Content strategy for deliberate discovery at CongresCM

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Online experiences can be fast, easy, and orderly—and sometimes, that’s all wrong for both users and brands. Not all websites need to be efficient to be effective. Some of the most memorable and profitable web experiences help users slow down, engage in discovery, and learn by doing. Brands like IKEA use “slow content strategy” to encourage discovery and create a new level of brand engagement. Other companies such as outdoor specialist Patagonia and investment bank Fidelity use content types and editorial styles to help customers focus. Content strategist and author Margot Bloomstein explains how such a slow content strategy can pack a target audience for the brand and thus propel customer engagement to new heights. Presented at Congres Content Marketing & Webredactie, #congresCM on November 20, 2014 in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Transcript of Content strategy for deliberate discovery at CongresCM

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 1

© 2014

Margot Bloomstein

@mbloomstein

Congres Web Redactie

#congrescm

November 20, 2014

CONTENT STRATEGY

FOR SLOW EXPERIENCES

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We never stopped.

We never stopped.

The puns didn’t convince my

parents.

We never stopped.

The puns didn’t convince my

parents.

It wasn’t the right content

at the right time.

The right content isn’t

necessarily more content.

The right content is

right for right now:

the context,

audience, and

their mindset.

Do you quantify personal data?

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Fit bit/fuel image

© PC Advisor

http://www.doyou10q.com

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© Scott A. Miller for Chevrolet

These people are waiting

in a line.

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These people are delighting

in a line:

they’re engaged,

anticipating,

discovering,

creating memories.

They’re in the moment.

Content affects experience…

and a user’s perception of an

experience.

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You wait longer, but you’re engaged

before you get there. You’re invested in

the experience.

Keri Maijala (@clamhead)

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When people have a frustrating

experience, they rate the checkout as

slow.

When we ask people what’s ‘slow,’

it’s the frustrating experiences.

What’s fast? They say delightful

experiences.

Jared Spool (@jmspool)

Frustration, not speed, drives

the perception of slowness.

Is it enough just to speed it up?

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Efficient isn’t always effective.

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Efficient isn’t always effective.

Users say frustrating activities

take forever.

But are slow activities

inherently frustrating?

© Charlotte & Kristian Septimius Krogh

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Is the nature of the transaction so

small and insignificant that it shouldn’t

require a second thought?

Don’t get in the way. Or will the

consumer get to the final transaction

after plenty of preliminary research?

Again, don’t make them rethink it.

Jared Spool (@jmspool)

Users can appreciate slow

experiences:

they’re engaged,

anticipating,

creating memories.

They discover, learn, and pay

attention to act deliberately.

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Why do this?

•Drive exploration & discovery

•Encourage deliberate choices

• Focus users’ attention

…all through content strategy

Content strategy is planning

for the creation, delivery, and

governance of useful, usable,

brand-appropriate content.

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How do you slow down users?

1. Editorial style and structures

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Users can appreciate slow

experiences.

they’re engaged,

anticipating,

creating memories.

Users can appreciate slow

experiences.

they’re engaged,

anticipating,

creating memories.

“Choosing a lens can be a daunting task

for all of the reasons mentioned above,

so I pulled together some info from my

own experiences, as well as those of

other Crutchfield shutterbugs.”

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Voya, formerly ING

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“Springtime shaded belays at the creek, predawn starts in the Canadian Rockies and hut tours in the High Sierra: Anywhere brisk, the Down Sweater delivers featherweight, superbly compressible warmth. The polyester ripstop shell on this down jacket does more than look sharp; it’s tear-resistant, windproof, and made from 100% polyester.”

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How do you slow down users?

1. Editorial style and structures

2. Discovery- and comparison-

oriented content types

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Courage in our convictions

Empirical proof

Validation Deliberation

Time & space to interact

with it

Engaging, informative

content

How do you slow down users?

1. Editorial style and structures

2. Discovery- and comparison-

oriented content types

3. Longform content

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German shepherds love

longform content.

Source: World Wild Webb, http://worldwildwebb.tumblr.com/post/82178414439/

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• Slow down

• Act deliberately

• Focus

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But does it work?

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The outdoor recreation economy

grew 5% annually 2005 through 2011—

during an economic recession when

many sectors contracted.

Outdoor Industry Association

Source: Outdoor Recreation Economy Report 2012;

http://www.outdoorindustry.org/pdf/OIA_OutdoorRecEconomyReport2012.pdf

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2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

REI

industry average

Source: REI Financial Information reports 2005 – 2012; http://www.rei.com/about-rei/financial-information.html

The outdoor recreation economy

grew 5% annually… while REI averaged

11% year-over-year growth

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Store growth fuels content availability

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Our content strategy is pretty simple:

we stay as close to our core market as

possible.

Patagonia’s always had a literary,

storytelling component to the brand. It’s

in line with what we say: buy less stuff

and make sure what you buy lasts.

Bill Boland, Patagonia

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On a short-term basis, it doesn’t help

us move product. It doesn’t meet your

weekly sales goal. It’s not about short-

term ROI. It’s something we enjoy and

the people we build clothes for enjoy.

Bill Boland, Patagonia

Attention must be paid

© Viking

Attention must be paid

but only if we can

respect our users,

brands, and content

equally.

© Viking

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Be here now

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Be here now

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Be here now?

Are we willing to

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Thank you.

Margot Bloomstein

@mbloomstein

margot@appropriateinc.com

slideshare.net/mbloomstein

amzn.to/CSatWork

Images of South of the Border © Edisto Images. All other images property of their owners or © Margot Bloomstein as noted.