A social media asset system that stays consistent

Platforms adjust crops, but the underlying ratios are stable enough to plan around. Define a small set of master canvases and design every asset from the largest one, rather than stretching a square post into a story and hoping the text survives. Four masters cover most campaigns: 4:5 for feed, 1:1 for carousels, 9:16 for stories and video covers, and 1.91:1 for link previews.

Keep important content inside a safe zone. On 9:16 placements the top and bottom of the frame are covered by profile details, captions, and action buttons, so place headlines and calls to action in the middle band. Export portrait assets at 1080 pixels wide and landscape at 1200 pixels wide, which is enough for current feeds.

Most consistency problems are retrieval problems. If the latest approved version cannot be identified without opening five files, someone will rebuild the asset instead. A fixed naming string solves this and costs nothing to enforce.

A template should carry everything that must not change: margins, type styles, colour tokens, logo position, and export presets. Lock those layers and leave one text and one image layer open, so the layout stays intact while the content changes.

Keep the editable master separate from exported files. When the template changes, publish a new version number and re-export the assets still in use. Silent template edits are how a feed ends up with three slightly different logo sizes.

Consistency is mostly a writing problem. Decide the character limit for a headline on each format, the capitalisation style, and the verbs allowed in calls to action. A headline that fits a square post will not fit a 9:16 story at the same type size, so write to the smallest format first.

An approved library is the only place a colleague should need to look. Organise by campaign with an evergreen folder for brand and product assets, restrict upload rights to a small group, and leave download open to the team.

Add a status field to each asset: draft, approved, or retired. Record the owner, the approval date, and any rights expiry for stock images, music, or talent. When a licence lapses, remove the asset from the library rather than leaving it for someone to reuse.

Set a monthly check for broken links, outdated prices, and assets that no longer match the current offer. Set a quarterly review of the template set, because placements and interface elements move and a safe zone that worked last season may now sit under a caption.