The Emergency Content Strategy Survival Kit – Heather O'Neill

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Heather O’Neill @hlrjo
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    17-Sep-2014
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    Design

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Content strategy as a discipline is on the rise, as more and more organizations recognize the need for it – but what if you don't have a content strategist in easy reach? If you don't have a content strategist in-house or on retainer, and your organization is full of folks who wouldn't know an adverb if it bit them, there are nevertheless some simple techniques you can use to reveal the right message hiding in any piece of web content. Should you hire a content strategist? Yes, under ideal circumstances, you should. But there will always be those home-grown, cash-strapped, gotta-launch-in-3-days efforts where the content needs to be done, and needs to be done right – and it needs to be done by you. This talk will be your Content Strategy Survival Kit, tucked in your desk under emergency glass. Don't be afraid to break it. Attendees will learn simple, practical content strategy tips and techniques so that they can put on their Content Strategist hats whenever the need arises. From storytelling and messaging to organization and flow, we'll cover all the bases needed in order to bring out the best in your content, even on a tight schedule. We'll walk through these tips in the context of a real-life case study: the story of how my team and I created our own Survival Kit in our organization when we had a website to launch in a hurry. I'll take lessons from that story and explore how attendees can apply them in their own organizations.

Transcript of The Emergency Content Strategy Survival Kit – Heather O'Neill

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Heather O’Neill!@hlrjo

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http://isurvivedmycontentstrategy.com

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Too Much T

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No One Cares

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Too Much T

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No One Cares

Side to Side Navigation?!

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Too Much T

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No One Cares

Side to Side Navigation?!

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Why should you care?

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Nothing says more about what you think

of your users than error messages.

Scott Berkun

http://scottberkun.com/essays/10-the-web-shouldnt-be-a-comedy-of-errors/

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Caveats, Provisos, & Quid Pro Quos

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I am not a Content Strategist

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Content Strategy encompasses more than I will discuss today

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Hire a real Content Strategist for best results

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The Survival Guide Survival Tactic 1: Back Away Survival Tactic 2: Stay on the Trail Survival Tactic 3: Test for Safety

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“Who Cares?”

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High Level Goal: •  Increase Product Success (exposure, sales) •  Increase Team Productivity (reduce costs,

speed up delivery) •  Beat the Competition (increase market share) •  Keep CEO and Other Execs Happy

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It is better to design for one real person – even if

they're not the right person – than to design

for "everyone."

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Survival Skill Mastered:

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Focus

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“The Elevator Pitch”

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Core Message

Above the Fold helps software companies improve the design &

experience of their web and mobile applications.

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Core Message

Above the Fold solves users’ problems through design.

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Core Message

Above the Fold solves users’ problems through design.

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Get down to the essence of what

people need to know about you.

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Survival Skill Mastered:

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Focus Clarity

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“Speak the Language”

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Voice & Tone Table

https://blog.gathercontent.com/a-simple-tool-to-guide-tone-of-voice

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ATF’s Table

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If we want users to like our software we should design it to behave like a likeable

person: respectful, generous and helpful.

Alan Cooper

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Survival Skill Mastered:

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Focus Clarity Empathy

Message Hierarchy

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“Tell Your Story”

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Why are customers coming to ATF? •  Be impressed •  Establish/confirm skills & expertise •  See past work •  Get in touch

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Something about making a good first impression.

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Something about making a good first impression.

…make your users love it immediately and think about it later and tell their friends, maybe

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Just get the ideas out there on paper. Once you know the story,

you can refine it.

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Survival Skill Mastered:

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Focus Clarity Empathy

Storytelling

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“Iterate, Iterate, Iterate”

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Since 2004 we’ve been the first choice for companies such as TomTom and Carbonite. Our focus on relationships

makes us more than just a vendor – we become an extension of your existing team.

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Our company stands for excellence in design, making us the first choice for companies like TomTom and Carbonite. Not only do we have high standards for the people we hire,

but for taking care of you and your customers.

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Since 2004, we have focused on monetizing the user experience, and helping your business do the same.

Our company stands for excellence in design, making us

the first choice for companies like TomTom and Carbonite.

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Once you know your story, tell it over and over

until it sounds right.

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Survival Skill Mastered:

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Focus Clarity Empathy

Storytelling Precision

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“Say More with Less”

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While it is a myth that users don’t read on the

internet, they’ll appreciate your brevity and speak up

if they want more.

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Survival Skill Mastered:

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Focus Clarity Empathy

Storytelling Precision Brevity

Site Content

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“Do They Get It?” (At-A-Glance)

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Conduct a 5 second test for initial impressions.

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User experience design, but it was

hard to read.

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Clean layout

Quirky

Fun

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Wasn’t sure if it was sales or marketing.

Seemed to be about relationship management

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Clear

Concise

A little boring

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Having stronger, more relationships with customers. Liked the visual.

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Informal

Cute

Fun

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A 5-second test can tell you if your

content is effective, at a glance.

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Survival Skill Mastered:

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Focus Clarity Empathy

Storytelling Precision Brevity

Impact

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“Which is Better?”

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Carbonite Split Test

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Original Content

The Better Backup Plan

Just install Carbonite and it starts backing up your files - automatically and in the background.

Updated Content

Back up today and rest easy

When you’re on your computer all day you need constant, automatic backup for your files.

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Carbonite Split Test

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Original Content Updated Content

25% increase in sign-ups

Sad times.

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Whether a whole new design or just the wording of one button, an A/B test

allows post-launch iterations for continued

improvement.

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Survival Skill Mastered:

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Focus Clarity Empathy

Storytelling Precision Brevity

Impact Appropriateness

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“Do They Get It?” (In-Depth Content)

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Follow up Questions: -  Summarize the article. -  What are the 7 symptoms? -  Describe the conditions in which each of

these symptoms may be a problem.

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Conduct in-depth content tests to ensure users comprehend the

information you are sharing.

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Survival Skill Mastered:

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Focus Clarity Empathy

Storytelling Precision Brevity

Impact Appropriateness Resonance

Validation

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Go for the MVP of content, the way you

would for a new feature set or app.

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May 2011 – May 2012 14 Leads

~1.17 leads/month 18% qualified

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May 2012 – August 2013 41 Leads

~2.73 leads/month 25% qualified

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August 2013 – April 2014 46 Leads

~5.75 leads/month 54% qualified

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Questions?

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http://isurvivedmycontentstrategy.com

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Excellent Content Strategists •  Brain Traffic

http://braintraffic.com/ •  Margot Bloomstein

http://appropriateinc.com/ •  Aha Media Group

http://www.ahamediagroup.com/ •  Sarah Wachter-Boettcher

http://www.sarawb.com/

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Articles & Slideshares •  A Content Strategy RoadMap

http://www.slideshare.net/khalvorson/a-content-strategy-roadmap

•  Why You Need a Content Strategisthttp://boagworld.com/content-strategy/content-strategist/

•  MailChimp’s Voice & Tone Guidehttp://voiceandtone.com/

•  7 Copywriting Tipshttp://www.copyblogger.com/scientific-copywriting/

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Thanks for attending! Have more questions? Reach out: [email protected] @HLRJO @abovethefold