Web content people - who we are, what we do, who we're like

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Content people Max Johns @MxDEJ | contentistheweb.com Who we are, what we do, and who we’re like Auckland content strategy meetup February 2014

description

Content strategist Max Johns spoke at UX New Zealand 2013, which got him thinking about how content strategists and user experience (UX) professionals have a lot in common: Our fields attract people from all sorts of backgrounds, and require curious minds and a huge amount of empathy for our audience. This presentation, from February 2014's Auckland Content Strategy Meetup, shows how content people are a very varied group of people with a wide range of skills...just like UX people. Traditionally one area dealt with the "consumable" internet and one with the "interactive" internet, but that division has disappeared. These days, UX and content strategy overlap more than they don't. The next step is to adopt each other's processes and learn each other's languages.

Transcript of Web content people - who we are, what we do, who we're like

Page 1: Web content people - who we are, what we do, who we're like

Content people

Max Johns@MxDEJ | contentistheweb.com

Who we are,what we do,

andwho we’re like

Auckland content strategy meetupFebruary 2014

Page 2: Web content people - who we are, what we do, who we're like

Hi. We’re all content people.

But what does that actually mean, “content people”?

Let’s start with the problems that we can

solve.

We’re meeting up about it and everything

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When do you need a content person?

When it’s all just a bit crazy

When your audience isn’t getting what they need

When you’re trying to do too much, and need focus

When your processes are bad for quality

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What makes content people good at solving that stuff?

A strong understanding of your organisation’s purpose

A massive appetite for learning new stuff

Thorough knowledge of what your audience wants

A lot of happy and productive working relationships

A strong set of digital skills

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Where do content people come from?

Richard Ingram: Content strategy’s well-trodden paths

richardingram.co.uk/2011/09/content-strategys-well-trodden-paths/

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There is no defining

characteristic of content strategy careers

richardingram.co.uk/2011/09/content-strategys-well-trodden-paths/

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VisitsClicks

ConversionsSatisfaction

Last question: What do content people make?

Stuff you can see

Results

Processes

WordsPictures

VideosEditorial guidelines

Publishing calendarsSign-off procedures

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When do you need a content person?

When it’s all too much

When your audience isn’t getting what they need

When you’re trying to do too much, and need focus

When your processes are bad for quality

UX expert

Page 10: Web content people - who we are, what we do, who we're like

What makes content people good at solving that stuff?

A strong understanding of your organisation’s purpose

A massive appetite for learning new stuff

Thorough knowledge of what your audience wants

A lot of happy and productive working relationships

A strong set of digital skills

UX experts

Page 11: Web content people - who we are, what we do, who we're like

There is no defining

characteristic of content strategy careers

richardingram.co.uk/2011/09/content-strategys-well-trodden-paths/

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nngroup.com/articles/ux-career-advice/

“There is no defining

characteristic of user

experience careers”- Susan Farrell

and Jakob Nielson

Page 13: Web content people - who we are, what we do, who we're like

WordsPictures

VideosEditorial guidelines

Publishing calendarsSign-off procedures Visits

ClicksConversionsSatisfaction

Last question: What do content people make?

Stuff you can see

Results

Processes

PagesDesigns

InterfacesResearch guidelines

PersonasPrototyping methods

UX experts

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How did these two fields develop separately, if they’re so similar?

Content people UX experts

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Content people

“Consumption” activities

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UX experts

“Interaction” activities

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But most stuff we do online actually both: “Read/write”

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So, wait, we’re NOT just content people?

And next time you meet a UX person, invent a cool secret handshake for us.

Content consumption is a part of the user experience. Your work affects the whole thing.

Think about “audience experience”

Be responsible for an experience, not just for stuff you can see.

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That’s it.

Max Johns@MxDEJ | contentistheweb.com

Questions?

Or shall we just go to the pub?

Auckland content strategy meetupFebruary 2014