Substance and Style

If you want to maximize your content marketing results, you should get good at visual communication for two key reasons: 1) the competition for attention is fierce out there, and pictures and videos are more likely to grab it, and 2) most people are visual learners, so if you want your content to actually stick with your audience in a meaningful way, you need to show as much as you tell. Here are some tips for good visual communication:

1. (Broken Record Time) As always, start with your audience and purpose. Clearly define who you are trying to reach and why. What do you want them to take away or know or understand that they didn’t before? What do you want them to do with that information?
   
2. Get very clear about the message. If you don’t know exactly what you’re trying to say, you won’t be able to communicate it effectively in any form. For videos, you can have a few things you want to convey. For still visuals, try to narrow it down to one clear thing you want the audience to know. If you start with this message, you will be able to look at the finished product and ask whether the message comes through. This will be more important than any aesthetic questions about the design.
   
3. Put some thought into the medium. What will work best to communicate your message? Infographics are great for consolidating a lot of information into an immediate impression. Gifs are great for catching attention and showing one key thing. A static social media post may be the best choice for a Save the Date announcement, while an explainer video might be best to demonstrate a process. While you can always be creative and surprise your audience with form, you have to be truly intentional about when to defy expectations. People are often not patient enough to figure out your intentions.
   
4. Brainstorm a bit before starting. What pictures come to mind when you think of the message? Sometimes there is a less obvious, but more effective, approach that comes out through free association or brain dumping.
   
5. Don’t fear metaphors. Even if you aren’t using words, you can use wordplay, puns, and metaphors in your design. Wordplay in visual form I can be very effective. For example, creating a gif of a mole hill turning into a mountain and labeling it “my anxiety” immediately conveys to people familiar with the expression that anxiety exaggerates the importance of uncomfortable things our minds.
   
6. Cite your sources if you are presenting data or research that is not your own information. Even if you have limited space and are designing for impact, an asterisk and a link should be supplied. This is important for your own credibility with your audience and it helps to combat misinformation in general. It’s also important to give other people credit for their work.
   
7. Design intentionally. It may help you to start in black and white with everything the same size and weight. This will help you make thoughtful choices about what to highlight, and how to do so. Use general good design principles. Leave enough white space and create visual balance. Know what is most important, and use a layout that naturally guides the viewer’s eye through the hierarchy. Use fonts that resonate with your brand are are easily read and understood. Make sure the entire piece is consistent with your brand.
   
8. Don’t skip editing. Look at the finished piece and ask yourself if it sends the intended message. Make sure people immediately know what you’re getting at. Show your design to someone else and ask them what it makes them think and feel. Test your design on a number of devices before publishing.