The Emergency Content Strategy Survival Kit – Heather O'Neill

Heather O’Neill!@hlrjo

http://isurvivedmycontentstrategy.com

CONFIDENTIAL - DO NOT DISTRIBUTE

Too Much T

No One Cares

Too Much T

No One Cares

Side to Side Navigation?!

Too Much T

No One Cares

Side to Side Navigation?!

Why should you care?

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/

Caveats, Provisos, & Quid Pro Quos

I am not a Content Strategist

Content Strategy encompasses more than I will discuss today

Hire a real Content Strategist for best results

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

“Who Cares?”

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

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

they're not the right person – than to design

for "everyone."

Survival Skill Mastered:

“The Elevator Pitch”

Core Message

Above the Fold helps software companies improve the design &

experience of their web and mobile applications.

Core Message

Above the Fold solves users’ problems through design.

Core Message

Above the Fold solves users’ problems through design.

Get down to the essence of what

people need to know about you.

Focus Clarity

“Speak the Language”

Voice & Tone Table

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

ATF’s Table

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

person: respectful, generous and helpful.

Alan Cooper

Focus Clarity Empathy

Message Hierarchy

“Tell Your Story”

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

Something about making a good first impression.

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

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

you can refine it.

Storytelling

“Iterate, Iterate, Iterate”

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.

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.

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.

Once you know your story, tell it over and over

until it sounds right.

Storytelling Precision

“Say More with Less”

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.

Storytelling Precision Brevity

Site Content

“Do They Get It?” (At-A-Glance)

Conduct a 5 second test for initial impressions.

User experience design, but it was

hard to read.

Clean layout

Quirky

Wasn’t sure if it was sales or marketing.

Seemed to be about relationship management

Concise

A little boring

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

Informal

A 5-second test can tell you if your

content is effective, at a glance.

Impact

“Which is Better?”

Carbonite Split Test

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.

Carbonite Split Test

Original Content Updated Content

25% increase in sign-ups

Sad times.

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

allows post-launch iterations for continued

improvement.

Impact Appropriateness

“Do They Get It?” (In-Depth Content)

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

these symptoms may be a problem.

Conduct in-depth content tests to ensure users comprehend the

information you are sharing.

Impact Appropriateness Resonance

Validation

Go for the MVP of content, the way you

would for a new feature set or app.

May 2011 – May 2012 14 Leads

~1.17 leads/month 18% qualified

May 2012 – August 2013 41 Leads

August 2013 – April 2014 46 Leads

Questions?

http://isurvivedmycontentstrategy.com

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/

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/

Thanks for attending! Have more questions? Reach out: heather@pixelsforhumans.com @HLRJO

The Emergency Content Strategy Survival Kit – Heather O'Neill

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