5 ways to use visual design to make content marketing more effective

Have you ever visited a website and encountered a “wall of text” or opened an email that contained a giant block of copy? Not very inviting, was it? 

No matter how well-crafted your words are, if you fail to catch your audience’s attention or make it difficult for them to read and receive your message—or worse yet, drive them away—your efforts will be wasted. 

Read on for five ways businesses can use visual design to enhance the effectiveness of their content marketing on their website, in their emails, and in other marketing channels. 

1. Establish visual hierarchy

• Why it works: Without a clear visual hierarchy for your content, your audience may not know what to look at first. This can result in them missing key messages or even becoming frustrated or overwhelmed and not engaging with your content at all. A clear hierarchy intentionally guides their eyes through the content, first directing their attention to the most important elements that you want them to focus on.  

• How to do it: Consider that the human eye is naturally drawn first to larger, higher contrast elements. Plan variation in font size, weight and color to distinguish primary text from secondary text (e.g., use larger, bolder text for headlines and smaller, lighter-weight text for body copy). Additionally, vary image size and use high contrast to emphasize calls-to-action (CTAs) such as a contact or download button.  

  
  

2. Make it scannable 

• Why it works: When you landed on this blog post, did you immediately start reading it from top to bottom? Or did you first glance at it, quickly scanning the heading, subheadings, and bolded and bulleted text to see what it was about before deciding you were going to read it all the way through? If you’re like most readers, you probably scanned the text first. Making your content scannable entices your audience to fully engage and makes it easier for them to remember the information and messages you’re sharing.

  
  

• How to do it: Break long content into smaller, more digestible pieces, and use techniques such as bulleted lists, bolded text, and subheadings to make it easy for your audience to scan, read, and retain.  

  
  

3. Use white space effectively 

• Why it works: Think back to the wall of text. Wouldn’t it have been more inviting if it was broken into shorter paragraphs instead of being one long block of text? White space (or negative space) gives the reader’s eyes a much-needed break, making content easier to read, more engaging, and less overwhelming. It can also be used to highlight key information and calls-to-action (CTAs). 

  
  

• How to do it: Use white space to create visual separation between all elements, to draw attention to key elements, and to strategically balance text and images or graphics. Break up long paragraphs with white space and use shorter text when appropriate. 

  
  

4. Incorporate relevant images and graphics 

• Why it works: Strong visuals, such as images and graphics, can help to reinforce your message and your brand. Relevant images and graphics can add value and context to content marketing, aid in storytelling, and grab your audience’s attention. Well-designed charts, graphs, infographics and other data-based visuals can help to clearly convey important insights, making complex information easier to understand. 

  
  

• How to do it: Add images and graphics that align with your brand and your content to help break up text and add visual interest. If your content includes statistics, trends, comparisons or other key data points, consider incorporating data visualizations. 

  
  

5. Stick to your brand colors and typography 

• Why it works: What colors would you expect to see in a marketing message from Coca-Cola? If you said red, white and black, you’re right. And this is by design. When companies consistently use their brand colors, typography and other recognizable visual elements in their marketing communications, they reinforce and strengthen their brand identity, awareness, and trust with their audience.  

  
  

• How to do it: Stick to your brand’s color palette and fonts in your marketing content and visuals. If your brand does not have a well-defined visual identity and brand guidelines or if you notice inconsistencies, it may be time for a brand audit.