How to Write AI Image Prompts for Social Media Posts

Key takeaway & what you'll build

Brief an image like you'd brief a designer: subject, setting, style, mood and light, and composition, with the aspect ratio set for the network first. Reuse the same style words across a campaign so its posts look like a set. An image costs 18 credits, so write the prompt carefully and generate once.

You'll build: Your campaign visual in Image Studio

Two ways to make a post image

On the post itself. Every post card has Add Image ("Generate with AI or Upload Media"). It's quickest for a single post.
In Image Studio (Creator Studio → Image Studio). It gives you more control: styles, aspect ratios, a sketch pad, and collections to keep a campaign's images together.

Writing an image prompt

Describe it the way you'd brief a designer:

Subject: what's in the image, specifically
Setting: where it is
Style: Photorealistic, Digital Art, Comic Book, 3D Render, Line Art, and so on
Mood and light: calm morning light, bold high contrast
Composition: close-up, flat lay, lots of empty space for text

A tidy wooden desk from above, an open laptop showing a simple spreadsheet, a coffee mug, and a small plant, soft morning light, minimalist, lots of empty space on the right. Photorealistic.

Pick the right shape

In Image Studio, set Aspect Ratio before you generate:

1:1 (Square): Instagram feed, LinkedIn, and X
9:16 (Portrait): Stories, Reels, TikTok
16:9 (Landscape): YouTube thumbnails, X link cards

A consistent campaign look

Use the same style, palette, and mood across a campaign so your posts feel like a set. Write your style words once, such as "minimalist, soft morning light, muted green accents", and reuse them in every prompt. Save images to a Collection named after the campaign.

Mind the cost

An image costs 18 credits (36 with the high-quality Pro model), far more than text. Write your prompt carefully, generate once, and adjust. Don't regenerate hoping for luck.

Try it

Choose the post in your week that would benefit most from a visual. Write its prompt, but don't generate yet; lesson 9 helps you decide if it's the right post.