We all know how vital Confluence is to the success of your organization, especially when it comes to the retention of institutional knowledge. When it's used regularly, Confluence becomes a vital hub for all of your team's collective and individual knowledge and experience that can be consulted and implemented again and again over time. We also know that Confluence can quickly become neglected or underutilized, to the detriment of the entire business.

If your teams are still asking the same questions over and over again and avoiding your Confluence wiki like the plague, we've got some good news. The problem isn't your content but the way it's presented. Luckily, it's easy to turn around. You can use macros to turn your neglected Confluence pages into vibrant, engaging content repositories that teams love to use every day.

How Can Visualization Help?

Layout and visual appeal are extremely important. Human beings are visual by nature, and most of us process information based on the things we're looking at. So much so that 65% of the population are classed as visual learners, which means that they need some form of visual representation and cues to digest and retain information. Layout design is usually the first thing magazine editors and web designers look at when designing their content pages, and with good reason.

A visually appealing layout is clear and easy to navigate, creating visual points of interest that help guide readers through content without overshadowing its message. Visual aids and highlighted text can help us understand information that might be confusing or complex and can help us find what we are looking for faster.

The technical information in Confluence can span hundreds of pages, which (at first glance) can seem intimidating and tedious to read. A good layout also helps "break up" long sections of text so that users can easily find relevant information by skimming the headings. It also removes the psychological barrier that seemingly endless lines of text can create, making the content easier to digest.

How To Make Your Confluences More Visually Appealing

Our brains can process visual information 600 times faster than text. If you want your teams to notice your Confluence pages and content, you have to appeal to their visual sense. Here are just a few ways to make your Confluence pages more appealing:

1. Don't Use Too Much Text

Too much content can overwhelm readers, especially since most of us tend to skim text rather than read it thoroughly from the beginning. Make sure that your pages are clean and minimalistic, highlighting the most important points with headings. Try using macros to create spaces, dividers, columns, or tables.

2. Declutter Your Pages

White spaces and columns can help clear some of the clutter and chaos on your page, but the text itself should also be as clean and clear as possible. Use paragraphs and customize buttons instead of lengthy HTML links to improve readability and clarity.

3. Use Color and Images

The best way to capture the attention of your readers is to use color. You can add color through banners, cards, icons or banners, and texture by changing font types and header sizes. Try using charts, infographics, and images to explain complex information whenever possible. This will not only help communicate your points but assist teams with retaining the information they've read.

4. Engage On An Emotional Level

Confluence is an internal communication tool, which means that you can be a lot more informal in your tone of voice and approach. GIFs, emojis, videos, and animations can add a playful touch to your articles and build a personal connection with your readers.

5. Choose Different Views and Styles

Try experimenting with different views and formats, like blog posts or pages. This can be set up manually or with dynamic filters. Changing up the styles will instantly make content stand out from the rest.

Introducing Tools That Can Transform Your Pages

You can implement these changes by using macros. Macros are Connect modules that insert dynamic content within a Confluence page to change the layout or display exciting media (like videos or images).

Content Viz is an incredibly useful tool used to transform your Confluences page and create engaging visualizations that make content easier to understand and process. You can use Content Viz to promote your news, display org charts and other useful charts, make your navigation much simpler, or just use more helpful and attention-grabbing views.

Content Viz allows you to create blog overviews to convey information at a glance, customizable and functional cards, or highlights using panels. Content Viz was previously available as Cards & Panels but has since made major improvements based on user feedback in order to improve the user experience. This includes new ways of highlighting information and redesigned content cards. It's easy enough for all team members to use without training.

MacroSuite is another app that has become incredibly popular among Confluence users. It's an innovative content formatting tool that helps teams create more interesting and appealing content, including user stories and pages. MacroSuite is particularly useful because it utilizes user-friendly templates that can be customized using drag and drop actions. You can use MacroSuite's Page Builder to create product pages and blogs with endless customization opportunities. It also supports numerous third-party integrations (including YouTube and Google Maps), as well as Content Viz cards, panels, and quotes.

Conclusion

If your teams are still using every tool and channel at their disposal except Confluence, you need to start using macros. Macros can turn your lifeless Confluence pages into appealing, visually stimulating information repositories that teams will love to use.