I'm at that "certain age" that all women hit eventually. You know the one I mean: the age where we start to wear big, "interesting" necklaces to draw attention away from the effects of the ravages of time on our faces.

(Guys, don't zone out yet: there's a lesson here for you, too.)

I've found myself drawn to this kind of jewelry over the last few years. And you know what? It works. I wear those big, chunky, "interesting" pieces, and I can count on getting a few compliments that day.

How does this tie in to marketing? Well, the purpose (in my opinion) of this big, chunky jewelry is to direct people's eyes to something pretty first. Once their eyes have taken that in, they move on to the rest of you: your face, hair and clothing.

Marketing materials, when they're well planned, work the same way. Something about them catches our eyes. It might be a compelling headline, or an unusual photo. It might be the colors used, or the paper it's printed on. It could be the shape, or the way it's folded. Something grabs our eyes and makes us look.

Those first few seconds of engagement are what good design can do for your marketing. It draws your target audience to your message long enough for them to read it. Good design isn't your marketing message, just like the "interesting" necklace isn't you. It's just an element that creates interest, and interest is the first step toward interaction.

Here's to marketing that works for you. Thanks for reading,