#but i have not come across a single taylor blog that does not engage in this behavior of obsessing over her relationships

[autumnrory]

swifties being all "bullying is unacceptable" when it comes to someone they like while they encouraged and partook in all the bullying of kaylors for years lmao just another hypocritical moment here on tumblr dot com!

[lovetheplayers]

Taylor's interview with Ryan Seacrest on 102.7 KIIS FM (April 30, 2019)

Ryan: That is new music from Taylor Swift called ME! Brendon Urie there too on 102.7 KIIS fm. Just announced that Taylor will be at Wango Tango and look at the phone ringing. It’s Taylor Swift. Good morning, Taylor.

Taylor: Oh, hi. Good morning.

Ryan: How are you doing?

Taylor: I'm so good, and it's so good to talk to you. Yeah, the new song and video are out and it just feels really great to have such amazing feedback from the fans and have them combing through the video trying to figure out details.

Ryan: Taylor, Taylor, Taylor, you are like the brainteaser the teacher would give me in school. There’s all these, I mean, I know they call them Easter eggs but, like, it’s there’s almost too much for me to decipher, you know?

Taylor: Yeah. There's so, so, so many little clues in the video and some are clues that are immediately revealed to them and then there’s kind of different levels to the crypticness. Like, some of these—some of the symbolic references they’ll understand in, like, a couple months and then some they’ll get, like, when they really go through the album. Like, some are lyric references. I’s just the whole thing. But it’s really fun to put that stuff together because I’ve been doing stuff like this for like 15 years on my first album. I started off with capitalizing letters in my lyric book and then when people put together those letters it spells out a code. so they liked it, so I kept doing it.

Ryan: But just to understand the DNA here of your brain: so do you���you’re obviously very clever, but do you ever say, "Okay I’m gonna go obvious because they’re gonna think I’m being clever so I’ll go counter-intuitively backwards." Because I’m trying to figure out some things for this next album. I need to know the answer to that.

Taylor: Yeah, definitely. It takes a lot of planning and really, like, it's just basically a flex on planning. Like, this is how far ahead I planned this album. But it’s also just a way for it to become more of a—more of an experience rather than just.. I think that so often music can just be so ephemeral these days. Like, it comes out and we talk about it for, like, a second and then we move on to the next thing. And I think it’s fun for us to create an event and kind of put an experience back into just, you know, a song or a video. That’s what I’m trying to do is make it more more fun for them to talk about it and think about it. And they’re awesome about it, so I guess as long as they have fun with it I’ll keep doing it.

Ryan: So we’ve got Lover. You said awesome—you just said awesome, wait. Did you just—Tell me, does the title of the album rhyme with possum?

Taylor: I'm definitely going to tell them everything about the album in due time.

Ryan: Does it rhyme with saleidoscope? So you’re going to be opening the Billboard Awards which is very exciting.

Taylor: It's exciting. I've been in rehearsals all week. It’s really, really exciting. It’s also so much fun with this song because the song is so—it's just such a celebration and it's just so playful and mischievous, so that's been one of the most fun elements of creating the performance.

Ryan: Well the video has had, I mean, 65, 70 million views and our own Tanya was very excited to—I am not a good mover. I don’t know if you know that about me so I couldn’t partake in the dancing that she did. I think that you commented on it.

Taylor: Oh, yeah I commented on it. It was like the most adorable thing ever. That's like a really, really nice house you're in.

Tanya: I have to say I have listened to this song on repeat, literally, I think I’ve, and I’m not even exaggerating, a thousand times.

Taylor: Really?!

Tanya: Yes, Taylor. It is so fantastic. I feel like everything is right in the world again because we have new music from you and, like, I’m living through it and I just feel like I’ve been living through your music for so many years now and every single time you come out with something it, like, speaks to me at that moment and I’m just so grateful for ME! I just feel like it’s the perfect song for right now.

Taylor: Thank you so much for saying that. That means a lot. That’s so, so sweet of you to say. And literally, like, my heart just, like, starts beating so fast when people say things like that because I think the main purpose of this song—like, when I thought of this melody I was like, "Okay, this is one of those melodies that, like, we could do so much with this, and it’s so catchy that, like, what do we want to get stuck in people's heads?" And what I wanted was to make people happy about themselves because I think right now there’s just such—literally everyone is so—we’re all just so neurotic and insecure and and anxious about things, you know, and I think that we can, you know, I think there should be, like, a way for us to kind of, like, have a song stuck in our head that reinforces the fact that we're individuals. We’re different. And obviously there are a lot of songs about "I'm special", but I hadn’t heard one recently that was about "I’m special because it’s who I am", you know? There are examples where you can find someone being like, "I’m special because of how I look"; "I’m special because of what I can buy" or whatever, and there’s definitely a place for those songs, but I think there’s also a place for a song that’s like "No, it’s Who I am. it’s intrinsically my individuality that makes me a irreplaceable and not anything else." So thank you so much for saying that.

Ryan: You should know that Wango Tango—Taylor is going to be there. This is her first Wango Tango. She's done Jingle Ball but not Wango Tango. And there was there was a young student that lives in Iowa, Taylor, that called in to this show a few weeks ago and she just said that, like, she is trying to do her own show there for a college radio station and she listens to this show on a regular basis and she called in to say that and, you know, it was great. And then I said, "Well, if there’s one person that you and your town of—I think it’s Dubuque, Iowa—if there’s one person that you would want to ask a question to who would it be?" And she said your name and at the time I wasn’t sure if we’d talk to you—I was hoping we would. And I said, "If we ever get her on the line I’d love to patch you together to ask her one question." And she’s on the phone. Could I let her ask you something?

Taylor: Yeah, of course.

Ryan: Audrey?

Audrey: Hey, Ryan? How's it going? Hey, Taylor!

Taylor: Hey, Audrey!

Audrey: It's such an honor to talk to you! I don’t know if you remember me but I reached out to you when I was in high school when I did high school radio and you were busy playing on the Red Tour, which by the way was awesome. I’ve seen three of your concert tours. But yeah, It's been a crazy journey with my radio stuff. I’m a student at Loras College which is a small private school in Iowa and honestly right now it’s raining and you’re brightening up my day, seriously.

Taylor: Aw, congratulations on everything with your radio show. That’s awesome.

Audrey: So I have a question for you. I think a lot of people want to know it. What are you the most proud of in your career? Your career is—your lucky number, 13 years now and you’re about to put out another album. What is the one thing that just stands out to you that you're the most proud of?

Taylor: Oh, wow, that is—that’s a good question. That is such a good question. I think that—I think that what I’m proud of is having a consistent, really wonderful relationship with the fans who have put me here getting to do the job that I love because I think that reminding—you know I don’t ever have to be reminded. I’m reminded every single day; you guys are literally the only reason why I get to do something that I love so much and I think that a lot of the time people can lose sight of what got them where they are and I think that that’s something that every every day since I started doing this I made sure to, like, remind myself you never ever forget the people who got you here. So thank you for saying that.

Audrey: I will say that when I took my aunt and my mom to the first Chicago show of the Reputation Tour, the one thing that really stood out to the three of us, like, the minute we walked into Soldier Field was the engagement from your merch stand to the videos that you would see to the pre-show playlist. You had everything planned out.

Taylor: Thank you so much for noticing the planning! You have no idea how happy that makes me because, like, I really feel like we have the opportunity to create, like, a party. Like, when we plan it we try to plan every single element of a person’s day and so that just—like, that’s validation. Like, you have no idea. I really appreciate you saying it.

Audrey: I also will say when you played Our Song—I was sitting there sitting in the second across from the B-stage and when you said, "This is a song I wrote in ninth grade," I looked at my mom and I was, like, "Oh my god, this is the one song that I haven't heard yet."

Ryan: Audrey, you are the best. Thank you so much.

Taylor: You are the best.

Audrey: I also wanna ask Taylor. I'd love for you to listen to my show if you want to. I can definitely send the link to Ryan and I'll play any song you want. I was listening to your video blog from, like, over the years, and I was like, "I know a playlist for Taylor."

Ryan: I will make sure that we get her the link. Alright, Audrey?

Audrey: Okay, I love you Taylor. You're the best! Bye, Audrey.

Taylor: Good luck with everything.

Ryan: Oh, my god. That was just—that's what it's about, right? Isn't that what it's about?

Taylor: She's the best.

Ryan: Thank you so much for calling today. We will see you June 1st at Wango Tango, and we'll be following the puzzle, so.

Taylor: You guys better cater the whole day for them. You better pick a pre-show playlist and all that stuff.

Ryan: I know. You're making me feel complacent.

Taylor: Thanks for much for talking to me and for everything over the years. You've always been such a great friend and, yeah, I'll see you at Wango Tango. I'm really excited.

Ryan: We are too. You're the best, Taylor. Thank you again. See you soon.

Taylor: Thanks, guys, and thanks for the dance video.

[allsystemsarenotgo]

I had this article written out mentally. I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to say.

Then a paragraph came flying in through messenger like a brick and knocked me to the ground in pain. It made me re-think some of what I was going to say.

Now I have to start over.

I am only writing these so that I can try to shed some guilt and at least make an attempt at explaining myself and closing some doors. These may not be very appeasing, but I honestly have nothing to lose, and would rather be embarrassingly honest.

The other day I did something wrong, and the first thing my dad said was "I don't know where your mother and I went wrong in raising you....."

Do you know how much that hurts to hear? Do you? I get yelled at alot for doing things wrong or the hard way or just understanding instructions wrong.

I am already hard on myself. I say it. Others say it. Most of the people on this list have probably said it at some point or another.

But hearing that? That fucked me up inside.

I am the problem. I am always the problem. I'm a pathetic piece of shit that doesn't do shit right, doesn't understand, doesn't know, and gets yelled at for everything.

The recurring theme here is going to be jealousy, controlling my surroundings, shutting things out, and overall selfishness...

JP-

I don't remember ever doing what I was accused of. It's just not something I would do, but if I did, I did. I've always thought it was the other person involved that did it. Sharing others' secrets isn't something I'm about. I wouldn't want mine shared, so I don't share others. But if I did, I did. Taylor told me some years later how things affected you. I wish none of that shit had ever gone down. It's been nothing but a thorn in my backside.

Taryn-

I don't know if ^^that^^ is part of why you hate me, or if there's something else entirely. For almost the entire time that we've known each other, you've had me blocked on FB and never so much as complained or thrown/given statement as to why. I've successfully-ish avoided you, your family, and your clique in general for the last 6,7,8 years or however long it has been. I've felt extremely uncomfortable when your dad has asked for computer help, but I only do it because it's the right and nice thing to do. I've avoided the winter bowling league because you are there, I've gone the long way around many times because you are there. Now that you are married, that has added a whole new realm of people for me to generally avoid. Not because I have to, but because I don't want to get close enough for you to maim me like the muscular lionesse that you are. I don't know what else to do or say, other than I'm sorry for whatever it is that I did to scorn you. I know I'm a dumb ass and we'll probably never be anything close to friends...it would just be nice if I didn't have to awkwardly avoid you out of fear and if we could at least say hi to eachother in passing every once and a while.

And yes, you (and your parents too) legitimately scare the ever-living shit out of me.

Mackenzie-

We have known eachother for a long time. We had our ups and downs, but you've been an important friend to me over the years. I haven't looked forward to moving on, but you have your own family and busy, busy life to deal with now and I know that there is no room for a high school friend anywhere in that puzzle. As much as it hurt to be at the receiving end of the thing you did, it also showed how much you cared. I appreciated that, and the rare serious talks that we would have at night. You could explain things in ways others couldn't and answer the questions I didn't want to ask and ones I didn't even have. We also shared alot of laughing moments and learning moments together. You're responsible for alot of what I did and didn't do in high school. I've also worried about you from time to time, hoping that your condition wouldn't reflare.

Mallorey-

I've had a crush on you ever since we worked together in high school. You have alot of drive and motivation. You could be a great inspiration to others, if you came out of your shell a little more often. But like me, I know that is a difficult thing for you to do. That's one of the several things we have in common. I appreciate that over the years, you have told me things and we have had our deep talks. We have gone years without talking much less seeing eachother in the past, but this time feels different. As though you are not there at all. Or is it myself who does not exist anymore?

Destiny-

I had a crush the moment I laid eyes on you, before I even knew your name or knew who you were. The next time I saw you with Keith, the feeling I had was some sort of pain, but over time I got over it since I didn't have to see you. Then I got you the job working with me....and all it did was cause me more problems to deal with. I enjoyed your company and compassion and being able to easily talk...but it was still taking a toll on me. I abandoned ship to get away from you, and started the temporary downturn of my career, until I quit completely. Now I don't get to see you at all, and we hardly talk, but it makes my life easier not having to see you on a regular basis. I miss that company and compassion at times...I feel like you are a knife-edge to my feet.

Rebecca-

You are fun but serious. Working for your mum was extremely difficult in alot of ways. Some things made me stronger and better as a person, but others had be feeling like a worthless peon. I always enjoyed when you were around because you helped balance situations, even when you became the 'fall guy'. I don't agree with alot of how you were treated or how things were done with your name on them and how you got pushed so far beyond your limits in a multitude of ways. You are smart, skilled, and tested...but had the volatility of any other person under those stresses. You were a good friend to have. Sometimes too good of a friend.

Jett-

I have known your dad for several years now. Early on, he told me about the troubles in your upbringing. I always asked him how you were doing when we talked, because I was concerned and didn't want you to have the problems and issues that I have. There were alot of things that he never understood and I had to explain to him about being atypical and diverse. I never wanted to talk to you, but when he asked me to, I didn't want to tell him no. I know I hurt your feelings along the way. I tried to use your preferred name instead of your birthname, even when it just didn't feel comfortable to do so. Knowing you as one name and one personality for so long at a distance, then finding out you went by a new name and new personality was tough for me to accept. I wanted to (and still do)support you along the way, I just wasn't a very good friend at all. I'm sorry.

Jordin-

You're cute. There is no denying that. I also thought you were much older when we met (don't take that the wrong way). Once I learned your real age, I had to wipe my brain and just watch from afar. The day that you posted a photo of yourself in bed with Philpot (then alluded to it over and over again tagging your hotel stays with him and all that stuff), I slowly lost respect for you. I'm a stupid dumb ass by most regards, and I still know better than to do that. I kept an open mind about the things I read and was told when you broke up after that. But then seeing you latch to Kilgore rather quickly after the breakup, that didn't sit well with me. I'm old-school when it comes to time tables. Seeing you leap like a frog from one lillypad to another rubbed me the wrong way. And the level that ya'll shared every. single. moment. involving or around eachother...it kept rubbing me the wrong way. When you up and moved across the state chasing a boy after (was it even 6 or 8 months?). Ugh. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to let go. I couldn't keep watching this real-life movie play out in either "Perfect Love" or "The Lie Before The Blowup". Just just because I was jealous that you found eachother and Kilgore got a good score, yea those orntrue too. But I just couldn't stand seeing all this lovey dovey blah blah blah gushing hearts.

I HAD to cut loose to save my own sanity. I'm old school. I keep bedroom/hotelroom shit to myself (give or take my rants and vents on this blog) or at least out if public eye. I believe in dating for a year or two or three before getting engaged. Waiting a year after that. Moving in together....somewhere along the way.

Honestly, when I found out you were engaged after not even a year....I thought for sure somewhere there were going to be ultrasound photos. I'm sure I wasn't the only one. It's just not something that alot of people are used to.

I don't have anything against you or your dad or Austin. I just can't take having all that love and shit shoved through my eyeballs.

Not that my or most anyone else's opinion should ever matter in what you do.

I'm just saying what I'm thinking.

"Jenny"-

I have already said everything there is to say.

I'll miss you.

Yea, I'll miss you.

But I won't wish you were there.

[ncmagroup]

by Mark Walker-Ford

Well, it’s that time of the week again – our weekly round-up.

We’re back with ten (10!) of our favorite digital marketing blog posts to hit the screen.

The aim is simple. We save all the blogs our team has read this week and select our favorites.

And we hand them to you on our shiny blog platter. Why? Because we all need good content in our lives.

In this week’s round-up, you’ll earn everything from improving social media engagement rates to optimizing FAQ pages for conversions – and everything in-between.

It’s all for the taking.

Entrepreneur – 7 Quick Ways Every Startup Can Optimize SEO Without Breaking the Bank

Don’t you just love saving time, money, and effort? It’s my favorite thing to do.

They say humans favor the ‘least path of resistance’. Putting your feet up and watching Netflix really is good for evolution.

But when it comes to marketing, it’s not that easy.

Ask anyone – marketing can be expensive. Like, really expensive.

And to become successful, start-ups are expected to pour money in and simply watch it burn before they can expect as much as a grain of ROI.

Such is life.

Or, is it?

Well, nobody ever said starting a business and nurturing it into a successful one was ever easy.

But, there are a few tricks of the trade that, as a start-up, you can get comfortable with.

And many of them reside in that wonderfully simple world of search engine optimization.

From optimizing your content to finally getting around to link-building, Toby Nwazor is here to save your life.

READ POST

Search Engine Journal – 12 Examples of How to Earn High-Quality Links the Natural Way

So, you’ve decided – once and for all – that you’re actually going to invest in your link building strategy. Great idea.

This sounds amazing. Just think of all those relationships you’ll form with marketers, and all those insightful conversations you’ll have. Not to mention the clicks.

And traffic. Definitely the traffic.

But when you sit in front of your screen, you can see yourself in the reflection. Admittedly, you look worse than you did when you were 3 seasons deep into that average crime thriller. We’ve all been there.

Suddenly you’re hit with the question on everybody’s lips: just what does it take to earn high-quality, valuable links? They’re the holy grail when it comes to building your authority – but just how do you get started?

Thanks to this article by Jason Hennessey over at Search Engine Journal, you don’t need to give the world to get natural, high-quality links so you can rank higher on Google.

From content marketing to Quora, this article has it all.

Do something worthwhile over the weekend, and check it out.

READ POST

Wishpond – 50 Affordable Giveaway Ideas You Can Use Today

Who doesn’t love free stuff?

Truth is, in an age when you ‘remember when prices weren’t this bad’, giveaways are well-needed respites from this cruel world.

And, the fact is, giveaways aren’t just beneficial for customers, either.

For brands and businesses – big and small – giveaways are the perfect way to drive engagement, interest, and leads.

BeardBrand, for example, was able to generate 700+ likes, followers, and subscribers thanks to a giveaway they hosted for their customers (Source: ReferralRock).

Never again underestimate the raw power of giving away free stuff.

So, now that you’ve decided to launch a giveaway (everyone is so ready for it), you’re excited to see how it can help your business grow.

But wait. Is your budget your best friend at the moment?

Can you really afford this giveaway, no matter how hyped you think your audience will be?

We’re again turning to Victoria Taylor over at Wishpond for help.

We’re all for it, and you should be, too.

READ POST

CoSchedule – Social Media Management: The Complete Guide to Getting It Right

You think social media is just all fun and games? Sharing GIFs, following similar accounts, and liking someone’s content in the hopes of being recognized, adored, and wanted?

You’re absolutely right.

Well, half right at least.

Because underneath it all, social media is hard. There, we said it.

Social media management is more than sharing viral content in the hopes of picking up some traffic. It takes a shrewd understanding of your audience – and loads more.

And for brands who need to navigate this online maze successfully, they need to tread carefully.

Very carefully.

In this always-on, ever-connected world, the balance between being loved and hated by audiences online is pretty daunting.

When it’s good, it’s really good. Think Wendy’s, or Innocent Smoothies.

And when it’s bad – well, do we really need to go any further than Snapchat’s 2018 Would You Rather campaign?

Managing social media – whether for your business or for your clients – has just been made a whole lot easier thanks to this article by Ben Sailer over at CoSchedule.

READ POST

Social Media Examiner – How to Get More Social Media Engagement on Any Platform

Let’s get real: social media is complex and often difficult. And driving social media engagement is just the cherry on the cake, isn’t it?

The world is fast – and social media is even faster.

In one second, there are 8,500 tweets. In one second, around 7,500 images are shared online.

These statistics tell us two things.

First, we live in unprecedented times when it comes to connectivity, speed, and communications.

Second, the need to drive social media engagement from your audiences has never been greater.

Why? Because the social media-sphere is a crowded one: and to stand out, you’ll need better engagement rates.

In this brilliant article by Luria Petrucci, you’ll be told to do away with the professional Zeitgeist of the 1970s.

Want better social media engagement? You need to completely change the way you do social media.

And in the age of modern social media, personality sells and drives engagement.

READ POST

Crowdfire – 25 Creative Ways To Use Social Media For Storytelling

Now that you’ve reached a new social media awakening, how do you use it for one of the most effective forms of marketing?

Storytelling is hugely popular and successful with brands looking to form a better connection with audiences.

How many times have you liked, shared, and even re-watched/re-read marketing content simply because you enjoyed it?

As Kristin Savage tells us in her article, storytelling is nothing new when it comes to marketing.

However, storytelling is the perfect way to offer something new to your audiences’ news feeds other than yet another irrelevant promotional ad.

And by giving something new – we’re really not going to place restrictions here – you can really use storytelling to your advantage.

You might have a few storytelling concepts in mind, but how do you bring it to the people?

And, more importantly, how do you deliver your amazing story across each platform?

From Twitter Moments to Instagram Captions, this blog has it all.

READ POST

Visme – 6 Steps to Designing Infographics in Less Than an Hour

If you didn’t already know, here at Red Website Design we just love infographics.

Whether they’re about marketing stats to watch out for or the most popular Mexican meals you need to try – infographics are the easiest way to read, share, and collect information.

And we’re all for that.

It’s no surprise then, that when we discovered this article by Chloe West over at Visme, we had to share it with you guys.

And why is that? We metaphorically hear you ask.

For one very good reason.

This article tells you how you can design your own infographic. In less than an hour.

Just think, in under 60 minutes you’ll have an infographic that you’ll be telling everyone about. Even your neighbor.

Can you really look at yourself in the mirror and confidently say you can do anything better in less than an hour?

For new businesses who just don’t have the desired financial muscle yet, the DIY marketing road is a road you’ll need to get familiar with.

And designing your own infographics is the perfect way to seize that golden snitch without upsetting your bank balance.

READ POST

Single Grain – 12 Reasons Your SEO Strategy Is Failing

If your failing SEO strategy is keeping you awake at night – know that the struggle is real and you are not alone.

But Megan Mahoney at Single Grain is here with the honest advice we all need in our lives.

Your SEO strategy isn’t failing because search engines have some unexplained hatred for you and your business.

Your SEO strategy isn’t failing because your specific website out of the thousands indexed every day is suffering from an undefined penalty that, quite frankly, might not even exist.

Whilst ‘they’ve got it in for me’ is an alluring finger-pointing exercise, the reasons SEO strategies fail are never as mysterious as you’d secretly hope.

In fact, as this article explains, to get to the bottom of why your SEO strategy is letting you down, you need to get to the bottom of your SEO strategy.

Yes – you guessed it.

It’s time for another SEO audit.

But this time, you’ll find 12 actionable tips that will help you solve the ultimate SEO riddle.

From simply having faith in outdated tactics to being outright impatient, this article is about to make your weekend a whole lot more reassuring.

And we could all do with a bit of that.

READ POST

Quicksprout – How to Build a High-Converting FAQ Page on Your Website

I bet two positive things completely turned your world upside down this weekend.

First: Disney’s announcement that they are going to re-boot several of their classic films from Home Alone to Night At The Museum.

We still don’t know how we feel about this.

And secondly, this: you can build a high-converting Frequently Asked Questions page on your website.

That’s right.

When you think of high conversion rates, we’ll bet you all the toys in Duncan’s Toy Chest that you never even gave the FAQ page a thought.

It’s OK – we’re not judging. Everyone’s in the same struggle for better conversions.

But we are here to tell you that you need to head on over to read Quicksprout’s article.

As you’ll soon find out, FAQ pages are so so important for your website. Chances are, anybody who makes it as far as the FAQ page is on the edge of converting.

Nobody ever clicks on FAQ pages purely for some weird kick, right?

It makes sense, then, to optimize your FAQ pages for conversions.

And you can do this from ‘asking the right questions’ to incorporating SEO.

But wait, there’s more.

READ POST

Entrepreneur – What All High-Performing Social Media Posts Have in Common

And last but by no means least, we’ve got this article from Entrepreneur – featuring a video from their Empowerista series.

When it comes to high-performing social media posts, what comes to mind first?

Maybe you’re thinking of viral content that’s incredibly fun to monitor and watch sub-memes flourish.

For example, the classic Will It Blend Videos got us all on our edge to see if the original iPhone really could blend.

Or, maybe it’s your old neighbor’s latest Instagram post with all her purring cats that’s just racked up 200 likes.

We know.

But are these two examples really different?

If you think hard about it – not really.

Though their content may differ, they can both be high-powering because they share something in common with each other.

So, enough with the teasing.

What do all high-performing social media posts have in common?

More than you think.

  Go to our website:   www.ncmalliance.com

  10 Amazing Marketing Articles from the Best in the Business by Mark Walker-Ford Well, it’s that time of the week again – our weekly round-up. We’re back with ten (10!) of our favorite digital marketing blog posts to hit the screen.

[sempiternalsandpitturtle]

7 graphic design tips you absolutely need to know

Visuals can really pack a punch, depending upon the asset you’re designing and how you balance text with graphical elements.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a pro designer, there are a few rules that you should keep in mind to take your visual elements from “meh”, to “WOW”.

First things first, we’re going over the basics – these are the rules that you should follow no matter if you’re creating a feature image for a blog, visuals to support whitepaper content, or a full-fledged eBook or infographic.

Consider these your cardinal design rules:

Abide by the style guide.

Consider your colour palette.

Limit your fonts and choose them wisely.

Build in negative space.

Scale is your friend.

Take a step back.

Take it all in.

Now, let’s break these down, one by one:

1. Abide by the style guide

Your brand style guide (whether you’re designing for your own employer or a client) is your bible.

When in doubt, you can always fall back on the the guide.

Often, this asset will contain the company’s choices of fonts, colours and other elements that help ensure all of its visual assets are consistent with its brand identity.

Be sure that your designs don’t stray from the style guide. And if they do, be prepared to have a really, reallyyyy good reason for the decision to break away – or show your reasoning through examples (one that aligns with the style guide, and one that incorporates your own design choices).

2. Consider your colour palette

While the style guide may direct the palette in certain instances (i.e. the brand logo, header/footer elements, etc.), you’ll likely have a bit of artistic freedom when it comes to the overall colour choice of the graphic.

colours can convey a certain mood and message all of their own – for instance, using bolder, warm colours can evoke a different response in your target audience than cooler, complementary colours.

When choosing your colours, consider not only the content and message you’re designing around, but the reaction you want to bring out in viewers.

You should use contrasting colour combinations, or those directly across from each other in the colour wheel. It’s important to ensure that your palette is not only complementary, but also aligns with the style guide .

Selecting a high-contrast colour palette can draw viewers in, and make your designs, well …

3. Limit your fonts and choose them wisely

Full disclosure, I have quite the opinion on typography, as you can see from this piece I wrote on email font choices.

Similar to colours, your choice of font(s) can send a message depending on the shape and size of the typeface. And if the look and feel of your font doesn’t match up with the purpose and content of your graphic, it can really throw readers off.

Using a different typeface for the heading, subtitle and any body text can be visually appealing. However, as Canva put it, for font’s sake, limit the number of typefaces you choose.

Selecting and mixing too many fonts is a rookie mistake, and can make your graphic look messy and just all over the map.

Overall, both sans serif and serif fonts are good for readability. Sans serif has become the more popular option for web content, while serif fonts are typically used for print assets. Remember to follow the guidance from your style guide, though.

4. Build in blank space

While I immediately want to make a Taylor Swift reference here, we’ll push forward without one.

When creating visual elements, it’s good to leave a bit of white space, or negative space, in and around your design. Consider this breathing room for your design – smoosh too much into a graphic, and viewers won’t know what to look at first.

White space can be a design element all on its own, helping to direct the eye to the other shapes and visuals therein.

What’s more, building in negative blank space can help keep your graphics simple, and prevent you from going overboard with visuals or colours.

Take Apple, for example, the veritable king of white space.

The brand really knows how to work blank space into its visuals, and the use of white also helps provide a clean and polished look.

Plus, when the brand does decide to include more colourful elements, including white space around these visuals helps give them the attention they’re due.

Okay, I couldn’t help myself:

See how your eye is drawn to Tay and her shiny red apple? Blank space, people! It’s a must for great graphic design.

5. Scale is your friend

In addition to thinking about your colour scheme, fonts and negative space, you should also put thought into the scale of each of these elements. Scale is particularly important when it comes to any included icons, shapes or illustrations. Giving a greater scale to certain visual elements can shake up your composition while providing emphasis in areas where it’s needed.

Using scale strategically is also a great way to help lead readers’/viewers’ eyes from one compositional feature to the next.

6. Take a step back

This is best practice for anyone who stares at screens all day, but is especially important for designers – don’t forget to take a step back every now and then and rest your eyes.

It’s super easy to get lost in your visual elements if you’ve been looking at them all damn day.

But taking even a short break to go look at the sky or that patch of grass that your dog likes in the park is important. When you come back with fresh eyes, you never know what might jump out at you or what inspiration may come to mind.

7. Take it all in

Building off this last point, it’s also important to avoid getting tunnel vision on a single visual element, icon or shape.

Remember to zoom out and take everything in as a whole, because that’s what your target audience will be doing.

Check to ensure that your fonts, colour scheme, scale and other compositional features support the content, message and purpose of the graphic. And if anything feels off, make adjustments where needed – your goal is to create something cohesive, while still providing a path for readers’ eyes.

Let’s get specific

The above cardinal rules should represent the standards you use for good design in every instance. However, as any great designer will tell you, things get a bit different when it comes to designing for assets like feature images, whitepapers, infographics and eBooks. So let’s drill down a bit further into each one:

Tips for feature images

As a writer, I can certainly attest to the power of a well-placed feature image within a blog – it takes the entire piece of content to the next level. And unlike typically non-specific (and often low grade) stock imagery, feature images can draw on information or stats directly from the text (hence “feature”).

A few tips and tricks to keep in mind with your feature designs:

Pick an engaging fact, stat or quote to design around. I tend to prefer feature images that include statistics, because throwing your target audience a number to drive your point home is a strong strategy. However, a main talking point from the article, or in some cases a powerful quote, can work well too.

Custom imagery or dressing up stock images? While our graphics team usually creates custom designs for our feature images, time or other factors can sometimes prevent this approach. In these instances, another route to take is to start with an image (stock or otherwise) and dress it up with some extra elements and text overlay. Check out the example here from Magnet4Blogging:

The initial stock image, spiced up with a lens flare effect.

Here comes our custom text, in an opaque overlay.

A mockup of the final result. Replace that filler “This is a headline title…blahblah” with something more engaging and voila! A feature image to be proud of.

Tips for whitepapers

Whitepapers are beasts in their own right.

This long-form, in-depth informational content can span across multiple pages, but unlike an eBook (which we’ll delve into below), in a whitepaper, it’s the written content that is the main focus.

Thus, designing for whitepapers can get a bit tricky.

With a few tips, though, you can take on any length of whitepaper like a pro. Keep these things in mind:

Use graphical elements to break up the text. Yes, the writing is the shining star of a whitepaper, but no reader wants to be greeted by a gigantic block of text. Use visual elements to strategically break up the content, and consider adding in bulleted “takeaways” lists, pull-quotes, featured statistics and more. These can help break up blocks of text without taking away from the content.

Be mindful of page breaks. With so much text to account for, it can get a bit difficult to ensure that page breaks happen naturally. However, as the designer, it’s your job to watch for and avoid things like awkwardly cramming new sections in too close to the footnotes. The same goes for weird breaks in the typography – if you can make a few adjustments to avoid hyphenating almost every word landing on the right side of a column, definitely do so.

Choose images wisely. Keep in mind that, more often than not, the target audience reading a whitepaper is particularly savvy and knowledgeable. They’ve downloaded the whitepaper to read something more in-depth and want to come away with the feeling that they’ve learned something new. For this level of reader, clunky stock images can be a quick turnoff, so choose your images thoughtfully. Avoid the smug-looking business person, wearing a suit typing at their computer – your audience has seen this, or a version of it, a million times before, and we can do better.

Tips for eBooks

Ebooks are like the more bite-sized, visual-heavy cousin of the whitepaper.

Wee limit the number of words per page to about 150 for our eBooks – this gives readers just enough written content, while providing room for the graphical elements to really shine.

When designing an eBook, keep these tips and tricks handy:

Keep the front cover simple, yet engaging. This is the first thing your readers will see on a dedicated eBook landing page, and it serves to draw them in and encourage them to complete the form fill and download the asset. Your front cover should be bold, yet simple, and picking the ideal image, icon or other graphical element is key. B2B Marketing Lab contributor Kim Glazier recommends using a striking image as part of the front cover, but remember to keep the message of the content and the brand style guide in mind.

Things should easily flow from page to page. Page breaks in an eBook give readers a moment to digest the content they’ve just taken in, and then head on to the next page. Unlike whitepapers where readers will spend a few minutes or more on each page, eBooks are shorter and meant to be thumbed through. So when you’re creating the design, make sure that things flow, and that readers will be encouraged to flip to the next page.

Include sharable and engaging elements: Ebooks are meant to be shared, and your design should include buttons so readers can easily post the content to top social networks to drive up readership. Remember, though, that sharable links should lead readers to your dedicated landing page and form fill so you can support solid lead generation.

Mirror the design on the landing page: Speaking of the landing page, you can take cues from your eBook design to create something visually engaging. Plus, using this strategy will help make the form fill more streamlined for your target audience, as they’ll get a taste of what the eBook will look like from the landing page.

Consider trying something new: Because eBooks rely so heavily on graphics, this could provide just the opportunity to break out of the box a bit (while still observing the brand guidelines). For instance, the flat design technique has gained popularity recently.

Tips for infographics

In the hierarchy of graphic design, infographics just might be considered the king of the jungle. Here’s how to get the most value out of them:

Show, don’t tell. This means that writers should keep text to the bare-bones minimum, as you’ll be using graphical elements to drive the main points of the graphic home. A bite-sized fact supported by an icon, for example, is often all readers will want or expect.

Don’t go overboard. This includes written content and graphical elements. This is one of those things that’s hard to explain, but you know when a designer has taken things a biiiit too far when you see it:

As Neil Patel pointed out, the above example could have easily been four or more separate graphics. Your eye doesn’t know where to go first, and while the recognisable brand icons help, this graphic is all over the place – what do those dots mean? Why are they different sizes? There’s also a bar graph at the bottom?? As a reader, I wouldn’t even take the time to begin deciphering this.

Go with a theme: This can help inform your choices for colour, font, icons, shapes and more. Take this example, for instance (which also just happens to be about infographic best practices :

The recipe/ingredients theme here ties the content together. The numbered items and dash-line border help to keep everything distinct, yet simple. The reader’s eye is drawn from point to point without being overwhelmed.

A theme is a crucial element that can take your good design to great. Check out the rest of our best practices here.

Learning resources

While the above is certainly by no means an exhaustive list of tips, tricks and best practices, it can help put you on the path to great design work.

When you’re ready to brush up a bit further, check out some of these top educational resources:

Niice – the place to go for inspiration.

Design Taxi – for trending graphic design industry news.

Adobe colour CC – helping you pick an appealing colour palette.

Noun Project – for all things icons.

FontSquirrel – 100% free fonts, ready for use.

Get out there and take your designs to the next level.

Brief

from http://bit.ly/2mBsPrJ