Findability Day, Stockholm, Sweden, 2016
Structuring content and using content strategy to create experiences for people that are findable, usable, and meaningful.
My background
Higher Ed, Nonprofit, Small business/start up, Marketing for anybody
Accelerated learning: Experience the same amount of people, workload, and opportunities in 2 years that I had in the previous 12
I also teach and live by the principles of my school: Teaching, Service, and Research
My real job knowing audiences and their needs, wrangling content producers and technology. Herding cats. I help get the right content done on time, where it belongs.
Murray Thompson’s graphic
More words won’t fix this problem. A more relevant image won’t fix it. Video won’t fix it.
The Internet is full, please stop.
We need to provide more value and spend less time optimizing what isn’t worth customers’ time.
We just have to care about our customers time as much as their potential value to us.
Time, Money, Resources, People.
What is the purpose?
Good content is not enough. You will structure. You will promote it by providing connected informative content. You will provide answers and accurate timely information in a priority order (Inverted Pyramid, Nut graph). You will meet highest editorial standards in accuracy and creation. You will be useable and findable.
But AIDA is outdated. Our relationship with customers does not end with purchase. We want more from them.
As this model shows, we’re looking for relationships with customers. We want their support and advocacy.
We want not just a one-time transaction but for them to come back and tell others about us.
People are skeptical about advertising, they rely on people they trust for recommendations. WOM, referrals have real value.
How do we update AIDA to focus on value to customer instead of acquisition?
Adjectives to verbs
Inform. I’m here. I’m useful.Visibility
Answer. I’m relevant! I have the actual thing you’re looking for!
Educate. Know your audience. Go deep. Be generous. You need a content strategy to do this
In order to make content strategy, seo, or content marketing work for you it will have to be researched X3. Research thrice, cut once.
Cover the field with it. Doesn’t mean make more, make it available. Make it connected and connectable. Make it for them.
Product descriptions, Blog posts, social media, F2F, print, promotion anywhere.
What do your customers need to know? All the details matter as well as their priority.
Start here if you already have content because maybe this is all you can do. It’s a good foundation.
Cover the field with it. Doesn’t mean make more, make it available. Make it connected and connectable. Make it for them.
Product descriptions, Blog posts, social media, F2F, print, promotion anywhere.
What do your customers need to know? All the details matter as well as their priority.
Start here because maybe this is all you can do. It’s a good foundation.
Know your users. SEO research as well as analytics can provide insight. What are people searching for?
Goes back to information. They have questions. Your answers can help them make a decision.
Customer words – in site search, user research, survey, interview
Users words – in site search, user research, surveys
Audience Words – SEO tools, competitors, online research
Plan for how their words, syntax can be translated into your site.
Customer words – in site search, user research, survey, interview
Users words – in site search, user research, surveys
Audience Words – SEO tools, competitors, online research
Plan for how their words, syntax can be translated into your site.
Customer words – in site search, user research, survey, interview
Users words – in site search, user research, surveys
Audience Words – SEO tools, competitors, online research
Plan for how their words, syntax can be translated into your site.
Know your users. SEO research as well as analytics can provide insight. What are people searching for?
Goes back to information. They have questions. Your answers can help them make a decision.
Use what informs and answers to educate.
Use what informs and answers to educate.
Use what informs and answers to educate.
Use what informs and answers to educate.
Metadata may make you findable, alone it is not enough and always, it’s about long-term preservation over immediate traffic and sales.
Title tags Strength in accuracy.
“SEO can’t just be putting title tags on pages”
People come from anywhere and everywhere and take their own paths, you just have to make sure you have enough coverage and connection.
This is how you help your audiences see themselves in your content. This occurs when you really understand the customer or you know what they like on that channel and that’s what you give them.
The problem is you can be so opaque, you turned your window into a mirror. They don’t know what YOU to offer and they don’t know how to get it. They might vaguely know they like you, but they don’t think of you when it’s decision time.
Then you’ll be ready to add slices and scale your work.