Strong content design is about much more than applying your brand identity or basic design principles. <\/span><\/b>Good design is inherently good storytelling, delivering a core message through visual communication. But the way you tell that story through both content and distribution is changing.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As society, technology, and communication channels evolve, there are many more layers to consider if you want to create meaningful, impactful content that resonates with people.\u00a0\u00a0Here are three trends that are influencing the way we can\u2014and should\u2014design content.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Good design is\u00a0<\/span>good storytelling<\/span><\/a>, but the story you\u2019re telling isn\u2019t just the one in your creative brief. Every piece of content you create reflects your brand story\u2014who you are, what you do, and what you care about. The way you design your content can say just as much about your brand as the content itself. Ultimately, despite your intentions, it\u2019s how your content is received (and perceived) that matters most.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For example, I recently saw a promo video for a product for the visually impaired that included no voiceover narration. It was completely inaccessible to the very audience it was trying to target. While the brand had done well in designing the product, the promotion of said product was notably misguided.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As more and more organizations focus on Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, and larger cultural conversations continue to spotlight these gaps, designing for inclusivity will become more important. Remember that your content will be consumed by many people, especially if it\u2019s early stage content focused on awareness, so it\u2019s important to think about who your audience is, what their unique needs might be, and what barriers they may face when trying to interact with your content.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are many factors that may affect how someone is included or excluded by content design, such as ability, language, culture, gender, age, etc. The goal of inclusive design is to create content that a wider diversity of people can consume. (Learn more about the difference between\u00a0<\/span>inclusive and accessible design<\/span><\/a>.)\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You need to consider how the core elements of design\u2014color, type, imagery, animation, etc.\u2014may be interpreted by or affect different people. What might that look like in practice?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These are little design tweaks that can drastically improve someone\u2019s experience, make them feel included, and make them feel better about your brand.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Note: You probably won\u2019t be able to flip the switch and make everything you create perfectly inclusive overnight. But you can start to apply these frameworks and look for opportunities to improve your content\u2014both inside and outside of your company. (See\u00a0<\/span>Microsoft\u2019s inclusive toolkit<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for more on this.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n People consume content on a variety of platforms, but designers are often asked to take a one-size-fits-all approach to their design.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, each platform has its own culture, audience, and technology, all of which should be considered in your content design. Ultimately, these platforms are about\u00a0<\/span>connection and engagement<\/span><\/a>\u2014not auto-publishing content. When you use the same content design across all channels, you can come off as uncreative (at best) and out of touch (at worst)\u2014especially to devoted fans that follow you across all channels.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Whereas you may have once designed an infographic, then shared a preview of it on Twitter to promote it, to make a bigger impact, you might tailor your visuals to the specific audience on a specific platform. What is the aesthetic? The tone? The sense of humor? What type of content does your audience enjoy most?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The good news is this doesn\u2019t have to be a chore. It\u2019s an exciting opportunity to be creative, make the most of the tools at hand, and genuinely and authentically connect with audiences. That can take many forms, such as\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For example, Glossier is a beauty brand that could use TikTok to post beauty tutorials all day long, but they make the most of their presence by adding their own unique twist to popular TikToks. Here, they follow the \u201c_____ as inspirational quotes\u201d format, using mispronounced product names.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Remember: The more effectively you do this, the more you can demonstrate that you \u201cget\u201d your audience, know what they like, and are invested in giving it to them. This transforms the interaction from a one-way conversation (where you\u2019re telling them what you want to tell them) to a two-way conversation that helps you form a genuine bond and share an experience, all through strong content.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Marketing budgets have shrunk in the wake of the Pandemic. And many brands already struggled to produce high-quality content consistently, thanks to a lack of resources. (According to the Content Marketing Institute\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>2021 B2B Content Marketing Report<\/span><\/a>, 63% of marketers cite content creation as a barrier to success.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Design may not seem like a priority in these times, but it can drastically affect the way people consume your content and experience your brand\u2014in ways that translate to your bottom line.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, a\u00a0<\/span>2018 McKinsey & Co. study<\/span><\/a>\u00a0found that design-driven companies experienced 32 percentage points higher revenue growth and 56 percentage points higher total returns to shareholders (TRS) growth over a 5-year period. (One online gaming company they studied experienced a dramatic 25% increase in sales after making a small tweak to the usability of its home page.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tl;dr? Design is something you don\u2019t want to skimp on, but you can maximize your investment by being more intentional about the design you do create. One of the best ways to do this is by using a\u00a0<\/span>divisible content strategy<\/span><\/a>, wherein you design content with the intention of using it in multiple applications.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This often involves the creation of a larger piece of cornerstone content, which is then broken into smaller assets. For example, you might produce a single e-book, break the\u00a0<\/span>e-book into a series of infographics<\/span><\/a>, and create an Instagram story detailing the most interesting data points to promote the e-book on social media.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Divisible Content Strategy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There are many other opportunities to get more mileage from your content. You can also\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Not only does this cut down on design time (increasing ROI), it makes the content you have created far more effective by increasing\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That said, to do a divisible content strategy successfully, you do need to apply your visual language consistently. This ensures your content remains uniform and recognizable, no matter how you use or reuse it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The design world is ever-evolving, but the key to all content\u2014regardless of what you\u2019re creating\u2014is providing true value to your audience. As you go forward, think of ways to apply design more intentionally, optimize for comprehension, and increase appeal one piece at a time. The more successfully you do that, the more you\u2019ll outshine the competition and create lasting connections with a community of fans.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ________________<\/p>\n This article is part of the Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA) 2021 \u201cThe Next Model Agency\u201d report<\/a>. \u00a0It is republished here on the Media Temple blog with permission from SoDA. SoDA serves as a network and voice for entrepreneurs and innovators around the globe who are creating the future of marketing and digital experiences. To learn more about SoDA and its other initiatives, please visit <\/em>www.sodaspeaks.com<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n1) Inclusive design<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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2) Designing for platform<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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3) Maximizing design<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Looking toward the future<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n