Writing for the Digital World

Katina French

Hi there!

Who I am: ● Current: Copy Director @ OOHology● Past:

o Digital Marketing Manager, CafePresso Operations Manager, Social Media Explorero Digital Marketing Manager, Doe Andersono Copywriter, LEAP

Who you are:

● Webmasters● Marketers● Social Media Managers● Graphic Designers● Web Developers

Learning Goals

Strategies and tactics for writing for today’s digital media, including:

● Websites (Content Strategy)● Social media channels (Content Marketing)● Email marketing (Customer Relationship Management)● Digital Marketing (Tactics & Tools)

Things we’ll discuss

● Why content strategy matters (and why it’s hard).● How to write compelling website content.● Mastering short-form content.● Making room for multimedia.● Optimizing content for a digital audience.● Responsive content & mobile considerations.● Channel-specific strategies for social media.● Repurposing traditional content for the web.● Elements of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The Digital World in 2015

The digital world demands mobility● In 2014, mobile internet usage overtook desktop.● This month, Google begins penalizing sites which don’t

offer a good mobile experience. The digital world demands agility● After years of relative stability, social media is seeing

disruption from Periscope, Meerkat, Snapchat, etc.Digital content must be clear, concise and consistent.

Planning, producing and organizing website content.

Content Strategy

Content & Higher Education

Content & Higher Education

Content & Higher Education

Obstacles to Content Clarity

● Multiple stakeholders ● Conflicting priorities & approaches● Outdated or redundant content● Poorly-repurposed print copy● 1000 words instead of a picture (or video)

Too Many Cooks Spoil the Content?

“When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

Integration is vital. Everyone’s POV has value.Either you have a process, or

you have chaos.

Marketing Technology

Design Editorial

The Path to Content ClarityContent is handled on an ad-hoc basis.

Multiple publishing processes, in silos.

Integration at publication. Not planning before.

Content treated as an asset. Process is integrated across org.

Content is key part

of overall

brand strategy.

Reactive

Tactical

Integrated

Managed

Strategic

Your Home Page = Your Fridge

“Everything can’t be in the front.” - Your mom.

Prioritization is key.Timeliness matters.

Know what your audience wants

… and then deliver it.

● UX● Surveys● Audits

Surviving a Content Audit

aka “Learn to love spreadsheets”

Look for unmet needs, but be aware:

Most of your work will be eliminating, combining or optimizing existing content.

Keep, Combine, Update or Archive?

aka “Should it stay or should it go?”● Review/rate by criteria:

o Timely, timeless or dated?o Local, global, internal, external? o Concise, clear and scannable? o Mobile, searchable and sharable?

Timely, Timeless or Dated

Timely - “I need this now.”

Timeless - “I’ll need this always.”

Dated - “Could an update make this timely or timeless? If not, archive or omit.”

Who is your audience?

Where is the logical place for this info?

What is the appropriate voice & messaging?

Local, Global, Internal or External?

If it passed the relevance tests, is it optimized?

Could this be expressed in half the words?

Could a reader take in the main ideas in under a minute?

Concise, Clear and Scannable?

Are images sized to load quickly?

Can PDFs and images be read by search engines?

Is sharing easy and encouraged?

Mobile, Searchable and Sharable?

Writing compelling website content

● Understand & master your brand voiceo Voice & Tone

● Create character, speak like a human being.

● Build a narrative with reader as hero. ● Ask “what’s in it for me?” ● Balance timeliness with timelessness

Structuring content for digital

“Writing is a credit system” - Catherynne Valente

● Headlines, subheads, and pull quotes quickly grab attention

● Inverted pyramid - most important stuff comes first.

● Utilize short paragraphs, bullets, graphics

Mastering Short Copy

● Mastery of short copy is vitalo To create “Tweet-worthy” pull quotes.o To create “Upworthy” headlines. o To create “must click” subjects for email.o To sell your message to a shrinking attention span.

● Create curiosity but don’t be opaqueo Think cozy mysteryo Make the audience feel smarto Suggest, don’t give it all away

Repurposing Content for the Web

● If it passes the copy-and-paste test, it should be simple to tailor for the web.

● If it fails, it’s not mobile or search engine friendly.

Planning, producing and promoting social media content.

Content Marketing

Planning your program

Content != Copy

But editorial still takes the lead. Because...● Video + Podcasts are growing, demand

scripts● Text on image = Huge impact● Infographics start with “info”● Like traditional advertising, a great

concept needs a good hook.

Brand Character + Voice

● Review the brand guidelines.● Pause before you post.● Character or representative?

Grammar vs. Brevity

● Set a line in the sand.● Discuss it beforehand. ● & is your friend.● Hashtags are almost always expendable

Get a reaction in <140 characters

● Being controversial is easy. Not sustainable.● Never go with your first take. ● Be Desi -- your audience is Luci.● “Somebody had to say it.” Be somebody.● Set it up in text. Pay it off in a picture.● Bait a sneezer.● Improv classes.

Know your audience - Case Study

● CafePress - 6 distinct audiences● Top 3 personas for each platform● Separate content strategy

o By personao By platform

● Required flexible brand voice

Know our Audience

“Assurance Seeker”

Skews male and older. Looking for content that affirms their traditional, set-in-my-ways values.

Products: apparel, drinkware. Keywords: military, conservative/political, sports,

vintage, retro

Handle with care

Seriously. Handle with care.

Know Your Audience“Creative DIYer”Skews female, but with a more funky or eclectic

style. Concerned with showing their unique personality and interests, including causes.

● Products: apparel, keepsakes, accessories, drinkware, kids & baby.

● Keywords: unique, creative, funky, artistic, knit, craft

Create a funny share prompt

Platform-Specific Advice

Stuff we’re not discussing today

MediumYouTubeElloSnapchatWhatsAppTinder

MediumYouTubeElloSnapchatWhatsAppTinder

Facebook

● Organic reach is over ● Paid targeting is mature● CTAs & boosting● “SEO” value

Targeting Audiences

Facebook - CTA button

Search Engine Optimization

Twitter

● Most mixed audience● Curation is key● High effort ● Best for networking● Customer support

Twitter Ads

Twitter Quick Promote

LinkedIn

● B2B or Talent Acquisition● Publishing platform● Thought leadership● Sponsored Updates● Individual vs. Company

Instagram

● Photo-centric● Ad-resistant● Closed system● Highly viral● Luxury brands, lifestyle businesses

Pinterest

● Photo-centric● Retail-friendly

o Food, fashion, homeo Travel and lifestyle brands

● “Pinfluencers”● Promoted Pins● Rich Pins

Tumblr

● Animated GIFs● Younger demo● Extremely viral● Ad-resistant● Creatr network

Planning & producing email content for the lifecycle of your audience.

Customer Relationship

Management

Email Marketing + Education

Email Marketing Opportunities

Email still has a strong impact.● Newsletters (segmented!)

o By lifecycle (prospect, parent, student, alumni)

o By campuso By academic program

● Surveyso Great source of information

Email Marketing Opportunities

Email still has a strong impact.● Transactional emails (optimized!)

o Biggest missed opportunityo Write like a humano Cross-promote social (it’s where millennials

want to look for information anyway.)

Tactics for Effective Email Content

● 81% view on mobile deviceo Avoid image-intense designs

● Weekends get higher CTRo Also, more links = higher CTR, so it’s okay to repeat

● Watch your frequency o It’s the most common reason for unsubs

● Edit ruthlesslyo Boring content is next common reason for unsub

Don’t get flagged as spam

● Avoid “Free” “Urgent” or Call Now” in subject line.o OR ANYTHING IN ALL CAPS.o Also more than one exclamation point!!!

● Practice safe sendingo Scrub your list frequently. o Drop questionable contacts with low/no opens

How important is that headline?

Drop metrics from Norton Nativo results

HeadlineImpressi

onClicks CTR

CTA Rate

Avg Time Spent on Content

You won’t believe what one hospital promised women patients 569,594 5,305

0.93% 2.24%1:29

Why this hospital offers pedicures to new moms 60,009 359 0.60% 3.90% 1:02

Women make most health care decisions. What one hospital did to earn their trust 45,962 282

0.61% 1.06%1:24

Top things to look for in a women’s and children’s hospital 17,928 104

0.58% 1.92%1:21

Get better care: How one hospital caters to women and families 13,482 71

0.53% 2.82%1:31

Do you want more from a women’s hospital? 10,707 52 0.49% 0.00% 1:55

Tactical Considerations

SEO, Native Advertising, Mobile Marketing, Other Tools & Tactics.

● Semantic Codeo One H1 per pageo H2s fall after H1

● Include, but don’t stuff, keywordso Proximity & frequency matters (early & often)

● Good 503 accessibility = good SEOo Use Alt-Text for images

● Strive for at least 250 words / page

Basics of On-Page SEO

Native Advertising

● The modern “advertorial”o High engagement / click through rateso Works best if it feels organic

● Platformso Outbraino Taboolao Nativo

● Google’s “Mobile Test”o google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

● Do you need an app?o entrepreneur.com/article/243482

● SEO Tools & Tipso SEMrush.como SEOmoz.com

Mobile & Other Tools