Telling your story in an online world

Seeing things through the eyes of your audience

To grab – and keep – our users’ attention, we need to see through their eyes. That’s why it’s so important to think about your target audience when communicating online.

It doesn’t matter how strong your message may be. If you express it in a way that your users can’t relate to, they won’t even try. For example, look at this photo.

Think about your experience of the photo

• How does it make you feel – Happy, sad or indifferent?
  
• Does it remind you of past times or make you long for new experiences?
• If this was part of an online story, would you want to find out more?

Now think about your audience

Do you think this would appeal to them? Would words or graphics better convey the meaning? Would a video work better for them?

Always be mindful that everyone experiences the world differently. So, you should always consider the ways people can interpret your communications.

What do they look at?

Skimming through a web page, what stands out? Let’s think about the different types of visual content.

Text

People who like to read text will be taking the time to see and interpret each word and phrase. Then they’ll reflect and process that content. So think about the words you use, and how others might interpret them. Text that is clear and easy to read will keep them with you.

Mix up the formats, so no one faces a ‘wall’ of text. Use bullet points or numbered lists if that makes sense for your story. Add quotes from happy clients. Ask questions and invite replies. Those who like reading often enjoy being able to write back. And that can start some good conversations.

Pictures

There will also be users who prefer pictures to text. They might find reading hard, or get put off by lots of words. And sometimes, a well-chosen image will get your message across faster than a paragraph of text.

You could use photos to show examples of your products. Or icons to convey the different services you give. Maybe some illustrations would draw your audience in as you tell them what your organisation does. The important thing here is to decide on a format and stick to it.

Flipping from photos to artwork then back again might confuse your users. It can also look messy. So try to stay to one style that represents your brand best.

Diagrams

Some of your users get all they need from charts and graphs. They might want to focus on the facts or the numbers. Or maybe they like the order and sequence of a structured diagram. A nice clear infographic could help them make sense of what you have to say.

Of course, this does all depend on the content itself. Think about what you’re trying to say. Can you explain this in a diagram? Highlight growth or success with a graph? Would an infographic show the different services you offer? This won’t work for everyone, but it’s worth exploring.

What do they listen to?

There’s more to our online experience than the visuals. Hearing a piece of music or listening to a lively debate can really engage our audience. Sounds can stir feelings and bring back memories. They can inspire, excite and draw people into your story.

There are different types of audible content. You might like to narrate your own video, or know someone who would be good at this. There may be a piece of background music that fits with your visuals. Or you could hold discussions or interviews with others, by live streaming or through podcasts.

Who benefits from audio content?

For people with visual impairments, having online content that can be read aloud is often imperative. You need to make sure that your other content like text and pictures can be read aloud by assistive technology.

It’s not just people with impairments that can benefit from audio though. Anyone can prefer audio, for any reason, whether it’s easier to listen while you’re doing other things or it’s easier for you to understand than text.

Take an integrated approach

Most of us enjoy online content in a range of formats.

If you need to influence a small group of users, get to know how they like to absorb information. This can really improve your chances of them connecting with your message.

While you can’t know this sort of information about a wider audience, you can still appeal to most of them through an integrated approach. This means using a mix of the formats we’ve talked about so far. The aim is to create content that appeals to everyone, so no one gets left out.

One way to do this is to use multimedia. This means combining formats – like having videos that include visuals and music or voice. Think YouTube and TikTok. Multimedia can be more powerful than a single format. True, if you go for this option, it is likely to cost more and take a while to build. But it can add quality and make your message more credible.

Remember

• Your audience may want something different – Be aware of your own preferred format and take care not to use just that one
  
• Think about the impact of the format you select – Photos, voice or video can add power to your story
• To reach a wide audience, you may need to use all of these formats

Why you should mix it up

We’ve learnt that people like to take in information in different ways. And that they may like more than one format. Now we’ll see how using a range of formats can work for your story – and why it’s good to mix things up.

What you’re saying – and how

In the last chapter, we looked who you want to talk to. Now it’s time to think about what you’re going to say to them. Finding the right way to tell your story will depend on what that story is.

Where do you go online for facts or news? Maybe you have a preferred news or reference site. Think about how that site presents this information. How about when you want a bit of online entertainment? What is it about your favourite apps or social feeds that gives you what you need? And if you’re in a hurry to buy online, where do you go, and why?

Thinking about this can help when you’re figuring out what you want your user experience to be. Do you want to share just the key facts? Make it fun? Do you provide a quick and easy way to join, support or buy from you?

Getting the tone right for your content is key. You can help this by picking the right format.

Different formats at different times

We sometimes want information in more than one format, especially when we’re making a big decision. Take, for example, buying a house. This is one of the biggest decisions we ever make. There’s a lot of risk and uncertainty.

You wouldn’t buy a house after just seeing pictures, would you? And reading the details about number of bedrooms and room sizes isn’t enough either.

You need different types of information at different times. Let’s take a look.

Only once you’ve done all these things are you able to take the next steps – maybe making an offer on your dream place! This is why you need to know how your users like to receive information at each stage of their contact with you.

Where do you users focus?

We’ve talked about when your users connect with you. Now let’s look at where and how they focus their attention.

If you have a mix of content, think about where you place each item on your webpage. What’s the first thing you want your users to see, before they scroll? The content in this top area may make them scroll - or just move elsewhere. So give them something here that makes them want to find out more.

And people usually scan a webpage in the shape of an ‘F’. They look along the top, then down the side, then across the middle. Bear this in mind when you’re arranging all your content.

A few words for your audience

Including text or the spoken word? Here’s a few tips to help get your message across.

Select each heading to learn more

Visual tips for artwork and pics

Using images helps break up your text, gives useful cues for non-readers and is a powerful way to get your message across. Here are some of our best tips for all of your visual elements.

• Use good quality images – Blurred photos or poor quality artwork looks messy and gives a bad impression
  
• Check you have permission – Copyright laws mean it’s down to you to check if you can legally use an online image
• Ask – Is it right? Is it relevant? Does it add value? If the answer to these is ‘yes’, then it’s the right one

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