The content inventory is the unsung hero of content strategy – it’s an invaluable tool for content planning, but few people want to hike that deep into forest. It can get scary out there. I'll admit it: creating a content inventory is monotonous work. But the value of...
If you want a successful content project, start with step one. Before the content launches, before the writing begins -- before anything, really -- start with content requirements. Content requirements can be simple. Sometimes called a content brief, the document's...
In Don't Make Me Think, an excellent book on usability basics, Steve Krug talks about a trunk test. The gist: if you were stuffed in the trunk of a car, moved to a location, and then let out of the trunk, could you figure out where you are? The idea in relation to Web...
I am attracted to the new, the exciting, the different. I assume you are, too. As a writer, writing the same old thing 50 different ways is not new or exciting. In fact, that’s writing at its most boring. But, in a lot of instances, readers find it more valuable than...
All writers have a grammar pet peeve list -- phrases and writing errors that really get under our skin. It's/its. Their/there. But I think there's a whole other list of web writing pet peeves, and one sits at the very top: click here. Click here, when used as link...
Over the weekend I had to explain what I do to someone who doesn't deal with content, and I found it a good exercise. Finding the right words to make foreign concepts relevant and doing it succinctly -- that's a hallmark of good content. I wear many hats, but the most...
For an existing site, one of the first things I recommend is a content assessment. This process involves evaluating the content on the page for clarity and comprehension, but also looking for what is missing. To do this, I have to think like a new user, but I also...
When it comes to web content, life begins after launch. Prelaunch is where all the excitement is: the ideas, the writing, the approvals. But once the content is launched and available to the world, are you ready for what comes next? Web content lives forever (or until...
Content creation is a multi-step process. Off the top of my head, I can think of these parts: Voice and tone: Who are you writing as? Voice and tone tells the reader a lot about the company or publication’s intent. Grammar and consistency: Content needs to obey the...