What is wrong with these images? Do they seem a little “off”?
It’s the font: by deliberately swapping out the good old-fashioned fonts you’re used to, I’ve served up something that’s just not quite suitable for these familiar brands.
This subtle art is called typography, and it’s more than just picking a font. It covers the composition of letters, spacing and even thickness of the type.
In simpler terms, typography is the vehicle that delivers your text-based message in visual content. It may seem like an afterthought, but delivery matters as much as your message. In other words, sweat the details.
Why Should Content Marketers Care?
If done right, good typography is almost no big deal. You may not even notice it – which is a good thing. If done poorly, typography will garble everything you have to say.
Just take one look at the impostor logos laid alongside their original versions. As a self-professed design nerd, I feel a sigh of relief to see the right fonts in place.
Font and typography aren’t just for graphic design fanatics, though. This is especially true in the digital age. Content marketers everywhere should consider this an essential part of planning their next visual campaign.
Three Principles of Type
There are three basic functions of typography. First and foremost, it communicates your message. It determines how quickly or easily something is read.
Typography is also an extension of your brand voice. There are different styles of typography, and a particular style might be more fitting for a message than others. Pro tip: The appropriateness is usually obvious.
Lastly, type has visual appeal. You won’t hold anyone’s interest if your font is boring or unpolished.
How to Create Typography Gold
When choosing a font for your visual content campaign, put the above principles into action with five simple steps. Let’s walk through them with an example: selecting a typeface for Aviation History Month.
1. Consider your topic.
What is the subject matter and context for your content campaign? A suitable typeface must be appropriate for both topic and situation.
For example, a nose art approach is great for an aviation angle. Let’s use that to shape the first batch of contenders:
2. Know your audience (especially their age).
What is your target demographic? What are they accustomed to looking at and reading?
Age has a ton to do with the importance of this consideration. For example, 20-year-olds and 40-year-olds don’t have the same taste. Plus, the older you get, the more you prefer to read large type.
Not surprisingly, most aviation history fanatics lean toward the mature crowd. This means script type is going to be harder to read for older eyes. The same goes for anything too narrow.
Our remaining contenders are:
3. Think about technology.
Typography and technology are close bedfellows. Think about your content format, and be aware of any typography limitations.
For example, will consumers be viewing your content on a tablet or mobile app? If a typeface isn’t available as a .woff file (web open font format), that’s going to be a problem. Check out this list of file types to get a good idea of what will work for you.
4. Evaluate your entire campaign.
There is a growing trend within visual content creation where content marketers are using independently created (usually free) fonts instead of licensing fonts from an established foundry.
Just keep in mind: you get what you pay (or don’t pay) for. Some of these free fonts are missing basic needs like punctuation, so do your research before getting sold on anything.
Also ask yourself if these fonts will last for the entirety of your content campaign. Like fashion, typeface styles go in and out of favor, so make sure your font doesn’t look dated before the end of your campaign.
5. Trust your gut.
Sometimes, something simply feels “right.” In fact, as long as typography provides an appropriate voice (and your audience can read it), your final font choice will often come down to this “gut” card.
For example, I could probably be happy with any of the remaining font choices from #2 above, but there’s something complex and classic about my final selection:
Why is it my absolute favorite? Not only is it a workhorse font (meaning its variety of weights and styles will hold up well over time), it has the right “feel.” Its voice is in-line with the theme of flight and would look good alongside sky and horizon imagery.
When in doubt, look at your favorite brands and their content campaigns. What does their typography accomplish that you want to see in your own brand voice?
The most important thing to remember is that typography is meant to be subtle in its success. If something feels a little bit “off,” it probably is.