Design Essentials
7 things you must know about design before you create your own marketing materials
Design is never passive. It either works for you, or against you! Design either helps you communicate more effectively, or it undermines your message and wastes your time and money.
Design is neither decorative nor subjective. It's not something you tack on at the end of a project, to make your message "pretty" or "more appealing."
Likewise, design is not subjective. What works isn't particularly what you-or your bosses or clients-like in terms of fonts, colors, or formats. What's "right" is what works in each particular case.
Design is not, however, a silver bullet. It cannot compensate for a lack of an appropriate, relevant, and concise message.
Here are 7 keys to help you profit from design when creating your own marketing materials.
Design begins by asking questions about project goals. Questions include:
- Who are you marketing to?
- What is the desired action?
- How will your market benefit?
- What obstacles must you overcome?
- Who is your competition?
- Are there any resource limitations?
Answering the above questions before you begin work helps you design to sell.
There are no universal solutions to design. What works is simply what's appropriate for your goals, your market, your competitive situation, and your resources.
By themselves, colors, (like blue), or typefaces, (like Garamond), are neither right nor wrong. What matters is how effectively blue or Garamond project an appropriate image and motivate your market to take your desired action in your specific case.
There are no readers! There are, however, "skimmers." Everyone is in a hurry. No one, other than your spouse or your mother, really wants to read your message.
It's your job to convert skimmers into readers! You do this by making your message as easy to read as possible, by using:
- Easily noticed headlines.
- Body copy that aids readability.
- Subheads that organize.
- Graphics that explain, but not distract.
- Pull quotes that summarize.
- White space that frames.
Design must bring order out of chaos. Design must provide the selective emphasis necessary to reveal the structure of your message, so skimmers can easily locate your most important ideas.
Equally important, long messages must be broken down into manageable, bite-sized chunks. A page with 12 paragraphs in a row looks like a chore to read. The same 12 paragraphs appear much easier to read when broken into several 2 and 3 paragraph chunks.
Design that changes is destined to fail. Consistency and predictability sell, because they create familiarity-and familiarity communicates a professional image.
Each of your marketing messages must contribute to a marketing synergy that's greater than the sum of its parts. Tools like styles and templates make it easy to consistently project an appropriate image.
On again, off again, marketing is destined to fail. Your messages must be consistently visible, so your firm will be the first one thought of-and the most trusted- when your market is ready to buy.
Design must save time and money. Design has to be efficient, so you will be able to keep in constant touch with clients and prospects.
The formats you choose must be easy for you to create and distribute on your own, without incurring major outside costs.
To maintain constant visibility, you need design techniques like writing to fit, which save you time preparing your messages.
Design success is more a matter of attention to detail than "creativity." You must take the time to fine tune numerous details and avoid compromising your standards.
Your market is constantly judging you. Your market uses your ability to maintain standards and keep on schedule to decide whether or not you are the "right" choice.
You're invited...
You don't need a design background, or extensive design training, in order to create an effective marketing program.
Visit www.designtosellonline.com and get 2 free chapters of Design To Sell, and download the templates and worksheets.
E-mail roger@designtosellonline.com to find out how I can help you use design to create a low-cost platform to consistently promote yourself and your business.
|
