Creativity hacks for better thought leadership
How to design B2B campaigns that excite your audiences and engage their hearts and minds
How often do you see B2B campaigns that stand out because of the quality of their design? The answer for most of us is hardly ever.
These days, most campaigns have a landing page with some passable photography and a few whizzy icons. But dig deeper and the recipe is stale: downloadable pdfs, crude infographics that don’t tell us much, and dull, formulaic bar charts.
Today’s business audiences want big ideas delivered with impact, and that means you need to engage their eyes as well as their brains. So we asked our information design experts how you can give your corporate campaigns a creative makeover.
They stressed three things: keep it simple, make it immersive, and exploit the power of your data.
How often do you see B2B campaigns that stand out because of the quality of their design? The answer for most of us is hardly ever.
These days, most campaigns have a landing page with some passable photography and a few whizzy icons. But dig deeper and the recipe is stale: downloadable pdfs, crude infographics that don’t tell us much, and dull, formulaic bar charts.
Today’s business audiences want big ideas delivered with impact, and that means you need to engage their eyes as well as their brains. So we asked our information design experts how you can give your corporate campaigns a creative makeover.
They stressed three things: keep it simple, make it immersive, and exploit the power of your data.
5 ways to simplify complexity
Great design makes complex ideas simple enough to engage your audience – quickly. Here are five visual storytelling tips that will help you to get your message across more powerfully:
5 ways to simplify complexity
Great design makes complex ideas simple enough to engage your audience – quickly. Here are five visual storytelling tips that will help you to get your message across more powerfully:
1
Find the metaphor Brainstorm your campaign metaphor and identify the idea that links your campaign title to a visual identity.
2
‘Chapterise’ your story See if you can convey your story in five headlines, then build your graphic around them.
3
Cut the wordcount People almost always provide too much text for infographics. One killer stat and a sentence have more impact than 400 words. So set strict word limits and stick to them.
4
Embrace purposeful design Avoid pointless decoration. If it doesn’t help to communicate an idea or action, drop it.
5
Signpost the next steps So often in content marketing we forget to tell audiences how to take the next step in their journey with our brand. Provide clear calls to action that lead to conversations.
1
Find the metaphor Brainstorm your campaign metaphor and identify the idea that links your campaign title to a visual identity.
2
‘Chapterise’ your story See if you can convey your story in five headlines, then build your graphic around them.
3
Cut the wordcount People almost always provide too much text for infographics. One killer stat and a sentence have more impact than 400 words. So set strict word limits and stick to them.
4
Embrace purposeful design Avoid pointless decoration. If it doesn’t help to communicate an idea or action, drop it.
5
Signpost the next steps So often in content marketing we forget to tell audiences how to take the next step in their journey with our brand. Provide clear calls to action that lead to conversations.
The art of immersion
Are you happy about measuring your reader engagement in minutes – and sometimes even seconds? No? Time to think about immersion. Immersive design thinking can sustain your readers’ interest and boost their time on page. This is how it’s done:
Capture their curiosity The key to success here is knowing your audience. If you have a deep understanding of their needs, wants, habits and preferences, you will attract them with content that speaks directly to their interests.
Lay out the stepping stones You need to earn your audience’s attention, step by step. Draw them in deeper by encouraging them to browse interesting graphics, powerful data points, and perhaps a few powerful quotes. Always suggest that there’s more to learn.
Design for different learning styles Some people prefer business information in video format. Others prefer to scan a blog, or cherry-pick insights from a bigger report. Provide well-designed options that cater to different audience preferences.
Make interaction easy and compelling Audiences like to interact with content. So interactive data visualisations, polls and other features will help to achieve deeper engagement – as long as you make it intuitive and rewarding. If it’s hard work for them, you’re wasting your time and money.
The art of immersion
Are you happy about measuring your reader engagement in minutes – and sometimes even seconds? No? Time to think about immersion. Immersive design thinking can sustain your readers’ interest and boost their time on page. This is how it’s done:
Capture their curiosity The key to success here is knowing your audience. If you have a deep understanding of their needs, wants, habits and preferences, you will attract them with content that speaks directly to their interests.
Lay out the stepping stones You need to earn your audience’s attention, step by step. Draw them in deeper by encouraging them to browse interesting graphics, powerful data points, and perhaps a few powerful quotes. Always suggest that there’s more to learn.
Design for different learning styles Some people prefer business information in video format. Others prefer to scan a blog, or cherry-pick insights from a bigger report. Provide well-designed options that cater to different audience preferences.
Make interaction easy and compelling Audiences like to interact with content. So interactive data visualisations, polls and other features will help to achieve deeper engagement – as long as you make it intuitive and rewarding. If it’s hard work for them, you’re wasting your time and money.
Data viz that goes viral
Many B2B brands invest a lot of money in research in order to produce interesting data. But it’s wasted if the most interesting insights are buried in dull charts or a wall of data. This is where information design comes in. It’s a specialist skill that, done well, will make your campaigns stand out and get your customers talking.
Here’s how the best information designers approach data visualisation:
Start with the message What are you trying to say with a graphic? What’s the most elegant way of conveying your message? If it looks pretty but fails to communicate, then it’s bad data visualisation.
Team up on creativity Data visualisation is a team sport. The most memorable stories in data journalism often emerge when subject experts team up with specialists in information design. Get your analysts, writers and designers pulling together to tell strong visual stories.
Find your killer stats When it comes to data, it’s much better to give prominence in your design to a few well-chosen facts and insights. Go for the jugular.
Be an honest data broker Avoid design trickery that distorts the importance of a particular finding. B2B audiences are data-literate, so respect their intelligence by presenting the facts clearly and accurately.
Data viz that goes viral
Many B2B brands invest a lot of money in research in order to produce interesting data. But it’s wasted if the most interesting insights are buried in dull charts or a wall of data. This is where information design comes in. It’s a specialist skill that, done well, will make your campaigns stand out and get your customers talking.
Here’s how the best information designers approach data visualisation:
Start with the message What are you trying to say with a graphic? What’s the most elegant way of conveying your message? If it looks pretty but fails to communicate, then it’s bad data visualisation.
Team up on creativity Data visualisation is a team sport. The most memorable stories in data journalism often emerge when subject experts team up with specialists in information design. Get your analysts, writers and designers pulling together to tell strong visual stories.
Find your killer stats When it comes to data, it’s much better to give prominence in your design to a few well-chosen facts and insights. Go for the jugular.
Be an honest data broker Avoid design trickery that distorts the importance of a particular finding. B2B audiences are data-literate, so respect their intelligence by presenting the facts clearly and accurately.
SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP
Creative design and visual storytelling workshop
Discover practical ways to give your content and thought leadership campaigns a creative boost by taking advantage of a free creative consultation with our experts in information design.
This 45 minute workshop is led by Emma Hicks, Longitude’s Head of Information Design, and can be tailored to your needs.
SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP
Creative design and visual storytelling workshop
Discover practical ways to give your content and thought leadership campaigns a creative boost by taking advantage of a free creative consultation with our experts in information design.
This 45 minute workshop is led by Emma Hicks, Longitude’s Head of Information Design, and can be tailored to your needs.