MARKETING

Meaghan Branham

is the managing editor for i4 Business, where she oversees the company’s digital media strategy, handles client relationship marketing for the print and digital magazines, and serves as one of the publication’s lead writers. A native of Brevard County, she splits her time between Central Florida and Nashville, Tennessee.

When it comes to design, consistency is absolutely vital to your brand. It makes your brand more memorable, increases loyalty and creates the impression of a strong identity.

— Meaghan Branham

Marketing

DESIGN CAN PUSH YOUR BUSINESS TOWARD SUCCESS

As a species, we are visual creatures. The brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text, according to a report from 3M Company. What does this mean for your business? That design in marketing is not something you can afford to skimp on. From your advertising to websites to the product itself, design plays an invaluable role in how audiences feel when they think of you, and how they feel about coming back to you. Consider these points:

• A Design Council study of 63 companies showed organizations that put an emphasis on design outperformed the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 index by 200% over the course of a decade.

www.harvestmedia.com/blog/howdesign-impacts-your-business-success

• According to Tyton Media, 94% of people cited web design as the reason they mistrusted or rejected a website.

www.tytonmedia.com/blog/6-thingswebsite-needs-get-more-clients

• Sixty percent of marketers agreed that visuals played a huge role in creating an impact.

https://line25.com/ui-uxdesign/visual-design

Still, many CEOs take for granted just how important good design is in a marketing campaign. Here, we’ll take a look at a few aspects of design that make a huge difference, and how you can leverage them for maximum benefit.

The Psychology of Color

The right color choice has the power to evoke certain feelings in your audience, to direct their eye, and to create a cohesive and memorable piece of content. There is an entire school of thought around how colors can influence consumer behavior: color psychology. Here are some of the most commonly used colors and the feelings they can create in consumers:

• Red. Often associated with high energy, urgency and appetite, this color is commonly used by fast-food chains. • Green. Symbolizes health, tranquility and nature. You might notice that

grocery stores and outdoor brands use this color most often. • Blue. Stands for reliability, trust and wisdom, and is often used by financial institutions and tech companies.

Besides color choice in marketing materials, there are many other ways to use color to influence behavior. For instance, high contrast in colors can direct the eye to a certain part of the page and is perfect for calls to action. Congruous colors can lend your content a relaxing tone. There are many more ways to leverage color psychology. Learn more at https://coschedule.com/blog/colorpsychology-marketing/.

Typography

Typography, according to MO Agency, is the perception generated by the way in which the text is arranged or stylized on a page. It can refer to “typefaces, point size, line length, line spacing (leading), letter spacing (tracking), and adjusting the space between letter pairs.” The font you choose can affect the impact of the words themselves, making copy and design complementary to and indivisible from each other. Keep in mind:

● Readability. Your font should be easy to read. That means taking into account the lettering itself as well as the spacing between the words, letters and lines. ● Simplicity. This is key for legibility and visual appeal in typography. Keep it clean by sticking to only two or three complementary fonts in one marketing piece. Try to pick fonts that are simple and clear. ● Feeling. Typefaces can also affirm or undermine the tone of the copy itself. For instance, a sentence or title meant to evoke stability or command would be better suited to a bold, straightforward font.

User Experience

UX design, or user experience design, has become an absolutely necessary part of creating a website or product. According to a report by usertesting.com, the Oxford academic journal Interacting with Computers defines UX design as design meant to “improve customer satisfaction and loyalty through the utility, ease of use and pleasure provided in the interaction with a product.”

UX design means prioritizing all the ways a user interacts with the product itself, taking into account the best interests of both the user and the business. It incorporates aspects like interface, accessibility and ergonomics. Prioritizing this in your design, even independent of your marketing campaigns, is an exercise in generating leads and brand loyalty. If people love interacting with your products, they will be more likely to return.

When it comes to design, consistency is absolutely vital to your brand. It makes your brand more memorable, increases loyalty and creates the impression of a strong identity. Hiring a designer, taking the time to learn a bit more about it yourself, and cultivating your design guide are investments that are likely to come back to you tenfold. X

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