Content: Visual Content

Guides visual content planning and creation across website, social media, email, and other channels. Images are needed not just for websites—social posts, infographics, and repurposed content all require visuals. Visual-first planning in content calendars improves engagement; cross-channel consistency and repurposing maximize ROI.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Scope

• When to use images: By content type and format
• Specs by context: Website vs social vs email
• Platform image specs: X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube
• Repurposing: One visual → multiple formats and channels
• Visual-first planning: Content calendar with image planning

Initial Assessment

Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read Section 12 (Visual Identity) for brand consistency.

Identify:

1. Context: Article, social post, infographic, email, landing page
2. Channels: Which platforms will use this visual
3. Repurposing: Will this visual be adapted for other formats?

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1. When to Use Images

Content Type	Visual Need	Notes
Article / Blog	Hero image, in-article images, screenshots	See image-optimization for web (alt, WebP, LCP)
Social post	Single image, carousel, or link preview	Platform-specific specs below
Infographic	Primary format; data visualization	Repurpose to social (cropped), blog (full)
Case study	Customer photo, results chart, logo	Repurpose to LinkedIn carousel, blog
Product update	Screenshot, feature graphic	Changelog, email, social
Email	Header image, inline graphics	Keep lightweight; many clients block images
Landing page	Hero, trust badges, screenshots	See hero-generator, image-optimization

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2. Website vs Social vs Email

Context	Priority	Skill
Website	Alt text, WebP, LCP, responsive, lazy loading	image-optimization
Social posts	Platform dimensions, aspect ratio, file size	Platform skills (X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc.)
OG / Twitter Cards	1200×630, 1200×675 for link previews	open-graph, twitter-cards
Email	Inline-friendly; avoid heavy images; alt for blocked	email-marketing

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3. Platform Image Specs (Social)

Platform	Post Image	Stories / Reels	Profile	Notes
X (Twitter)	1200×675 (16:9), 800×800	—	400×400	See twitter-x-posts
LinkedIn	1200×627, 1200×1200; carousel up to 20	—	400×400	See linkedin-posts; vertical preferred on mobile
Pinterest	1000×1500 (2:3)	—	165×165	Alt text ~25% more impressions; see pinterest-posts
Instagram	1080×1350 (4:5), 1080×1080	1080×1920 (9:16)	320×320	4:5 outperforms square on feed
Facebook	1200×630, 1080×1080	1080×1920	320×320
YouTube	Thumbnail 1280×720	—	800×800

General: 1080px width works across most platforms; vertical (4:5, 9:16) outperforms square on mobile-first feeds. Keep critical elements (logo, text) in safe center—platforms may crop.

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4. Visual Repurposing

Principle: One core visual → multiple crops/formats → multiple channels.

Core Visual	Adaptations	Channels
Infographic	Full (blog), cropped sections (Instagram, LinkedIn carousel), square (X)	Blog, LinkedIn, Instagram, X
Case study graphic	Hero (blog), single slide (LinkedIn), story (Instagram)	Blog, LinkedIn, Instagram
Product screenshot	Hero (landing), post (X, LinkedIn), email header	Website, social, email
Quote graphic	Square (X, LinkedIn), 4:5 (Instagram)	X, LinkedIn, Instagram

Workflow: Design at largest needed size; export platform-specific crops. Use consistent colors, fonts, logo placement (see brand-visual-generator).

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5. Visual-First Content Planning

• Plan images in content calendar: Don't add visuals as afterthought; visuals drive engagement
• Batch by theme: Create visuals for a topic cluster or campaign together for consistency
• Repurposing column: In calendar, note which core piece becomes which visual format for which channel
• Asset library: Organize by campaign/theme; tag for reuse

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6. Format-Specific Notes

Infographics

• Dimensions: 800–1200px width; height varies by content
• Export: PNG for web; PDF for download
• Repurpose: Slice into 3–5 slides for LinkedIn carousel; single stat for X/Instagram

Social Post Images

• Text overlay: Keep minimal; many platforms deprecate text-heavy images
• Branding: Logo in corner; consistent with brand-visual-generator
• Alt text: Add for LinkedIn, Pinterest, X (accessibility + Pinterest SEO); see image-optimization for alt best practices

Article / Blog Images

• Hero: Often LCP candidate; optimize per image-optimization
• In-article: Support narrative; alt text, captions per image-optimization
• Screenshots: Annotate when helpful; keep file size low

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Output Format

• Visual plan (what images for what content)
• Specs by context (platform dimensions, format)
• Repurposing map (one visual → multiple outputs)
• References to platform skills and image-optimization

Related Skills

Content & Strategy

• content-marketing: Content types, formats, repurposing; visual content is part of content mix
• content-strategy: SEO topic clusters; article visuals
• copywriting: Copy pairs with visuals; headlines for image posts

Platform (Image Specs)

• twitter-x-posts: X post image specs
• linkedin-posts: LinkedIn image specs
• pinterest-posts: Pinterest Pin dimensions, alt text
• reddit-posts: Reddit image post context

Website & SEO

• image-optimization: Web images (alt, captions, WebP, LCP, responsive); central skill for image SEO
• open-graph, twitter-cards: Link preview images
• hero-generator: Hero section visuals

Other

• brand-visual-generator: Typography, colors, imagery tone; visual consistency
• video-marketing: Video thumbnails; video as visual format
• video-optimization: Video SEO; VideoObject; video sitemap; YouTube prioritization