Content is seen as a commodity. Everyone has content and words on their pages. Everyone has a bunch of web pages and information. But is this mindset creating a competitive advantage? Is it delivering your message and demonstrating your expertise in the most valuable ways?

1. Marketing: Internet Content
Design
Independent Study
BMKT 2060
Erica Dipyatic
MBA Candidate
end8@pitt.edu
Fall 2009

2. Contents
Evolution of Content Marketing 2
Scanning & Satisfying 5
The Web is Content. Content is the Web 8
Creating Valuable Web Content 12
• Who 13
• What 14
• When 15
• Where 16
• Why 17
• How 18
References 19
1 Erica Dipyatic, Fall 2009, Marketing Independent Study

3. Evolution of Online Content
Marketing

4. Solving Problems
Evolution of online content marketing
Yesterday Today
• Talk to corporate liaisons, account or sales • Google (search)
representatives
• Online portals, news or company specific sites
• Product /service brochures and literature
• Reading trusted advice and opinions (op-ed)
• Seek information via ads • Blogger’s
• B2B – Magazine, Newspaper, Airport signage • Corporate information
• Case studies
• Word-of-mouth ~ “Word-of-mouse”
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5. Why web sites?
Evolution of online content marketing
Goal(s) Web content
Inform user “Pull” technology
• Answer question(s) • Available 24 x 7 x 365
• Help to do a specific task, job • Easy to share
• Easy to find
Start, and continue, to build relationship • Book marks
• Issue/solution driven • Search
Share knowledge, expertise First impression!
• Thought leadership • Interested user, potential client
• Shape market • Qualified lead
• Develop trust
Sell
• Continue conversations
• Learn more
• Breadth and depth of services
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6. Scanning & Satisfying
How we read and use the Web

7. Scanning & Satisfying
How we read and use the web.
Examine your use of the web
• Why did you go to the Web?
• How did you get to your last visited web page?
• Hyperlink
• Book mark
• Search result(s)
• Once on a web page, how did you locate information?
• What stood out to you?
• What made you chose your next action?
• The next page you visited?
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8. Scanning & Satisfying
How we read and use the web.
Interactions on a web page (site)
• Users scan first, then read
• Grab information and go to next task
• Short attention span
• Ready for next “click”
“Read” in an F shaped pattern
• Predominant pattern
• 2 horizontal passes
• Vertical stripe
1
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9. The Web is Content. Content
is the Web2.
Content is a Valuable Asset

10. The Web is Content. Content is the Web.
Content is a valuable asset
It starts with the content!
The web is mostly made up of words.
The words come together to provide a message, tell a story.
The message/story provides information.
• Details, values and benefits
The information answers our questions.
The questions lead us to the web.
The web is content. Content is the web.
Words Message
CONTENT
=
Web
Information Questions
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11. The Web is Content. Content is the Web.
Content is a valuable asset
What makes content valuable? Valuable content can…
• Timely, up-to-date • Build your brand
• Reliable • Create a competitive advantage
• Consistent • Generate conversations
• Accessible • Start online (email, RSS, etc…)
• Easy to find • Continue at events, meetings, etc
• Usable/useful • Improve relationships and client retention
• Informative • Help audience DO something
• Enjoyable
Obstacles to valuable content
• Content isn’t easy to develop
• Print vs online mindset
• Is time-consuming
• Content is seen as a commodity
• The web has trillions of pages, information and content
• Content standards are set really, really low
• The web has trillions of pages, information and content
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12. Most project schedules postpone content development
until the eleventh hour.
As a result, content quality is often
seriously compromised.
When we practice content strategy, we ensure that our
web content is treated as a valuable business asset...
…not an afterthought3.
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13. Creating Valuable Web
Content
Writing for the Web

14. Creating Valuable Web Content
Writing for the Web
Who? Action
Focus on user, target audience Rethink approach
• Show you care about users From corporate centric
• Different questions = different answers • What do I / we want to tell you?
• One answer doesn’t fit all needs • What do I / we want you to understand?
• What do I / we wish you would do?
• How can I / we make you care?
To customer / user centric
• What do YOU want to know?
• What do YOU need to do?
• What do YOU need to feel comfortable and smart?
• What do YOU care about….really?
People come to web sites for the content that
they think (or hope) is there4
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15. Creating Valuable Web Content
Writing for the Web
What? Action
Deliver on promise (Titles) Stress issues & important topics
• Tell me what I will find (on the page)
• Don’t be cute or clever
Satisfy users needs first
Give useful, useable information for target audience
• Looking for something
• Answer users questions
• Start of conversation
• Develop relationship, trust • Create a conversation
• Can sell, “market” to them later
Cuts, cut & cut again Remove the fluff, “happy talk” and unnecessary filler
• Less is more • Brief and to the point – get out of the way
• Don’t bore user
• Extra, related information deserves its own place
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16. Creating Valuable Web Content
Writing for the Web
When? Action
Focus on delivering key information to user first to
support the way users interact and read on the web.
Inverted Pyramid5 Writing
Information user MUST have
1. Key message/take away; conclusion
2. Supporting information
3. Background, about, technical details (if needed)
Additional, useful,
information,
but not message
critical
Nice to
have
info.
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17. Creating Valuable Web Content
Writing for the Web
Where? Action
Above the “fold”! • Use the Inverted Pyramid to guide online placement
• Placement on screen before need to scroll down page • Essential message and information First!
• Deliver value where user will find and pay attention to • Nice to have details – Last.
details/information • Motivate to continue reading
• Grab attention – don’t lose – by hiding valuable • Review web page on different computers
information
Most readers will
read top most, first
portion of the page.
(Illustrative fold)
Few readers will make it
this far down on the page.
Only the truly motivated will
continue this far.
Only the dedicate information
seekers will continue to the end of
the page.
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18. Creating Valuable Web Content
Writing for the Web
Why? Action
Scan & satisfy Rethink approach
• Develop web content that focuses on end user
Grab & go (customer centric)
• Less time spent reading online vs print/paper
Deliver on promise (Titles)
Come for information or document? • Stress issues & important topics
• Including in documents (PDF attachments)
Satisfy users needs first
• Give useful, useable information for target audience
• Answer users questions
• Create a conversation
Cuts, cut & cut again
• Remove the fluff, “happy talk” and unnecessary filler
• Brief and to the point – get out of the way
Use the Inverted Pyramid to deliver above the fold
• Essential message and information First!
• Motivate to continue reading
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19. Creating Valuable Web Content
Writing for the Web
How? Action
Continue conversation Use natural flow to deliver message
• Message delivers and carries on dialogue • Advise on issue, topic and solution
Avoid jargon Use your audiences/users words and questions
• Online material available to broad audience • Titles and body content
Short sentences and paragraphs Break down lengthy sentences.
• Meet busy users needs (scan, grab & go) • Over use of commas in a sentence – consider creating
• Avoid continuous walls of text separate sentences
• Easily understood, and straight forward • Paragraphs, ideal 40-60 words for online reading
• If need to read more than one time to understand –
rewrite
Visually appealing (enjoyable, useable, scan & go) Format online content differently than material
• Body headings developed for print intended reading.
• Short sentences and paragraphs • Outline key points and take aways from message into
• Lists and tables bullets
• Quotes (pull quotes) • Use page headings and subheadings to stress key
material
• Charts/diagrams
Important to write and develop content for the web and not simply repurpose print developed content.
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20. References
Cited Additional Materials
1 Redish, J., 2007, Letting Go of the Words Writing Web • Anderson, E., 2009, Word Perfect: Web Writing for
Content that Works, San Francisco: Morgan Marketers, MarketingProfs* sponsored webinar.
Kaufmann, 102-103. www.useit.com/eyetracking
• English, W., 2009, Web Content Rx, Franklin Lakes: The
Career Press, Inc.
2 Halvorson, K., 2010, Content Strategy for the
Web, Berkeley: New Rider, 15. www.newriders.com • Fideler, D., 2009, Write From Your Reader’s
Perspective, MarketingProfs article.
3 Halvorson, K., 2010, Content Strategy for the
• Krug, S., 2006, Don’t Make Me Think! A Common Sense
Web, Berkeley: New Rider, 3. www.newriders.com
Approach to Web Usability, Second Edition, Berkeley:
New Riders.
4 Redish, J., 2007, Letting Go of the Words Writing Web
Content that Works, San Francisco: Morgan • McKeon, P., 2009, Is Anybody Following Your Thought
Kaufmann, 1. www.useit.com/eyetracking Leadership? Five Best-Practices, MarketingProfs article.
• Pulizzi, J., 2008, Content Marketing: How to Position
5 Redish, J., 2007, Letting Go of the Words Writing Web
Your Company as a Trusted Expert
Content that Works, San Francisco: Morgan
Resource, MarketingProfs sponsored webinar.
Kaufmann, 104. www.useit.com/eyetracking
• Wuebben, J., 2008, Content Rich: Writing your Way to
Wealth on the Web, Fallbrook: Encore Publishing Group.
19 Erica Dipyatic, Fall 2009, Marketing Independent Study * www.marketingprofs.com