how-to
posted by Accounts
So you’re working on a new marketing or sales tool - maybe it’s a Web site, a brochure or a Facebook page - and your marketing agency asks you for content. You sweat about for days; unsure where the information will come from, who’s going to write it and who’s going to maintain it once it’s done.
Content is the second most important element to your online or print marketing efforts after design. After someone types in your URL or picks up your brochure and decides to spend more than a few seconds with it because your stellar design has kept their interest, they will want to see what you have to offer – it’s your very own “Where’s the beef?” moment.
Here are some tips to get your content from rare to well done:
- Rare: Your content is scattered. Multiple people are controlling or writing it and it’s in multiple voices. To keep your content cookin’, start by writing all of your thoughts and ideas down. Don’t procrastinate or wait. Think of it like brainstorming or information mapping.
- Medium-Rare: Now you’re getting somewhere. Group the thoughts and ideas together and identify your goals. Are you featuring services or products? How do they relate and how will your audiences want to see the information presented?
- Medium: You’ve got everything grouped and segmented, now pick an author or content controller. Even in small organizations there will be many voices and streams of input; make sure to control how the content is written so there is consistency across your materials. Think back to jr. high (whew!) and edit verb tenses, subject agreement, first person versus third person, etc. Consider using a style guide, such as the Associated Press Stylebook to ensure consistency.
- Medium-Well: You’re really close now and probably have more content than you have space. Start to filter it down. Think about your vehicle for content delivery – online or printed? Remember that online visitors have short attention spans. Keep your content concise and easy-to-scan. Also, how technical is your audience – do they want all the details or quick bullets and descriptions?
- Well Done: Every food critic will tell you to steer away from the well done option, but it’s your content and you want it to be just that. This is the time to proof, fact check and double check your work. Now, it’s ready to be uploaded and type set.
As with all types of meat, consuming under-cooked content can be dangerous to your health. But if you take the time to do it and do it right, your content can be the main dish. Don’t forget to go back for seconds, either. Once your content is done, listen for feedback and tweaks. Always update your content so repeat visitors don’t get bored.
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