1. Avoid "Rubber Stamping" or repeating the same image multiple times with no change. Changing the scale and or direction can work in some cases! In this example you can see this with the "like" hands. The second version is much cleaner and reads better.
2. Match the style & shape of your text to your imagery. NEVER use script font as body text- a short title or sentence/phrase can work.
3. Avoid overlapping text on extreme color or value changes. The text works much better on the second image and is placed with the rule of thirds in mind.
4. Less is usually more but you also need to hold the viewers interest. Make sure your space can keep the viewers attention for more than 30 seconds. Size variation and overlap are key to this. When possible using depth of space can help as well.
5. AVOID THE MUG SHOT- choose a more interesting dynamic pose and allow the character to interact with the space they are in.
6. Avoid staying on one "plane of space." Expand with depth and overlap! The second image uses the space in a much more sophisticated way.