In today's business world, it's not just what you say but how you say it. Presentation is just as important as what's contained in a blog post, if not more so. That's one reason why brands that invest in their graphic design regularly have 32% higher returns than those that don't.
Graphic design is essential for blogs. There are over 600 million blogs out of over 1.8 billion websites currently active. A single blog is just a drop in the ocean, and you should do everything in your power if you're serious about your blog.
Here are blog graphic design tips that will help your blog look its absolute best!
Color theory is one of the core tenets of graphic design. It's also one of the centerpieces of digital marketing. The colors you choose convey essential information about your blog and brand long before a reader even encounters a word.
Picking a pallet is an important step towards thinking like a designer. When you're designing your blog's visual identity, take a moment and think about what impact you're hoping your blog will have on a new visitor.
Are you hoping to inspire a sense of excitement, for instance? Then maybe a bold red pallet would be a good fit. It could also influence other important branding decisions, as well.
Say you're writing a food blog, and you want to convey a sense of adventure and exploration. A cherry red pallet with chili pepper as part of the logo will already start to tell your visitors your intent before they read a single post.
Thinking about the color scheme you'll use for your blog is the first step in thinking about a broader digital marketing strategy. Think about where you're hoping your visitors will share your content, for example. Then think about what demographics tend to frequent those networks.
This is just one way that design-centric thinking can help your blog take off!
The internet has truly leveled the playing field in terms of accessibility. You don't need to have a business degree to run a successful business on the internet, after all. You don't need to go to design school to have a sharp-looking blog that is hugely popular, either.
There are some risks of striking out and doing your own thing, however. Your audience is likely still judging you by the current tastes and standards, even if you're just starting as a blogger. If your blog looks like some GeoCities website circa 1995, be prepared for people to stay away in droves.
It doesn't need to be some massive project you undertake at once. In fact, it's often best if it's ongoing with you reading a few sites here and getting ideas.
Look at some of the other blogs in your niche and pay special attention to their graphic design. Look at things like color pallets, font choice, and logo design, for starters.
You should also add some graphic design blogs to your feed. This will help you stay on top of the latest trends in the industry. They're also a source of endless graphic design ideas for your own blog and posts!
One of the most common reasons bloggers use graphic design is to share their blog posts on social media. If you are blogging for the long haul, it will get very old extremely quickly if you have to look up common dimensions for popular social media sites every time.
To save you some time and trouble, some common social media dimensions include:
Once you've decided which social media networks you're planning on being the most active with, it's a good idea to save some templates with the dimensions you'll need. That way, you have to open your template, and you can have a new post in less than a minute!
Think about some homemade posters you've seen stapled to telephone poles around your town. Often, the designer gets a little over-enthusiastic with the language, cramming every millimeter with tantalizing text.
Maybe they even get a little excited with their font choice. They might have some explosive Lichtenstein-worthy Pop Art font in the headline. Then they might have some minimalistic Helvetica font down below to try and give some gravity.
They might even - horror of horrors - try and interject some levity with some Comic Sans thrown in for good measure.
For the most part, graphic design's main job is to broadcast what's most important about your blog or brand. Trying to include too much gives your audience the impression you don't know the most important thing about your own blog. It could end up doing more harm than good.
Putting time and energy, and effort into your blog's graphic design sets you up for success. Your blog posts will look as sharp and slick as possible. Your readers will thank you with shares and interaction in less than no time!
Ian is the owner of Graphic Rhythm as well as other businesses that revolve around design, copywriting and Amazon marketplace selling. He's an expert in communicating persuasively and loves helping business owners and digital agencies breathe life into their projects and ideas.
He values generosity and attention to detail and strives to make sure these values are apparent in the services he provides and the businesses he owns.
When Ian isn't working, you can find him outside hiking, camping and spending time with his wife and children
Ian is the owner of Graphic Rhythm as well as other businesses that revolve around design, copywriting and Amazon marketplace selling. He's an expert in communicating persuasively and loves helping business owners and digital agencies breathe life into their projects and ideas.
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