The science and art of content development

This article may cause some soul-searching amongst those who develop their own content. However, just as "oils ain't oils," a business-owner's view of the business relative to customer requirements may not satisfy the information needs of either existing or potential stakeholders.

DIY website development is fairly universal, due to the proliferation of free (or near free) software. One alternative for owners who are realistic enough to concentrate on their core operations and leave marketing communication to "professionals" is to engage a "web "designer" to develop the content along with the graphics. Unfortunately, while there are happy exceptions,many web designers are more skilled in visual appeal than with the relevance of the content and the way it is structured.

The psychology of marketing

Marketing itself is a frequently misunderstood term, with many believing it is merely an alternative term for "sales." Actually, the functions are very different.

The fundamental basis of effective marketing is understanding and catering to the psychology of the stakeholders. https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2018/07/psychological-insights-marketing/ offers one of the better no-nonsense, practical outlines of the subject.

If a business has only one stakeholder group, it can be fairly simple, but in most situations there may be several, each with differing interests and needs, so there is therefore a need to understand and apply the underlying psychological principles when communicating with each stakeholder group. It is no simple task to accommodate the needs and mindset of the various sub-groups but to be effective, this must be done, even if it means developing separate communication channels to do so.

UX design is now the commonly accepted term to define the relationship between a product/service and the user experience:

“No product is an island. A product is more than the product. It is a cohesive, integrated set of experiences. Think through all of the stages of a product or service – from initial intentions through final reflections, from first usage to help, service, and maintenance. Make them all work together seamlessly.”

— Don Norman, inventor of the term “User Experience”

Because stakeholders come in all shapes, sizes and mindsets. Their characteristics, information-needs and how each will respond to that information is critical.

Potential customers might seem to be the most obvious group of stakeholders. However, these probably fall into several sub-groups, each requiring specific information and style of communication to assist their decision-making.
Existing customers are another key group of stakeholders and what they already know should never be taken for granted. It is important not to patronize them, but also to offer new insights that will not only keep them loyal and possibly seeking additional products/services that you can provide.
Shareholders, bankers and other financiers should be carefully nurtured to retain their support. They want hard information, far more than slick graphics and generalised blurb.
Employees are stakeholders too and well-constructed website content has the potential to become a valuable source of information to help them in their work and sustain pride in their employer. The associated benefit is that what they see will be the "authorised" version of information and not something they invented themselves or picked up, distortions and all, from others. The primary website may suffice to communicate with internal staff, but an Intranet should also be considered because it can be the medium for greater details about company culture, methods and user interaction.

Adopting these guidelines may make all the difference between developing effective content and something that might even be potentially detrimental.

The DIY content development model

Developing that theme further, if the basis of effective communication is understanding and embracing the mindset of various stakeholders then developing effective solutions gets quite complex.

Even good writing skills, logic, organisation of information play their part in achieving the desired outcomes. Getting the "tone" right will also be important. Each stakeholder wants information in a way that resonates with their patricular mindset. Structuring the information to promote intuitive navigation through the information should allow each recipient to "drill down" seamlessly to whatever is of interest and to whatever degree of detail is relevant.

Although the owners/managers within the business will certainly have the best knowledge of their products, services, supporting infrastructure and so on, the question remains whether they perceive these elements as the "outsider" perceives them . Also, do they really have the experience and skills to communicate the features and benefits effectively?

"In many closed communities . . . ideas tend to be very inbred.
An outsider who can offer a fresh point of view may stimulate new ideas"
Edward de Bono " The use of lateral thinking

The "website designer"model

Without question, there are many excellent web designers who can and do create good content. However,much depends not just on the quality of the brief from the client but also on first-hand knowledge of the category.This is especially true of industrial and technical markets. Not only can there be specific terms with precise meanings within each category, but the mindset of users within each will also vary considerably.

For example, it is notoriously difficult to influence tradespersons to embrace new products and/or techniques and this is understandable because their livlihood depends upon getting the job right first time. There is little room for experimentation. In such situations personal experience, peer group acceptance and referrals are usually more effective than blurb.Therefore, the communication process via a website needs to be crafted in very specific terms to induce positive influence

A website designer may be truly proficient at content creation in certain categories, but skills are not routinely transferable unless there is relevant experience in the client's market.

Enter the professional content specialist

The answer could be to adopt the same criteria as defined above, namely

Look for experience and skill in content development within a market category that broadly mirrors your own.
Find a content developer who understands and practises effective information-management, including how to structure that information to facilitate intuitive navigation.
Allow your developer to question your ideas, also request and/or create new information material (like charts, tables, etc to illustrate key points).

Finally, a plug for our services

Please consider the various issues described in this article and if OUR services and methods meet your needs. Please CONTACT US for a FREE initial discussion.