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3. Question 3

Visit the St. Clair College website. Analyze it strictly from a visual marketing strategy perspective targeting:

Local domestic high school students. You are to provide three strategic visual enhancement recommendations. For each recommendation:

a) Clearly identify the issue or missed opportunity (3 x 2 = 6 Marks)

b) Propose a specific visual improvement (3 x 2 = 6 Marks)

c) Explain why it would improve recruitment effectiveness (3 x 2 = 6 Marks)

d) Connect it to student psychology and digital behaviour (3 x 2 = 6 Marks)

St.Clair Homepage Splashboard

St.Clair used a picture of their Chatham campus as their main feature on their home page. The Chatham campus is an older campus and isn’t as visually impressive as the others. To a local highschool student I may not even know St.Clair  had multiple campuses and this image would be my first impression. The Chatham campus looks like a high school compared to the main and windsor campuses

I would change the image to either show the new additions to the main campus or the main downtown campus. The main campus additions are fairly new and impressive, The building looks very new and modern. The Windsor campus also comes off as more impressive because of its location and size. The building is on the waterfront of Windsor overlooking Detroit and stands hundreds of feet tall. Either of these images would give the local high school student a far more compelling and interesting reason to engage with the st.calir website by making them excited about possibly going there.

These changes would improve recruitment effectiveness because the content of the images is more engaging. You’re displaying something people can actually get excited about. To a highschool student the Chatham campus looks like another highschool and im sure that the last place they want to go back too.

St.Clair Homepage Program Availability

St.Clair displays their programs in one long list that users can scroll up and down on with no organisation of category. Displayed next to each program is a small dot explaining whether the program is open, closed or waitlisted. The problem with this system is that the dots are really small on the page and in order to use the page you must scroll it. But when you scroll all the dots merge into one colour because they’re in a sequential list. This makes the already annoying to navigate list even harder to understand.

The solution to this problem would be either to enlarge the icons or attach the colour to the font of the text. In its current format it is small and not clearly displayed. Another fix for this page would be to separate programs into categories to make it easier to find programs than one long list.

Local high school students are used to the world of social media where scrolling is constant and no time is spent on posts they don’t like. IF this behaviour translates to the web this page could become incomprehensible to a quick paced highschool aged brain. In order to scan the page you need to scroll but when you scroll it obscures the program’s availability. Making this page easier to navigate would greatly benefit recruitment. This page is directly tied to people choosing programs and deciding if they want to go to St.Clair or not. Making it easier to navigate would only benefit them and the people using the page.

St.Clair Virtual Tour Video

When you open the St.Clair virtual tour page a video immediately pops up showing drone footage of all the St.Clair properties. The problem with the video is that it is clearly a low resolution, the image is visibly blocky and blurry. I have wired the ethernet at 100gp up and down, reloaded the page several times in different browsers and on vpn and each time it played the same blurry video. THeres even a point on the video where it seems to jump in resolution randomly then drop abc down again. These instances happened at the same time in each replay and didn’t seem to be related to my wifi connection.

The solution to this is either to remaster the video so it’s at an acceptable resolution for modern content or remove it completely. The poor image quality especially on a professional education website will be shellshock to a local highschooler. They have grown up in the age of on demand video streaming and 1080p content being the standard. Blurry and low resolution content will be an immediate red flag to them. The poor quality will take away the context and meaningfulness of the image making it useless.

Because the video is displayed so prominently St.Clair is making it part of their recruitment process. In its current form it’s a kink in the system and not conveying what it reads too. Instead of showing off impressive shots, the poor quality undermines  the true purpose of the visual content.

2. Question 2

This is a multi-part question. Please create a visual post for your blog on a topic specific to your business and answer the questions below. You will create a visual-first blog post for your business website. This involves critical thinking. What is important to your business and visitors? This is not a written article with an image added. This must be:

• Image-led

• Message-driven

• Minimal text

• Strategically intentional

The image(s) must carry the meaning. You may use:

• Photography

• Original graphics

• Screenshots

• Edited visuals

• Multi-image carousel format

• Before/after comparison

• Visual storytelling sequence

• Etc.

The key requirement – If the text was removed, the visual would still communicate the core message. Please pay attention to what was discussed in class. Ensure that you include a link to the blog post in your answer. Do not forget that this needs to be included in your hardcopy. I am marking what you hand in with your hardcopy

but also need to see the digital version on your blog. If it is not online for me to view (in addition to the hardcopy), I cannot mark this question. (4 Marks)

Remove Ride Anxiety

If they’re ready for the adventure, make sure they’re ready for the fall. Remove the risk with proper safety gear.

Question 2a (8 Marks)

Why did you choose the specific image(s)?

Your explanation must include:

a) Business relevance

b) Target audience alignment

c) Image intent

d) Why this visual works better than alternative visual approaches

I chose this pacific images because it conveys a story than i can use to promote products my brand will sell. The first image shows a young kid in anguish after falling off their bike wearing no safety protection. The kid is visibly upset and so are the parents seeing their kid in this state. The images convey the negatives of not having safety gear by playing on parents’ emotional triggers. Any parent hates to see when their kid is injured and upset. I want to evoke that emotion to convince them to make a purchase.

The second image shows a young child and parent happily riding together but this time the kid is wearing safety gear. Both the kid and parent are visibly enjoying the ride and the young kid looks confident and happy on his bicycle. This image is showing the benefits to parents of purchasing safety equipment for their kids. Both them and their kids will feel more comfortable on their rides knowing they are safe.

Both images feature bicycles and bicycle gear prominently in both photos, my business sells and reviews bicycles. I aligned these images with my target audience of parents aged riders by using imagery that included the parents’ reactions to the kids being hurt, This communicates the parents perspective on the situation. The parents are the ones who would be purchasing the product for their kids. The images work better than alternative visuals structures because it conveys a clear before and after conveying both the negatives of not having the product and the positives of owning it.

Question 2b (8 Marks)

Explain in detail how the image(s) strengthens the post from a digital marketing perspective.

You may reference:

• Attention economy

• Scroll behavior

• Visual hierarchy

• Brand perception

• Trust building

• Emotional triggers

• Information processing

• Conversion influence

Be analytical. This is not a design reflection. This is marketing reasoning.

From a digital marketing perspective these images strengthen the post through brand perception, emotional triggers and information processing. The images were selected to enhance the content and help communicate a story to the viewer. The visuals are not supplemental; they are key parts of the content structure.

This post aligns my brand with prioritizing youth bicycle safety. THis aligns with our friendly tone and community oriented values. We want to create an image of a bike shop that really cares. By campaigning for safety our customers will associate our brand with family values.

Secondly, these images make great use of emotional triggers to convey a stronger message. By showing an injured child being cared for by his parents, they were invoking a memory in every parent’s mind of their experience comforting their crying child. Parents hate to see their kids cry and will actively try to prevent it. By triggering these emotions I’m making my target audience more likely to engage with my content. By using images with meaningful content to my target audience they are more likely to remember my content in the long term.

I’m using two images in contrast from each other to convey a story. People can absorb the key message of the content faster through the analysis of those images than they would if they had to read about it. The images are processed nearly instantly and tell a more impactful story than written content would. The images use emotions and facial expression to express a before and after story showing the reasons to buy the product both before and after purchase.

1. Question 1

Visuals are not decoration. They are communication tools. Provide three strategic reasons why visuals are essential to effective web content. For each reason:

• Clearly explain the concept

• Provide a real-world example (not generic statements)

Marks are awarded for depth, not surface-level answers. (6 Marks)

Visuals are key communication tools in any form of content. Images are more than just decoration; they are strategic tools that can be used for strong audience engagement, immediate communication and, defining content relevance. Images are a vital tool in content creation on the web.

Images create strong audience engagement. Im pages are a more compelling and faster form of storytelling than traditional written content. Brains can almost instantaneously scan and comprehend an image far faster than it takes to read any text. The use of a compelling or emotional image for example a picture of a man who lost his home in a natural disaster looking at the wreckage. The emotion and intensity of such an image conveys a stronger message than any paragraph could. Audiences will view this picture and be attracted by its emotional triggers that are conveyed instantly.

The human brain is wired to recognize symbols using relevant visuals in web content helps add understanding and context to your written content. Images are descriptive and efficient tools of communication. For example beauty products use visuals to convey benefits of their products to their consumers. By showing people with perfect and clear skin they communicate these benefits far more effectively than describing the chemical changes their product creates.

Visual imagery communicates the context of the content it is paired with. Visuals can help audiences understand the content before having to dedicate their time to it. For example if someone is looking for exact mechanic advice in their specific car to do maintenance. A picture of the exact place the person is working on will immediately communicate to them that the content is relevant to what they’re searching for.

4. For question #2, what did you do differently from the original post? Please outline, explain and justify what you changed & why. Essentially, what did you learn from this new topic and what did you change and why. (8 Marks)

For my revised introduction post I did a lot of things differently. Firstly I failed to establish the 5 W’s in my original post so that was the first thing I did for my revised post. Who – Bombard Bicycles, What – Bike sales, bike gear, review, local paths and trail guides, Where – Windsor and Essex County, Why – To support local riders and build a better local cycling community, How – Offering in house reviews, mechanical info, local trail and path guides. Writing with clear objectives outlined made it much easier to create and structure content.

My original post also lacked a proper headline. Headlines are the most important part of articles and are the majority deciding factor to whether someone clicks on your site or not. I made sure my new headline clearly outlined what my business is; a community centered bike shop in the Windsor & Essex County area. I then used my following content to outline what my business does: sells bikes, sells bike gear, bike reviews, and local guides. 

My original post also lacked any hierarchy of content importance. I failed to structure my content in a way that provided the more useful info first. In order to do this I chose to explain the broader objective of my business as a whole first. After outlining all our services I used my following content to explain them further in order of what I believe most people would be looking for first. 

I learned a lot from re-writing my original post but my main take away would be that the more time spent on content the better. I felt really lost at first but with each revision I made each aspect of plain language writing and the F pattern made more sense to me. I feel more confident to apply these techniques in the future.

3. For question #2, explain how your new post successfully addresses the three main objectives of Plain
English writing as discussed in class. Provide a detailed breakdown of each objective. (9 Marks)

My new introduction post addresses the three main objectives of plain English writing: being clear, concise and useful. To create a clear message I analyzed all my work and removed any complicated or long words for shorter simpler synonyms. I then broke down longer sentences into two sentences to make sentences easier to read and understand. I also then analyzed all my sentence structure to ensure I used simpler phrases. 

In order to make my content more concise I first targeted all the fluff. I removed any unneeded sentences or repeated information. I made sure sentences didn’t run on for too long and that paragraphs weren’t too long or in large groups. I used  bulleted lists and images to break up the paragraphs. I then made sure I was using an active tone not a passive one. I removed fluff words in my commands to make them sound more direct and clear and established the subject of the action first.

Finally I ensured all my information provided was useful to my customers and directly related back to my business. I rewrote all bullet points to sound more direct and understandable as well as explained why these things matter to my customers. I also removed any repetitions of content in the same paragraph.

A) Describe one specific technique you used to improve readability in your revised version and explain
why it is effective. (4 Marks)

To improve readability in my revised F-Pattern introduction was to remove filler from sentences. When I initially wrote the content I used a lot of complicated adjectives that just lengthened my sentences and didn’t add any real substance.For example i removed the word “premier” and replaced it with “#1”. Numbers are easier to read than letters and more attractive to the human eye. I placed my number near the top of my content in order to grab attention. Removing filler is useful because it touches on all three main objectives of Plain English Writing: Clear, Concise and Useful. By removing filler you make sentences shorter and easier to read adding to clearness and conciseness. Also by removing unneeded words and phrases from sentences you are making your content more useful per sentence to your customer.

B) What was the most challenging aspect of applying the F-Pattern and Plain English writing principles?
How did you overcome it? (5 Marks)

The most challenging aspect of applying the F-pattern and Plain English Writing principles to my content was accepting that less can be more. When writing content my brain tells me to write as much as I possibly can to explain as much as I can to the viewer. It’s hard to take into account how little time you have to gain the viewers attention before they leave.

 In order to overcome this issue I originally wrote my content without thinking about plain English writing or the f pattern. I then made multiple revisions of my content each time focusing on a different aspect of either plain English or the f pattern. My first revision focused on using an active tone in all my content, Then I turned any lists into bulleted lists to make them easier to understand. I then removed filler content and reorganised my content based on what is most important to my consumers. Next, I made a few passes over removing filler content and changing complicated language or confusing grammar. Finally I added structure using subheading and bolding.

2. In a previous assignment, you wrote an introduction article in the “F” pattern. Based on what we discussed
in class and based on the feedback provided in class, write a new introductory “content” incorporating
“plain English writing for the web” in the “F” pattern including visuals. You are to include your “revised
version” (if the version you submitted was not in the F-Pattern). Ensure that it addresses the three main
objectives of plain English writing. As a reminder, this is an introductory post for your business. Ensure you
list it in your hardcopy. (12 Marks)

Bombard Bicycles: Your local Windsor and Essex County bike shop

Find the right ride, the right gear and the right places to ride.

Bombard Bicycles is Windsor’s and Essex County source for:

• Brand name bicycles
• Bike gear and equipment
• Professional bike reviews
• Local bike path, trail, and park guides

Find the Right Bike

We aim to support local riders of all ages and help grow the cycling community in Windsor and Essex. Whether you’re buying your first bike or upgrading from an old bike, leave the guess work to us and ride away with a bike that’s right for you

Explore Windsor and Essex County

Explore local trails and paths with our easy to follow guides. Each guide includes important route information like:

• Distance
• Elevation 
• Trail conditions
• Surface type
• Difficulty

More Than a Bike Shop

Bombard Bicycles is the #1 destination for all things cycling in Windsor and Essex County. We commit ourselves to creating a strong community of dedicated and intelligent cyclists. We are more than a bike shop. We are a place for riders to learn, connect, and explore. Biking should be as easy as possible. We provide reliable information on every bike model we sell, along with our trail guides. Cycling and riding bikes is for everyone.

Why We Ride

We fell in love with riding bikes at a young age exploring our local communities. At Bombard Bicycles we believe that Windsor and Essex County can become one of Canada’s strongest cycling communities. We want to get as many people as possible on bicycles and out exploring our communities. As cycling communities grow, we can push for more cycling trails and parks.

How we make riding easier:

• Unbiased bicycle reviews
• Clear and specific mechanical information
• Local trail and path guides

At Bombard Bicycles the top priority is finding the right bike for you. We want every customer to ride away happy with their purchase. Find your next ride today with Bombard Bicycles. Visit our website for the latest bike products and guides.

1. We spoke about Plain English writing in class. Please answer the following in detail:

A) How would you explain to someone what “Plain English writing” is? (4 Marks)

Plain English writing is a writing technique that is used to more effectively communicate with audiences. Plain language makes use of simpler everyday words that can be understood by most people. Content must be organized in a way that allows readers to easily find what they need, understand the knowledge and finally apply that knowledge to their specific situation. Plain English writing also makes use of an active voice rather than a passive one to emphasize the purpose of the content whether it be to create conversions or move customers down the sales funnel. Content is not being re-written “dumber” it is being re-written to make it easier to understand and digest. Plain English writing is the act of reorganizing and structuring content to make the end user experience easier and swifter. Proper use of plain English writing improves tangible elements such as on page time, conversion rates and bounce rates.

B) What makes plain English writing different? (4 Marks)

When compared to traditional writing, plain English writing is shorter, simpler and more concise. Plain English writing removes unnecessary topics and unneeded words making the content shorter and more useful per sentence to the reader.Plain language writing main aim is to make traditional writing easier to understand, Plain English also simplifies traditional writing by using simpler and more widely used and understood words as well as making the use of an active voice and instructions to make the content easier to digest for readers.  Finally plain English makes content more concise for readers by removing complicated words and more importantly removing content that doesn’t serve a purpose to the user or is unimportant to the purpose of your written content.

C) What is plain language writing for the web and in detail and in your own words, why is it important?
(4 Marks)

Plain language writing for the web is the gold standard for web content and is widely used in all forms of online content. Plain language is important for writing for the web because of the tangible benefits it provides to your business and the end user experience. The majority of web content from videos to articles makes use of plain language writing and has been for some years.This has created an audience of users that are used to Plain language and expect it from professional online content. In the fast paced environment of web content the simple and easily digestible content plain language helps create understandable content that users are less likely to skim over. 

Plain language writing’s importance comes from the measurable benefits it provides. Proper playing language content will better engage readers making them more likely to spend more time on your page lowering bounce rates. The more time people spend on your website the greater chance to create conversions.

4. Second-Year Course Headline (4 marks) Create one headline promoting second-year digital courses in this program, targeted to first-year students.

You must provide:

a) The headline

13 essential HTML tags you will learn in year 2 of the SCC advertising program

b) Explain your reasoning clearly using class content

I started this headline with a specific odd number ‘13’. Numbers in general attract attention from readers when they scan the page, the brain is naturally attracted to numbers. I used an odd number because they improve headline recall and article engagement greatly.The headline also suggests the article content is in the form of a list. Lists are easily digestible and are more likely to engage with the article. Finally, I chose a relatively small number to make the content seem more easily digestible and compact to the headline reader. Long articles can come off as intimidating and a waste of time for readers so keeping my list short and relevant to first year students increases my chances of engagement. 

Secondly, I used the word essential to describe the HTML tags. This gives the reader a sense of importance and urgency related to learning the HTML tags. They will associate the tags with being key parts of their education making them more likely to engage with the article.

Finally I used a unique rationale to persuade people to interact with the headline and article. The  rationale in my headline is  the 13 essential html tags. These tags are relevant to first year students who will need to learn them soon. The headline suggests they will get an advance on needed knowledge for either academic and professional career.

3. SCC Advertising Program Headline (6 marks) Create one headline for an article about the SCC Advertising Program, targeted to local graduating high school students.

You must provide:

a) The headline

7 jobs you could get from graduating the SCC Advertising Program, that make over $100k a year.

b) An explanation of the information missing from the instructions

There was no purpose included in the instructions of question 3. Before writing to any audience you must establish the underlying goal or purpose your content will serve. Goals need to be concrete actions that can be measured or KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). These allow marketers to assign metrics to desired actions to measure success rates and prove their work. The instructions did not give a clear purpose or goal for the headline to achieve.

C) A detailed justification for your headline choice based on course concepts. You are intentionally not being told what questions to ask.

I began this headline with a small odd number. Odd numbers increase headline recall as well as headline engagement. Numbers in general attract the eye, the brain will naturally seek out numbers. The less standard the number chosen is the higher the chances of recall and engagement.

The unique rationale I used in this headline was listing the potential jobs people could get if they graduated from the SCC Advertising Program that make over $100k a year. The first thing most people want to know before joining a post secondary education program is what jobs they can expect if they do attend the program. The job is the endgame of the program and will be apart of these peoples lives for a long time if they graduate.

I made use of a simple call for attention in this headline : $100k a year. $100k a year paying job is widely considered the benchmark for the modern upper middle class lifestyle most people want to obtain for themselves. By saying that the jobs pay over $100k I am playing into the greed of the reader who wants to make as much money as they can from whatever program they graduate from.

Lastly, my headline outlines my content in a list format. Lists are highly popular and effective ways to organize and arrange digestible content. Lists have become extremely popular in article writing in the past 2 decades because of how easy they make content to digest. A list gives the reader a sense of structure and organization making them more likely to engage with my article.

2. Headline Intent vs Outcome (4 Marks) Choose one headline you created in Part B, Q#1 Part B and answer the following:

a) What is the primary intent of this headline? (e.g. curiosity, urgency, clarity, relevance, emotional pull)

b) What action or response is the headline designed to trigger?

c) Explain why this intent is appropriate for the target audience you selected.

“A 60 Year Old Man Says He Will Never Stop Kickflipping.”

The primary intent of my 3rd headline was to build curiosity within the reader while simultaneously being slightly humorous. Skateboarding is a sport heavily associated with youth culture since its conception. The sport is hard and to be able to do it one must be athletically fit and limber. Skateboard Tricks involve complex moves like jumping, spinning and landing at high distances and speeds. People usually associate the sport with young athletic and fearless individuals. What people don’t usually associate skateboard tricks with is elderly men. Elderly men lack a lot of the associate skills and requirements it takes to be a skateboarder. So when there is an elderly skateboarding it is viewed as a phenomenon and greatly builds Curiosity. The mental image of a 60 year old man refusing to stop doing skate board tricks is quite funny.

The main action I want from the reader is for them to engage with the rest of the article. I want my headline to build enough curiosity to drive the reader to click on my article to find out the rest of the story. The subversive and humorous nature of this headline will help to drive this action from the reader.

The intent of my headline fits well with the target audience of the Daily Globe Canada. Which tends to be 40 – 70 year olds who are in the middle class. They enjoy short feel good articles that can be easily digested and re-touted at their daily Tim Hortons friends meet up.