand use requires agency/extended license.

• Versioning: use v1.2 and a changelog (compatibility updates build buyer confidence).

Previews that sell the transformation

• Cover: one bold mockup with “before/after” (plain → branded) and 3 use cases.

• Carousel sample: 5–7 slides stitched as a GIF.

• Grid preview: show how 9 posts look together.

• Story/Reel overlay demo: 10–15s video with captions bar/end card in action.

• Avoid heavy watermarks; use a thin footer credit and subtle checkerboard on PNG previews.

Pricing (INR) that respects your time

• Single-channel starter (30–40 static templates): ₹699–₹1,499

• Cross-channel system (80–120 static + stories): ₹1,999–₹3,999

• Motion add-on (15–30 overlays/MOGRTs): +₹1,000–₹2,500

• Niche pro kit (restaurant/beauty/fitness): ₹2,499–₹5,999

• Agency/extended license: 2–3× the base price

Anchor each pack with a clear promise: “Ship 30 days of posts in 2 hours.”

Licensing that brands understand

• Standard license: 1 brand/client, unlimited organic & paid usage; no resale of source files.

• Agency/extended: multiple client brands inside one firm; no marketplace redistribution.

• Motion broadcast add-on (optional): for TV/large paid reach.
  Include a one-paragraph summary inside the QuickGuide and a full License.pdf.

Where to sell (and why)

• Your store (control + bundling + emails).

• Marketplaces: Etsy (visual discovery), Creative Market/Design Bundles (design-savvy buyers), Gumroad/Payhip (fast checkout, global taxes handled).

• Mirror bestsellers across one marketplace + your store; keep bundles exclusive to your site to raise AOV.

Marketing plan (zero to steady sales)

Content

• Weekly carousels showing “Wireframe → Final” and “Swap brand in 60s” screencaps.

• A 30–60s Reel/Shorts: batch export demo, story caption bar overlay in action.

• One free mini-sample (5 templates) as a lead magnet.

Partnerships

• Offer micro-creators a 30–40% affiliate split + unique coupon.

• Pitch agencies with an extended license and internal training Loom.

Campaigns

• “30 posts in 30 minutes” challenge.

• Seasonal add-on packs (Diwali, Independence Day, Black Friday, New Year).

SEO checklist for product pages

• Title: “Instagram Carousel & Stories Canva Templates (Modern Launch Pack)”

• H2: who it’s for + outcome (“For D2C brands that need 30 posts fast”).

• Bullets: benefits (not just file counts).

• Alt text: “1080×1350 carousel template with price chip and CTA bar.”

• Tags: 10–15 long-tail phrases (IG carousel template India, Canva story overlays, MOGRT captions bar).

• Interlink to relevant resources and internal pages (see below).

Metrics to track (improve quarterly)

• Visit → add-to-cart → purchase conversion.

• AOV (does the motion add-on lift it?).

• Repeat rate (buyers returning for niche packs).

• Refund/support per 100 orders (aim <3%; fix QuickGuide if higher).

• Top search terms (add variants to titles/tags).

Common mistakes and quick fixes

• Overdesigned layouts that break with long headlines → convert to fluid auto-layout and add overflow rules.

• Hard-coded fonts you can’t redistribute → link to sources + provide free alternates.

• No QuickGuide → add a 3-minute setup and an FAQ page.

• One ratio only → export 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 for the same templates.

• Vague licensing → one paragraph summary + full PDF.

FAQs

Q1: Canva vs PSD/AI—what should I include?
Include both when possible. Canva for speed and teams; PSD/AI for advanced control.

Q2: Can buyers use the pack for multiple clients?
Only with an agency/extended license. Standard is one brand/client.

Q3: How do I handle paid fonts?
Never redistribute. Link to the foundry and include a free alternative pairing.

Q4: Will the templates work on mobile?
Yes—test Canva mobile and Figma mobile; keep text sizes ≥14–16 px equivalent.

Q5: Can these be used in ads?
Yes, under standard license; for broad broadcast or reselling templates, require an upgrade.

Internal resources to explore

• Free Planner Templates (great lead magnets and bonuses): https://www.sankulahub.com/free-planner-templates

• Logo Design Services (pair your social kit with a pro brand mark): https://www.sankulahub.com/logo-design-services

Meta description

What social media design assets do brands buy? See winning template types, specs, pricing, licensing, packaging, previews, marketing, SEO, and metrics to sell more.

Related keywords

social media templates, Instagram carousel templates, Canva social kit, Figma social templates, story highlight icons, reel cover templates, motion graphics overlays, MOGRT captions bar, brand starter kit, social media brand kit, ad creative templates, vertical video templates, PSD social pack, AI illustrator templates, 1080x1350 templates, 1080x1920 story templates, niche social templates, agency license templates, Etsy social templates, Creative Market templates