Effective marketing materials are crucial for Medicare agents to reach their target audience. While Fidelis has a professional marketing team to create polished assets for agent use, understanding basic design principles can empower you to create visually-appealing social media graphics and printable materials. This guide outlines fundamental design concepts that you can utilize to enhance their marketing efforts.
Learn More About Design Basics in This Guide!
Fidelis also has free, customizable marketing materials for contracted agents in our Agent Marketing Hub. If you are interested, please contact us today!
Understand Your Target Audience
Who Are You Trying To Reach:
- Before diving into design elements, it’s essential to understand the target audience: seniors, those approaching Medicare eligibility, and others who may have qualifying events.
Seniors:
- This demographic often prefers clear, concise, and easy-to-read materials. Designs should avoid overly trendy or complex aesthetics and instead focus on clarity and accessibility.
Other Beneficiaries:
- In addition to your main materials, you may want to target other beneficiaries who are younger but have qualifying disabilities. These groups still need clarity and accessibility, but may be more attracted to more trendy designs with modern color palettes or animated elements.
Color Theory
One of the most basic elements of design is color theory, which explores the ideas that color and the way colors interact can evoke specific feelings. Color meanings can have different meanings across cultures as well.
Color Wheel:
- A visual representation of colors arranged according to their chromatic relationships.
- Primary Colors – Red, yellow, blue. All other colors are made of these three primary colors.
- Secondary Colors – Green, Orange, purple. These colors are created by mixing two primary colors.
- Tertiary Colors: created by mixing a primary and a secondary color.
NOTE: This guide explains basic color theory. Keep in mind that colors appear differently in print (CMYK) versus on screens (RGB) due to the distinct color models used by each medium. If you need help making your materials look their best, please contact Fidelis Consultants to learn about marketing support available to contracted agents.
Color Harmony:
- Creating visually pleasing combinations of colors. Common harmonies include:
- Complimentary: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel (e.g., red and green). Use these for contrast but be cautious of overuse, as it can be visually jarring.
- Analogous: Colors next to each other on the color wheel (e.g., blue, blue-green, and green). These create a harmonious and calming effect.
- Triadic: Three colors evenly spaced on the color wheel (e.g., red, yellow, and blue). These offer high contrast while maintaining balance.
Color Psychology:
- Different colors evoke different emotions. For Medicare marketing, consider:
- Blue: Trust, Stability, Calmness
- Green: Health, Growth, Tranquility
- White: Cleanliness, Purity, Simplicity
- Avoid:
- Clashing colors
- Overly dark palettes
- Hard to read combinations
Typography
Choosing the right fonts is crucial for readability and visual appeal.
Font Families:
- An individual set of letters is called a font. Similar fonts are grouped together in families, which consist of different text styling like bold and italics. Examples of font families are Times New Roman or Arial, and specific fonts examples are Arial Bold or Times New Roman Italic.
Font Pairings:
- Pairing two different font families can create visual interest. For example, this page is typeset in both Oswald Bold (the subheadings) and Montserrat Semi-Bold (the body text). Breaking up text like this helps readability and creates a hierarchy of importance.
Readability:
- Prioritize readability, especially for seniors. Use sufficient font size (at least 14pt for body text in print) and adequate line spacing. Avoid overly decorative or script fonts for large blocks of text. It’s important to remember CMS guidelines also require disclaimers to be equal to at least 12 point Times New Roman.
Contrast:
- Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background color for easy reading. Dark text on a light background or vice versa is generally recommended.
Layout And Composition
How elements are arranged on the page or screen significantly impacts the design’s effectiveness. Here are some methods you can use to ensure your materials are easily readable for your target audiences.
Grid Systems:
- Using a grid helps create a structured and organized layout.
White Space (Negative Space):
- The empty space around elements is crucial for readability and visual appeal. Be sure not to overcrowd the design.
Alignment:
- Align elements consistently (left, center, or right) to create a sense of order and professionalism.
Balance:
- Distribute visual weight evenly throughout the design to create a sense of equilibrium. This can be symmetrical (mirror image) or asymmetrical (different elements balanced by their visual weight).
Rule of Thirds:
- Dividing the design into nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines. Placing key elements at the intersections of these lines creates a more dynamic and engaging composition.
Imagery
Images can enhance visual appeal and convey information effectively:
High Quality Images:
- Use clear, high-resolution images that are relevant to the message. Avoid pixelated or blurry images.
Stock Photos:
- Utilize reputable stock photo websites to find professional-quality images. Most photos found on the internet need to be licensed before they can be used in your designs.
Authenticity:
- Choose images that resonate with the target audience. Consider using images of diverse seniors engaged in everyday activities.
Image Size & Placement:
- Resize images appropriately to fit the design and avoid distorting them. Place images strategically to complement the text and enhance the overall message.
Accessibility
Consider accessibility guidelines to ensure materials are accessible to everyone, including those with visual impairments. CMS has specific guidelines that need to be followed for all marketing materials.
Sufficient Contrast:
- Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors.
Alternative Text For Images:
- Provide descriptive alt text for images so screen readers can convey the image’s content to visually impaired users.
Clear and Concise Language:
- Use plain language and avoid jargon.
Large Font Sizes:
- As mentioned, use larger font sizes for printed materials.
Fidelis is proud to offer guidance and resources to help agents ensure compliance with CMS guidelines. If you need support with compliance topics and guidelines, contact Fidelis to learn how we can support you!
Design Tools and Resources
Designs programs have come a long way since requiring the average person to buy industry standard design programs. There are now free and low-cost solutions for those who want to make simple and good-looking designs.
Canva:
- A popular online design tool with pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop functionality. It’s an excellent option for creating social media graphics, flyers, and other marketing materials. Canva offers both free and premium membership options.
Adobe Express:
- Another user-friendly online design tool with similar features to Canva. Adobe Express also has a mobile app version that only requires log-in to a free account.
We hope this guide has taught you the basics of design to help you create your own marketing materials. If you want to create more advanced designs, Fidelis Consultants can help! We offer a library of customizable, compliant marketing materials covering various topics and provide custom design services to Fidelis Agents. If you need support, contact us today!