WEEK 3: CONTENT: THE ROOT OF EVERYTHING ONLINE Writing for the web Evaluating audience needs Style, function and format

1. IMD323 WEB MARKETING
Matt Chandler, Instructor
http://matthewchandler.net/webmarketing
chandler@matthewchandler.net
@mattchandl3r

2. WRITING FOR THE WEB
Without content,
nothing else works.

3. HOW WE READ

4. HOW WE READ
Skimming
Scanning
Left to right
Top to bottom
Graze and move on

5. HOW WE READ
Skimming
Scanning
Left to right
Top to bottom
Graze and move on

6. STYLE

7. STYLE

8. STYLE
Short, to the point

9. STYLE
Short, to the point
Casual, personable

10. STYLE
Short, to the point
Casual, personable
Be compelling

12. Courtesy useit.com, Jakob Nielsen

13. HEMINGWAY’S 4 RULES

14. HEMINGWAY’S 4 RULES

15. HEMINGWAY’S 4 RULES
Use short sentences

16. HEMINGWAY’S 4 RULES
Use short sentences
Use short first
paragraphs

17. HEMINGWAY’S 4 RULES
Use short sentences
Use short first
paragraphs
Use vigorous English

18. HEMINGWAY’S 4 RULES
Use short sentences
Use short first
paragraphs
Use vigorous English
Be positive, not
negative

19. “I WRITE ONE PAGE OF
MASTERPIECE TO NINETY-
ONE PAGES OF SHIT. I TRY TO
PUT THE SHIT IN THE
WASTEBASKET.”
HEMINGWAY, 1934, TO F. SCOTT FITZGERALD.

20. WHY BLOGGING WORKS

21. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Easy-to-use

22. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Easy-to-use
Owned media

23. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Easy-to-use
Owned media
Branded context

24. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Easy-to-use
Owned media
Branded context
Enhance search optimization

25. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Easy-to-use
Owned media
Branded context
Enhance search optimization
Communicate 24/7

26. WHY BLOGGING WORKS

27. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Support many media formats

28. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Support many media formats
Facilitate multi-channel distribution

29. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Support many media formats
Facilitate multi-channel distribution
Supply content for social media

30. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Support many media formats
Facilitate multi-channel distribution
Supply content for social media
Targeted location for customers

31. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Support many media formats
Facilitate multi-channel distribution
Supply content for social media
Targeted location for customers
Support diverse initiatives

32. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Support many media formats
Facilitate multi-channel distribution
Supply content for social media
Targeted location for customers
Support diverse initiatives
Provide metrics against marketing goals

33. WHY BLOGGING WORKS
Support many media formats
Facilitate multi-channel distribution
Supply content for social media
Targeted location for customers
Support diverse initiatives
Provide metrics against marketing goals

34. WHY BLOGGING WORKS

35. PLANNING

36. PLANNING

37. PLANNING
Define audience

38. PLANNING
Define audience
Establish topics

39. PLANNING
Define audience
Establish topics
Products/services you
sell
Interesting articles
you’ve read
Experiences you’ve
had

40. METHODOLOGY

41. METHODOLOGY

42. METHODOLOGY
Inverted pyramid

43. METHODOLOGY
Inverted pyramid
Need to know

44. METHODOLOGY
Inverted pyramid
Need to know
Should know

45. METHODOLOGY
Inverted pyramid
Need to know
Should know
Would be nice to
know

48. METHODOLOGY

49. METHODOLOGY
Examples, examples, examples

50. METHODOLOGY
Examples, examples, examples
Meaningful links

51. METHODOLOGY
Examples, examples, examples
Meaningful links
Cite sources

52. METHODOLOGY
Examples, examples, examples
Meaningful links
Cite sources
Provide backup

53. METHODOLOGY
Examples, examples, examples
Meaningful links
Cite sources
Provide backup

54. IMAGES

55. IMAGES
Images

56. IMAGES
Images
Google Images

57. IMAGES
Images
Google Images
WikiMedia
Commons

58. IMAGES
Images
Google Images
WikiMedia
Commons
Avoid cliches

59. IMAGES
Images
Google Images
WikiMedia
Commons
Avoid cliches

60. IMAGES
Images
Google Images
WikiMedia Commons
Avoid cliches

61. IMAGES
Images
Google Images
WikiMedia
Commons
Avoid cliches

62. VIDEO

63. VIDEO
Videos
YouTube
Vimeo
Facebook

64. STRUCTURE

65. STRUCTURE
Lists

66. STRUCTURE
Lists
Bullets for lists

67. STRUCTURE
Lists
Bullets for lists
Numbers for steps

68. STRUCTURE
Lists
Bullets for lists
Numbers for steps
Headings & subheadings

69. SEO

70. SEO
SEO/Metadata

71. SEO
SEO/Metadata
Headline & title tag

72. SEO
SEO/Metadata
Headline & title tag
Description & excerpt

73. SEO
SEO/Metadata
Headline & title tag
Description & excerpt
Keywords
Google Keyword
Tool
Zemanta
Wordtracker

74. PROCESS

75. PROCESS
Write information, not
documents

76. PROCESS
Write information, not
documents
Focus on essential messages

77. PROCESS
Write information, not
documents
Focus on essential messages
Write outside platform first

78. PROCESS
Write information, not
documents
Focus on essential messages
Write outside platform first

79. PROCESS

80. PROCESS
Edit ruthlessly

81. PROCESS
Edit ruthlessly
Refresh constantly

82. PROCESS
Edit ruthlessly
Refresh constantly
Promote sharing

83. INARGUABLE DATA

84. INARGUABLE DATA
Length Matters

85. INARGUABLE DATA
Length Matters
A title with eight words performed best.
These titles received a 21% higher click-
through rate than average.

86. INARGUABLE DATA
Length Matters
A title with eight words performed best.
These titles received a 21% higher click-
through rate than average.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

87. INARGUABLE DATA
Length Matters
A title with eight words performed best.
These titles received a 21% higher click-
through rate than average.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

88. INARGUABLE DATA

89. INARGUABLE DATA
Pics Get Clicks

90. INARGUABLE DATA
Pics Get Clicks
Readers are attracted to content with
images. Thumbnails worked better than logos
and increased click-through rates by 27%.

91. INARGUABLE DATA
Pics Get Clicks
Readers are attracted to content with
images. Thumbnails worked better than logos
and increased click-through rates by 27%.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

92. INARGUABLE DATA
Pics Get Clicks
Readers are attracted to content with
images. Thumbnails worked better than logos
and increased click-through rates by 27%.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

93. INARGUABLE DATA

94. INARGUABLE DATA
Lists With a Twist

95. INARGUABLE DATA
Lists With a Twist
Lists and photo galleries typically drive more
page views, but they get more click-thorughs
as well. Headlines that contained odd
numbers had a 20% higher click-through rate
than headlines with even numbers.

96. INARGUABLE DATA
Lists With a Twist
Lists and photo galleries typically drive more
page views, but they get more click-thorughs
as well. Headlines that contained odd
numbers had a 20% higher click-through rate
than headlines with even numbers.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

97. INARGUABLE DATA
Lists With a Twist
Lists and photo galleries typically drive more
page views, but they get more click-thorughs
as well. Headlines that contained odd
numbers had a 20% higher click-through rate
than headlines with even numbers.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

98. INARGUABLE DATA

99. INARGUABLE DATA
Going Deeper

100. INARGUABLE DATA
Going Deeper
A colon or hyphen in the title — indicating a
subtitle — performed 9% better than
headlines without.

101. INARGUABLE DATA
Going Deeper
A colon or hyphen in the title — indicating a
subtitle — performed 9% better than
headlines without.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

102. INARGUABLE DATA
Going Deeper
A colon or hyphen in the title — indicating a
subtitle — performed 9% better than
headlines without.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

103. INARGUABLE DATA

104. INARGUABLE DATA
Questions Work

105. INARGUABLE DATA
Questions Work
Titles that ended with a question mark had a
higher click-through rate than those that
ended with exclamation marks or periods.

106. INARGUABLE DATA
Questions Work
Titles that ended with a question mark had a
higher click-through rate than those that
ended with exclamation marks or periods.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

107. INARGUABLE DATA
Questions Work
Titles that ended with a question mark had a
higher click-through rate than those that
ended with exclamation marks or periods.
2011 Outbrain/Content Marketing Institute

108. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?

109. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
Top 10 Reasons
Business Blogging Is
Better Than Facebook

110. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
Top 10 Reasons
Business Blogging Is
Better Than Facebook

111. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?

112. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
10. Stability

113. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
10. Stability
9. Bigger Payoff

114. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
10. Stability
9. Bigger Payoff
8. SEO

115. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
10. Stability
9. Bigger Payoff
8. SEO
7. Long Shelf Life

116. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
10. Stability
9. Bigger Payoff
8. SEO
7. Long Shelf Life
6. News Feed

117. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
10. Stability 5. Content Hub
9. Bigger Payoff
8. SEO
7. Long Shelf Life
6. News Feed

118. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
10. Stability 5. Content Hub
9. Bigger Payoff 4. Offer More Value
8. SEO
7. Long Shelf Life
6. News Feed

119. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
10. Stability 5. Content Hub
9. Bigger Payoff 4. Offer More Value
8. SEO 3. More Clicking
7. Long Shelf Life
6. News Feed

120. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
10. Stability 5. Content Hub
9. Bigger Payoff 4. Offer More Value
8. SEO 3. More Clicking
7. Long Shelf Life 2. Reach Multiple
6. News Feed Audiences

121. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?

122. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
CONTROL

123. FACEBOOK OR BLOG?
CONTROL