Words matter. Use them right and they'll help people find your shiny new website, position you as a leader in your field, turn visitors into customers and keep them coming back for more. Use them wrong and you could be ignored or, worse, get a reputation for putting your virtual foot in your mouth. Make words work for you. Word nerd Lynne Morioka of Social Visibility Consulting leads a conversation about how content and design are equal and essential, how to best represent yourself and your organization online, how to get people to do what you want them to and how to make a big content impact. Part of the discussion will also focus on the frustrations designers and developers face in dealing with their clients' content (or lack of content, in many cases).
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Word Nerd: The Quick & Dirty Guide to Web & Social Media Content Done Right
1. Word Nerd:
The Quick and Dirty Guide to Web and Social Media Content Done Right
Lynne Morioka – Social Visibility Consulting
SocialVisibilityConsulting.com @SocialViz #SVContent
6. Studies show time spent on
pages increases with
appealing design.
BUT you need content to
help get the website
found and give visitors a
way to take action once
they’re on the site.
#SVContent
7. Website content is one of the biggest keys to the long-term
success of a site.
Web content must:
Be well thought through.
Connect to larger brand/identity strategy.
Be unique and engaging.
#SVContent
8. Fresh content keeps people coming back to a site.
Static content is stale content.
Expired and dated content shows you’re inattentive or
have given up.
#SVContent
9. Web content should be action
oriented.
Would Chuck Norris make a
suggestion as an FYI?
NO!
When Chuck Norris wants
someone to do something,
he tells them to do it! Or at
least asks.
#SVContent
10. SEO still matters. It’s not about “tricking” search engines.
#SVContent
Instead, create sites that are action-oriented, engaging
and search engine-friendly. Those sites get found.
11. GOAL: Create a website that adds
value to users and attracts search
engines and links.
To do this you need compelling content.
#SVContent
12. • DON’T use industry
jargon. No one searches
for that.
• DON’T write six
WEBSITE paragraphs when you
only need one.
CONTENT
DANGERS • DON’T overdo it with the
keywords.
• DON’T copy a Wikipedia
entry and lightly edit it.
• DON’T write one page to
create 100 “geo-
targeted” pages using
the copy/replace feature.
#SVContent
14. Who is creating content for your website?
If you’re designing/building a site for someone and
they’re providing content – take a look at their
current site. Would you be proud to put your
site/design around that content?
#SVContent
15. Best case scenario: Content creation part of website
development, information architect and design from the
beginning. Everyone – client, writer, designer(s),
developer(s), search team – sits down to strategize and
map out site.
#SVContent
16. Worst case scenario: You’re stuck with crappy content.
A: Strongly suggest they get help from a pro – not from their
brother-in-law.
Shot down.
B: You may be able to write or tweak their content
on your own. Determine up front who is going to
do this, content is a collaborative process.
#SVContent
18. For you and for your clients– blogs offer the biggest bang
for your buck.
Blogs can demonstrate thought leadership and strike SEO
gold with very little time and investment.
#SVContent
19. So, how do you
create quality web
content?
Get ready, here comes the
quick and dirty part…
#SVContent
20. • Have one consistent voice and agree who and what it’s going to
be (this goes for social media too).
• Write the occasional ad-vertorial (aka info-tainment). 90%
helpful content, 10% soft sell.
• ASK readers/customers what they want to know, what they’d
like more information about.
• Interview a subject matter expert or someone well known in
field.
• Challenges and failures are always a HUGE hit as long as a
valuable lesson is learned.
• Talk about problems and offer
solutions. A great, passive way to
elevate yourself to “expert” status.
• Keep it short, get to the point.
#SVContent
21. • Highlight pertinent
information with bullet points.
• Break up long text with
interesting headers.
• Use compelling headlines.
• CHECK YOUR SPELLING!
• Make content easy to read,
even easier to scan.
• Look at what others are doing,
but write about what interests
you. Whatever flips your
switch, use that as inspiration
to create content.
• Base content on facts or be
ready to defend opinions.
#SVContent
23. Social media is a conversation.
Social media allows the little
dogs to play in the same park
with the big dogs.
Social media can boost SEO.
Your customers/clients use social media.
#SVContent
24. So, how do you create
quality social media
content?
Get ready for the
last bit of quick and
dirty…
#SVContent
25. • Determine your goal for each social network and use them
accordingly.
• Promote your work and your clients sparingly, positively and in a
relevant manner.
• Make content keyword-rich and unique.
• Share information mindfully. Don’t just recycle the content of
others.
• Timing, timing, timing. Beware of pre-scheduled updates/tweets.
#SVContent
26. • Start a dialogue, create polls
and surveys, ask questions –
ONLY IF you’re willing/able to
manage and be a part of the
discussion.
#SVContent
• Before posting, ask yourself,
“How is this helpful to my
audience?”
• Don’t use all of your 140
characters on Twitter. Make it
easy for people to RT you.
• Be yourself. No one responds
positively to forced and false.
