When Should Content “Come In” in the Development Process?
I was watching Karen McGrane’s video on “The 11th Hour Sh*tstorm Problem” earlier today. (It’s a really good video. If you have anything to do with user experience or web development, go watch it. I’ll wait right here.)
Welcome back. So, while watching that, I had a few ideas.
The problem she’s discussing is VERY real. I’ve seen it too many times. But let’s look at it from my end – that of the content writer/producer.
Sometimes development teams focus on their work and think of content as “something that goes in later.” Resulting in content producers (like myself) have awkward last-minute conversations with them. Like this:
“Thank you for finally speaking to me about content. I’ve been trying to coordinate with you and the client for weeks now. What? You built the site already? Here you go then–half-baked content. Have fun figuring out how to fit it in!”
So I thought I’d blog about a question. A question that should help crystallize the “11th Hour” problem – and maybe help a few of us avoid it in future projects.
When should content “come in” in the development process?
Right now content is the red-headed stepchild in most dev processes. It’s the “black box” as Karen put it, that designers & developers block out in their minds. And to be fair, it’s not their primary job, so it makes sense.
Trouble is when they do this, one of two things happen:
The content producers are shoved to the side of the project cycle.
OR
The content itself is ignored.
Both result in – you guessed it. The 11th Hour Sh*tstorm. (Karen, that is a great metaphor. I may borrow it for future meetings.)
So how do we fix this? Well, first by answering the above question of when to bring in the content. I find that…
The best position for content “coming in” is right before the client sees the new site for the first time.
Why then? Because this position forces several changes in the overall development process. All of which help keep everyone content-aware.
Oh, and it helps create better content too.
- It reminds development that the site is not a “bucket” for content – it’s a podium for it.
- It compels use of a content strategy. If the dev team knows content is coming up, and there’s a content strategy involved in the project, then that strategy must work with the overall Web strategy. And vice-versa.
(This also gives a paper trail for everyone to refer to/save themselves with later.) - It compels early buy-in from the client. It’s easy to put content off in favor of development. But if a content writer is right there at initial planning, he’s much harder to ignore…
- It helps you organize the site around user needs. Karen made a big point of this in her presentation, and I agree 100%. The site isn’t there to astonish the client. It’s there to help their customers solve problems. Showing them content DURING development gives more time to sharpen the message.
Content Must Be a Constant Presence
When the client first sees the site, it should have content IN IT. Lorem ipsum filler is now a sign of poor development. (I have decreed it so.)
If content is to be delivered at first-version, then content R&D has to start at the same time as site development. Usability testing, audience research/interviews, UX, outlining…all done while the site goes from wireframe to HTML.
This way content providers stay in the loop. And the client receives reminders about content’s importance. Maybe this will help dev teams avoid last-minute scrambling.
Hey, we content producers don’t like it either. We’re all problem-solvers in one sense or another. So let’s fix this!
Thoughts? Anything to add? Think I’m radically oversimplifying things? Comment away.
Why is Content Creation “Someone Else’s Problem” When “Anyone Can Write?”
I went to the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco yesterday. Had a good time – talked with all sorts of people, listened to some presentations. I was even surprised by a few things coming up soon in IT.
But one thing stuck out. As far as I could tell, I was the only writer there. (No, that’s not as good a thing as you think. Keep reading.)
What’s worse is, I heard talk about content. About aggregating it, managing it, distributing it…
But NOTHING about creating it!
Microblogging, mobile apps, social platforms, CMSes…
…so when’s the content enter the picture? You know, the stuff around which all of those are supposedly built?
“That’s Someone Else’s Problem.” Are You Sure?
I started asking people where they get their content. Who writes it, who photographs it, who designs it and lays it out all nice and neat?
The answers I got were slightly troubling.
- Blank stares
- “Marketing/Web Dev handles that. I don’t know.” (A sales rep at a major expo tells me this?)
- Acquired from customer
- “Not my problem.” (Yes, someone actually said this to me.)
Admittedly, I didn’t question everyone. But not one person told me that they or someone they knew directly was responsible for content creation. Arguably the most important part of any website, marketing strategy, or lead generation material (for, say, a big convention expo)…and nobody knew where it came from!
Look, I’m a writer. I admit that a lot of my livelihood is invested in this topic. But this sort of willful ignorance worries me. When there’s a disconnect between content creation and content use, its effectiveness is drastically lowered.
So “Anyone Can Write” But No One Is?
Let me change focus here a second. The second-biggest objection to outsourcing a content writer is the notion that “anyone” can write content. (The biggest is cost, if you wondered.)
With that in mind, consider the mindset of “someone else’s problem.” If you don’t care about content creation, and you think anyone can write about it? What does that mean?
It means you don’t value your own company’s message.
And if you don’t…then why would you expect customers to?
Worried yet?
6 Questions to Ask 30 Days AFTER Your Marketing Campaign Starts
I thought about writing a long article today. Then I remembered that my audience knows a thing or two about marketing in the first place.
So I decided on a short “reminder” post today. Reminders on what you should check after your marketing campaign starts (not before!).
- Is our marketing working?
(Are you getting anything like the results you aimed for?) - Are our goals the same now?
(Has a new goal or priority come up since this started?) - What do our customers think?
(See what’s said on social media. Collect email responses. Record phone calls. Put all of this in one place and analyze it.)
- Are we on track for the future?
(If the campaign response rate is already tapering off, you’ll need to pick up the pace.) - Is this adding value to other pursuits?
(The campaign’s responses should be usable in other pursuits, e.g. older lead revitalization.) - Should we change tactics, or keep going?
(Weigh your metrics against your campaign goals. If the content isn’t pulling well enough, try a different angle.)
That’s it. Just a few reminders. Success with content marketing these days takes much more than just good writing. But too often companies set the campaign up and just wait for leads. Or worse, forget about it and rush on to the next task.
Revisit those campaigns. I do it 30 days after start. Sometimes 2 months afterward is better though (for bigger campaigns).
And remember…no response at all? Is still a response.
More on that next time.
Why I Don’t “Guarantee” My Content’s Results
“Can you guarantee your content will help us out? Like, you’re sure it will boost our traffic?”
“No.”
Woah, woah, hold on. Why did I say THAT? Isn’t that like shooting yourself in the professional kneecap? Don’t I know how bad this could make me look to clients?
Sure I’m aware. But there’s a simple reason why I don’t “guarantee” my content’s results.
Because it’s impossible.
It’s impossible to guarantee a big result – or ANY result – from any one single piece of content.
Content Evolves With Your Results
It’s 2010. Content is no longer a “put it up and await the flood” item.
Everything must change over time. Testing, analytics, feedback…all of this is done to inspire changes in your website’s performance. Sometimes it works, and you get lots of qualified traffic. Sometimes it doesn’t, and you need to figure out where you’re bleeding visitors.
What gets changed for all this? The content. We have A/B tests for a reason.
No Phony Guarantees Please, We’re After Real-World Results
Anyone who claims they can guarantee X amount of traffic or X number of sales from content (or SEO, or emails)…is lying to you. They’re just after your money.
More importantly, they’re not interested in making a real effort towards effective content.
Why would they be? They can just slap a guarantee on the front, deliver content and walk away. Oh, it didn’t work for you? Hey, I guaranteed the content works. What did YOU do to screw it up? Sorry, no discounts on edits.
This kind of behavior really burns me (and most everyone else I’m sure!). Fortunately it’s rare.
But the “guaranteed ROI” mentality isn’t.
So keep this in mind. I will gladly work with clients to improve their content. I’ll happily edit my own work for better effectiveness. (Believe me, there’ve been times when I look at older work and think, “What was I ON then?”)
But I don’t guarantee results from the vastness of the Web. Nobody can. I just write my best and revisit it later.
Speaking of, I think I’ll blog about things to check on after new content’s up. Coming up next.
Meanwhile, have you experienced this kind of situation? Did you receive a “guarantee” that turned sour? Please share it in a comment. Or send it to me on Twitter at @blueferret.
