There is an ever-growing demand for online content that brands must respond to; the difference between success and failure is Design. We investigate why.
More Online Content, Now…
You can not move these days without reading articles or opinions on the importance of content marketing in today’s digital landscape. Undeniably, we live in a world with 24hr media and an insatiable appetite for fresh new content. User-generated content has become commonplace and the demand for professional levels of design for this content from brands is essential if it is to be effective.
Enhancing Visual Appeal
The importance of visually engaging content must be balanced to capture customers’ attention and convey your unique proposition. A professionally designed communication is a combination of visually appealing images, graphics, and videos that are specifically chosen to capture attention and drive conversions.
Establishing Brand Identity
With the sheer volume of content demanded by today’s audiences, it is easy to lose sight of the fundamentals. Your brand identity needs to be your guide when creating new content. Balancing the needs of your brand identity with design elements is essential to ensure your brand integrity is not compromised or diluted. Using consistent visual branding across all of your content will not only help the short-term tactical goal but also deliver on your brand promise. The goal is to create a memorable and recognisable brand through design, not vice versa.
Visualizing Data and Information
Content marketing has to be easily digestible and instantly understood, which presents a challenge when dealing with complex issues or complicated data & information. The perfect solution is a visual representation that can be more easily understood. Infographics and data visualisation make data much more interesting and easier to understand. Often, what would have taken pages of text to explain can be communicated in a single diagram. This ability to enhance storytelling with these visual elements can mean the difference between success and failure.
Creating Shareable Content
Doom Scrolling is the enemy of anyone looking to create online content, with users barely viewing a social media post before swiping onto the next one. To combat this using design to create visually appealing social media posts is the only route to take. In creating well-designed posts, the chances of them being shared and liked are significantly increased. This approach should be applied to all aspects of social media posts including the thumbnails for videos and blog posts. In doing so, you will drastically increase the reach of your content.
Increasing Conversion Rates
Making your content as visually appealing as possible through great design will capture the attention of your audience, but to be truly effective, they will need to convert. Intelligent designers will apply their knowledge and experience to create compelling call-to-action (CTA) buttons and banners. Professional designers will consider all aspects of user experience and persuasive design techniques to drive conversions. To ensure that customers experience a consistent and cohesive experience, the content and CTA’s need to compliment the landing pages they point to. If the customer is in any way confused or doesn’t feel the connection between the pieces of communication then they are likely to bounce and not convert.
In Conclusion
When faced with the challenge of creating a lot of fresh and new content, it is tempting to cut corners and make do, but this will render all your hard work redundant. It is far better to focus on the design and effectiveness of your content and ensure it supports your overall marketing goals and your brand identity. By focusing on the design, every element of your content will be improved and more likely to effectively convert customers. Content marketing for brands must consider the potential negative effects that a high volume of ‘cheap and cheerful’ content can have on their success.
If you are unsure if your content is doing what it should or want to make sure that going forward it achieves all your goals and objectives then you need to engage professional designers.
David Foreman
Dave is MD at Toast. He's a designer and WordPress developer with over 25 years experience working across branding, design, WordPress and SEO projects for clients.
