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Let's get down to brass tacks. People like pretty pictures. So I understand why the marketing world's
abuzz over visual content!
But I also understand why not all marketers are fully embracing visual
content -- because unless you're design-minded (and let's face it, many
of the best marketers are staunchly analytical), identifying the
qualities of amazing design is a challenge.
And it's critical marketers understand how to create visuals that
stand out from the crowd, because boy, is it crowded out there.
According to
Pingdom, an average of
60 photos are uploaded to Instagram every second. Every day
on Flickr, 4.5 million photos are uploaded. And throughout its history,
100 billion photos have been uploaded to Facebook.
That's ... quite a lot of visual content. So how do you ensure yours is
the most eye-catching stuff out there? We sat down with our own
branding goddess, Marta Kagan, to get some guidance on how marketers can
ensure their visual content is just plain awesome. Ready to dig in?
Let's do it!
Design ... You've Changed, Man
We all know that marketing isn't stagnant -- we need to keep
adjusting our strategies to keep up with the current trends. And design
is no different! Since media has shifted, particularly over the past
twenty years, from an emphasis on print to digital, the way marketers
approach design has adapted, too. Let's consider what digital visual
content might have looked like as computers and the internet became more
pervasive in business in the 1990s, for example. A marketer might have
taken a print ad, plopped it on their computer, and called it web
design. And you know what? It wasn't the worst thing to do -- because
despite the low quality of the content, all of this was pretty new to
the masses.
You may also remember design from 20 years ago as being a little more
busy and complicated than what you might find in today's visual
marketing content. With newspapers and traditional print media, people
were just
used to clutter, so they translated what they knew to
the computer screen. But as the digital marketing world evolved, people
began to study user experience more. Through the
power of analytics,
they realized flashing ads and busy images burdened with excessive text
weren't effective anymore. Instead, content that was more visually
"simple" performed better, allowing the user to focus on just one
action. (Shocker -- more fonts and colors doesn't mean better results!)
As a result, more brand marketers started creating a cleaner digital
image for themselves, stripped of the clutter that had marked design for
so many years.
These pioneering companies were the ones whose brands started to get
noticed for their streamlined visual appearance -- Apple being the
classic example that we all likely remember quite well. And as
technology like touch screen signage and mobile marketing continues to
grow, nuanced design only becomes more important for quick
user-adoption.
The Hallmarks of Clean & Simple Marketing Design
So, how do you translate that clean and simple approach to your own
visual content? I like to think of Coco Chanel's famous saying, "Before
leaving the house, a lady should stop, look in the mirror, and remove
one piece of jewelry."
In other words, don't overdo it. Extraordinary visual content doesn't
need to be -- nor should it be -- complicated. While we were all once
adept at parsing through the clutter, we've adapted to appreciate a
simpler design, and as such will be disoriented when our senses are
assaulted by too many visual cues. To quote our own Marta Kagan, "In
general, people tend to overdo it, entering in doohickies, 17 different
fonts ... they just go nuts! The best design can be super simple."
To keep yourself in check when you're putting on your designer hat,
ask yourself whether your visual content fits these four criteria of
beautifully simple design:
1) Minimal Text
Simple visual design is not text-heavy. Avoid large paragraphs of
text, and instead break up the text using headings and bullet points.
This way, people stay interested and understand the focus of your
content instead of getting lost in the mass of words and characters.
2) Visuals That Enhance Understanding
Visuals should help tell your story, not detract from it. This means
that images should be relevant to the message you're trying to get
across. A poorly chosen image is just plain distracting and confusing,
so ask yourself -- are the
cute pictures of puppies and babies really helping the reader to better understand your content?
3) Appropriate Choice of Color, Font, and Texture
Your visual content should reflect your brand. What are the standard
visual elements your company uses? Having a set of standards regarding
visual elements such as fonts, color scheme, texture, and use of
photography can help ensure that you are always making appropriate
choices that are consistent with your brand.
4) Clear Message
If you're using a funky font or color, have a reason for it. Does it
help portray your message more clearly? That message, whatever it is,
should always remain central to your visual content. Keep in mind the
one key point your viewer should take away from this content, and
simplify your visual as much as possible while still maintaining this
message.
Brands Doing it Right
Since we're talking about how to execute clean visual design, let's
actually look at some visuals, shall we? Here are some examples of
brands that are leveraging simple design in their marketing to give you
an idea of exactly what we're talking about!
Mini Cooper
This image on Mini Cooper's website homepage aligns perfectly with
their brand. The use of black, red, and white fit the brand's color
scheme. The font is clear and easy to read, especially with the bold
heading. The fun, youthful feel of Mini's brand is exemplified through
their image choice, and the copy aligns well with the brand as viewer
imagines themselves cruising to the beach, a pig-roast, or a hula
competition. Finally, the opportunities to view all of their offers or
to find a dealer is clear, letting potential customers continue engaging
with the brand.
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