The short version
- An announcement post should answer three questions in order: what is happening, when, and where or how to take part.
- The news itself should be the largest thing on the design, with the date and place on a clearly smaller second level.
- Headlines like Big news or Exciting announcement waste the most valuable space; say the actual news instead.
- Every announcement needs versions for the feed and for stories, because each format shows the design differently.
- Most announcements work best as a short sequence: a teaser, the announcement itself and a reminder close to the date.
On this page
A good announcement post answers three questions in a fixed order: what is happening, when, and where or how to take part. Make the news the largest thing on the design, put the date and place on a smaller second level, and give people one action. Everything else, from colour to texture, exists to make those three things easy to read in a second.
The hierarchy of an announcement: what, when, where
People see an announcement for about as long as it takes to scroll past it. In that time, they should be able to repeat the news to someone else. That only happens when the design has a clear order of reading, which is what visual hierarchy is about.
Three levels, read in order: a small label, the news in large type, then when and where.
| Level | What goes here | Size, roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Label | A word that sets context: Announcing, New, Save the date | Small, often in capitals |
| The news | The thing that is happening, in one line | The largest type on the design |
| Details | Date, time and place | About a third to a half of the headline |
| Action | Where to go or what to do next | Small, but clear |
Write the news, not the excitement
The most common announcement headline says nothing: Big news, Something exciting is coming, We have an announcement. It takes up the largest space on the design and leaves the actual news in small type underneath. Put the news in the headline and let the design supply the excitement. For more on writing short lines for images, see writing copy for visuals.
Vague
- Big news
- Something new is coming
- We have an announcement
- Save the date
Specific
- Our second shop opens Saturday
- The winter menu starts 3 November
- We now deliver across Scotland
- Launch night: Friday 17 October
Keep the headline under about eight words. If the news needs a sentence to explain, the headline carries the essential fact and the caption does the explaining.
Types of announcement post, and the layout for each
Different news needs a different emphasis. A product launch leads with the thing, an event with the date, a milestone with a number. Choosing the right layout is mostly choosing which fact gets the largest type.
- Product launch: the product's name and one line on why it's better, with a small New badge.
- Event: the event's name large, then the date and place as a tidy block.
- Opening or change of hours: the new fact in the headline, the date it starts underneath.
- Milestone: one large number and what it counts, only if the number is real.
- Hiring: the role as the headline, the team and where to apply below.
- Countdown: a single number of days, repeated daily in the same layout.
A product launch leads with the thing itself.
A countdown leads with one number and changes nothing else day to day.
Announcement sizes for every platform
One announcement usually goes to several places at once, and each needs its own shape. Laying the design out again for each format keeps the hierarchy intact; stretching or cropping one image usually cuts off the date. The full list is in social media image sizes.
Instagram post 1080×1350
1080 × 1350
Story 1080×1920
1080 × 1920
X post 1600×900
1600 × 900
LinkedIn post 1200×1200
1200 × 1200
Facebook event 1920×1005
1920 × 1005
In a tall story, stack the levels vertically with generous space. In a wide X or Facebook image, put the headline on the left and the details on the right, or keep a centred block and make it smaller. In a square, centre everything.
Design details that make an announcement land
An announcement is allowed to be louder than your everyday posts, but loud should come from the background and scale, not from clutter. A bright spot of light behind the headline draws the eye to it before anything else.
radial-gradient(circle at 30% 28%, #ffd166 0%, #ef476f 38%, #5a189a 72%, #240046 100%)Avoid
- Three competing headlines
- The date in thin, small type
- Confetti, stickers and emoji over the words
- A new look you never use again
Do
- One headline, one accent
- The date in a strong weight, clearly visible
- A background that does the celebrating
- Your usual look, turned up a little
If the headline sits on a gradient, make sure it sits on a calm part of it with enough contrast; text on a gradient explains how to choose the ink. And keep the announcement recognisably yours: a sudden new style makes people wonder whose post it is.
Teaser, announcement, reminder
Most news deserves more than one post. A simple sequence gives people time to notice, plan and remember, without repeating the same image.
- 1
Teaser, a few days before
A hint in the same look: the date, or a detail of the thing, without the full reveal.
- 2
Announcement, on the day
The full post, in every format, with the one action clearly stated.
- 3
Reminder, close to the date
The same layout with the headline changed to Tomorrow or Today.
- 4
Thank-you, afterwards
A photo or a number from the day, in the same look, closing the story.
For a product or company launch, this sequence grows into a full set of assets, from headers to email. Launch day graphics lists every one, and event branding covers events from invitation to stage. If you would rather describe the news and have a first design made for you, the Designer in Gradiently can draft one in your brand kit.
Questions people ask
What should an announcement post include?
What is happening, when, and where or how to take part, in that order of size, plus one clear action.
How long should an announcement headline be?
Under about eight words, stating the actual news. Leave explanation for the caption.
What size is best for an announcement post on Instagram?
1080×1350 for the feed and 1080×1920 for stories. Lay the design out again for each rather than cropping one image.
Should I post a teaser before an announcement?
For anything people need to plan for, yes. A teaser, the announcement and a reminder near the date is a simple sequence that works.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
See our profile
