Content design is a critical element in modern marketing, shaping how messages are presented and consumed. It goes beyond just crafting compelling narratives or visually appealing graphics – it’s about creating content that resonates with specific audiences, considering their needs, behaviours, and preferences. Effective content design enhances user experience, ensuring that the message not only reaches the audience but also engages them on a deeper level.
In the context of social media, the importance of content design becomes even more pronounced. Different platforms cater to different, diverse demographics, each with unique consumption patterns and expectations. For example, Instagram thrives on visually driven content appealing to younger audiences, whilst LinkedIn demands a more professional tone, targeting industry professionals. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in this landscape. Content should to be tailored to fit the platform and its audience.
What elements of content design should be considered?
Content design is not limited to marketing content. The full customer journey should be considered to ensure a seamless user experience from beginning to end. Layouts, colours, navigation, and visual appeal should be in line with brand identity, which is perhaps the most important element of design, to enhance professionalism and credibility through consistency.
Design should be created to facilitate storytelling, support SEO efforts, and increase brand loyalty through differentiation and accessibility. Part of making content more accessible includes designing it to be platform-specific.
Why should I design platform-specific content?
Platform algorithms as well as audience expectations, perceptions, and behaviours heavily influence engagement with design and content. You can read more about how brand design shapes perceptions by clicking to read our blog! Algorithm optimisation enhances visibility and reach, giving your content the best opportunity to perform. Exploring platform-specific features, including tools and trends, is the best starting place to enhancing your content design.
As a general rule of thumb, marketing content should be optimised based on analytics with targeted, data-driven decisions. Consider previous content, competitors, trends, and expectations based on results, functionality, engagement and relevancy.
Platform best practices
With the myriad of social platforms available to use, it can become complex to create and implement marketing strategies with optimised content. Here are just a few best practices to consider when you’re designing content for marketing strategies…
Facebook – videos, images, text posts, live streams
- Use high-quality visuals
- Engage with interactive content like polls and quizzes
- Utilise Facebook Live for real-time engagement
- Post at optimal times for maximum reach
Instagram – photos, stories, reels, IGTV, carousel posts
- Focus on high-quality, aesthetically pleasing visuals
- Use Stories and Reels for behind-the-scenes and timely content
- Leverage hashtags to increase discoverability
- Engage with followers through comments and direct messages
Twitter – tweets, threads, images, videos, polls
- Keep messages concise and to the point
- Use trending hashtags to join conversations
- Post frequently to stay relevant
- Engage with retweets and replies to build community
LinkedIn – articles, text posts, videos, slideshares
- Focus on professional and industry-specific content
- Share thought leadership articles and insights
- Engage with followers through comments and group discussions
- Use LinkedIn Live for webinars and live events
YouTube – tutorials, vlogs, product reviews, live streams
- Create engaging thumbnails and titles
- Optimise video descriptions and tags for SEO
- Consistently post content to build an audience
- Use playlists to organise content for easy navigation
TikTok – short-form videos, trends, challenges
- Create authentic and relatable content
- Participate in trending challenges to increase visibility
- Use popular music and effects to enhance videos
- Engage with users through comments and collaborations
It can be a great benefit to encourage collaboration between design and marketing departments, which is why working with a multifaceted agency like Eon Visual Media is fantastic! Our team of designers create high-quality content, designed specifically for different platforms, and our marketing team can help create end-to-end campaigns and strategies to yield optimum results! Get in touch today for your free consultation!
