Technical Communication and Web Content Strategy
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The document discusses the importance of content strategy for technical communicators, emphasizing its role in improving web content quality. It critiques existing processes that focus too much on design and technology, neglecting content creation until after site launch, and proposes a more integrated approach involving content planning and governance. Additionally, it highlights the skills and responsibilities of content strategists, such as collaboration and aligning content with business goals.
![WHAT DOES WRITING
HAVE TO DO WITH IT?
“Most of the content on the web is text.
Text instructs, guides, informs, confirms,
communicates, connects. [Text] is the most
complex kind of content to produce, and
it’s the easiest to lose control of.”
Kristina Halvorson
Content Strategy for the Web](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/presentation-101205214004-phpapp01/85/Technical-Communication-and-Web-Content-Strategy-4-320.jpg)
Technical Communication and Web Content Strategy
- 1. Technical Communication + Web Content Strategy
- 2. http://content-strategy.meetup.com/ Content strategy is an emerging discipline, one that technical communicators should be aware of.
- 3. WHAT IS CONTENT STRATEGY? “Content strategy is about publishing.” – Erin Kissane "Content strategy is to copywriting as information architecture is to design.” – Rachel Lovinger "Ultimately the content strategist’s central question is this: what strategies can I implement to improve the content?” – Tom Johnson Still wondering?
- 4. WHAT DOES WRITING HAVE TO DO WITH IT? “Most of the content on the web is text. Text instructs, guides, informs, confirms, communicates, connects. [Text] is the most complex kind of content to produce, and it’s the easiest to lose control of.” Kristina Halvorson Content Strategy for the Web
- 5. WE CAN DO BETTER. “Ever wonder why so many websites feature dense, unreadable prose? Force you to navigate through pages of brochure copy and legalese? Look like they backed up a truck full of PDFs and dumped them in the content management system?” Karen McGrane "Content Strategy for Everyone (Even You)”, Interactions
- 6. The existing process is flawed. Most web projects start with design and functionality, leaving actual content for subject matter experts to take care of. Planning is focused on the launch of a web site, not on the life of a web site. Even the most brilliantly written/designed content can be lost if it does not fit the delivery vehicle.
- 8. CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS A Web Content Management System (WCMS) is a software system which provides website authoring and administration tools designed to allow users with little knowledge of web programming languages or markup languages to create and manage the site's content with relative ease. wikipedia.org Confused? Think of it like this …
- 9. When things are difficult …
- 10. … technology makes things easier.
- 11. Starting a website used to be difficult. Design Coding Hosting Writing
- 12. “Webmasters” required many tools in order to design, code, and deploy a site.
- 13. Content management systems put all these tasks behind a user-friendly interface. Hosting Coding Design Writing CMS
- 14. Now anyone can publish on the web.
- 15. (Anyone.)
- 16. Businesses quickly adopted the CMS model. Web teams can package an empty website template (design + code) and quickly hand it over to subject matter experts. The subject matter experts use the simple CMS entry tools to add content (no code or design skills required). There was increased site consistency (branding) and sites could be updated often. Everyone was happy.
- 17. Except…
- 18. mostly The content was crap.
- 19. Many web projects follow this process. • Layout • Visual Branding • Coding (HTML, CSS, Javascript) • Testing • Content Management System • Maintenance & Optimization
- 20. Experienced web teams use a more formal process. • Goals & Requirements • Audience & Purpose • Information Architecture • Site Map • Layout • Visual Branding • Coding (HTML, CSS, Javascript) • Testing • Content Management System (CMS) • Maintenance & Optimization
- 21. When did we write all this important text? • Goals & Requirements Discovery • Audience & Purpose • Information Architecture Structure • Site Map • Layout Design • Visual Branding • Coding (HTML, CSS, Javascript) Development • Testing • Content Management System (CMS) Delivery • Maintenance & Optimization Right before the site launch.
- 22. A CMS reinforces the existing process. A CMS with a functional design template is handed off to the site owners as a packaged product. Discover Design Develop Deliver All the “work” is focused on building the tool, not what goes into the tool.
- 23. Content strategists suggest a new process. • Audit existing content, Analyze, and Plan for the Creation, Delivery, and Governance of content • Information Architecture • Site Map • Content Management System • Content Creation and Delivery (into CMS) • Layout • Visual Branding • Coding (HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc.) • Testing • Maintenance & Optimization • Content Governance (Lifecycle)
- 24. WHY WILL TECHNICAL COMMUNICATORS MAKE GREAT CONTENT STRATEGISTS? “Content strategy is clearly gaining momentum as a discipline alongside other disciplines related to tech comm, such as content management, information architecture, usability, and information design.” Tom Johnson I’d Rather Be Writing (idratherbewriting.com)
- 25. Web content often uses three rhetorical modes. Inform Engage Persuade
- 26. Technical communicators can apply rhetorical principles to creating web content that is Clear Appealing Actionable
- 27. This semester, we surveyed the following topics. Collaboration with local experts Discovery of organizational culture Document design Analysis of audience and usability Ethics of persuading readers to action/acceptance Editing for clarity (“less is often more”)
- 28. Important abilities of a content strategist include Collaborating with stakeholders Listening to content owners Auditing existing content Asking “Who cares?” and “Why?” Tying content to business objectives and user tasks Implementing editorial calendars
- 29. THE BOTTOM LINE. “We are learning how to be thoughtful and effective communicators. Becoming a content strategist would also let us plan and control the entire lifecycle of any content we create: how it is used, changed, and retired.” daniel spillers
- 30. DANIEL SPILLERS [email protected] @almostdaniel almostdaniel.com University of Arkansas at Little Rock