ISCONTENT KING?

JANETTE LONSDALE

www.JanetteLonsdale.comTwitter: JanLonsJanetteL@YourLocalMessenger.com

CONTENT PLANNING, CREATION & MANAGEMENT

1,722,071,000,000Pages on the internet in 2011

“Every two days we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until  2003.”

Google CEO Erick Schmidt Techonomy Conference, California, 2010

“Searchers are the most motivated people who hit a website.”

Brian Clarke, Copyblogger & Scribe

TASK FOCUSED

How do I make pancakes

I want to tell you…

How far is the sun?

Guess what I found out…..

Where is Dublin?

MOMENTS THAT MATTER

WHAT IS CONTENT?

Tech

no

log

y

De

sig

n

Na

vig

ati

on

Ma

rke

tin

g

C O N T E N T

• Text • Graphics• Photos • Forms

• Infographics • Social Media • Videos • Podcasts

Content Strategy

Audit

Plan

Develop

Publish

CONTENT STRATEGY PROCESS

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT TO WRITE?

Creative brief

• What is the problem?

• Why hasn’t the problem been solved?

• What is possible?

• What is different now?

• What should you do now?

HOW MANY WORDS?

300 words per page

• 80% of time above fold

• 69% of time on left

• Read less than 20% of the words

• 1.5 minutes / 78 seconds

Credit: Nielsen Norman Group; Poynter

WHERE DO THE WORDS GO?

Credit: Nielsen Norman Group

What Happened & Other Details

Background & Rationale

Main Point & Conclusion

Traditional Narrative

History & Background

Supporting Info

Main Point

Inverted Pyramid

Some Read

Most Read

Reader Behavior

Few Readto the END

WHAT IS THE POINT?

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH CLIENT WRITTEN CONTENT?

Break it out and simplify

• Break down big paragraphs

• Add headlines

• Rewrite complex sentences (these often have lots of commas)

• Cut redundant words e.g. free gifts, foreign imports 4 p.m. in the afternoon

GUTS & ENTRAILS

“As part of the electronic delivery strategy the vision to enable customers to transact low face value commoditized financial market instruments electronically and seamlessly.”

“Customers can transfer money electronically for a reasonable price.”

Credit: Death Sentences Don Watson

“Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting. …

Those who succeed will propel the Internet forward as a marketplace of ideas, experiences, and products—a marketplace of content.”

1996, Bill Gates

REASONS TO HIRE A PRO COPYWRITER

1. Opportunity cost - your time is valuable

2. Web is a competitive environment

3. Pros are trained

4. Good copy increases engagement and traffic

5. Reader advocate/perspective

6. External view

7. Accuracy and consistency increases credibility

8. Can use keywords seamlessly

JANETTE LONSDALEwww.JanetteLonsdale.comTwitter: JanLonsJanetteL@YourLocalMessenger.com

QUESTIONS?