data, context and content strategy
DESCRIPTION
Mapped's presentation from Confab 2011: The Content Strategy ConferenceTRANSCRIPT
M.
Data, context
& content strategy
M. mappedblog.comM.M.
Elizabeth McGuane Content Strategist, LBi London(@emcguane)
M.
Randall SnareContent Strategist, iQ Content, Dublin(@randallsnare)
A big part of strategy is the understanding and application of context
Context is the story behind the strategy
Data shows us a perspective of that story
ref Richard Nisbett, The Geography of Thought
AB
C
D
Which line is shortest?
ref Pete Lunn, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ_L-Gq7J6A
$127
$175
ref Pete Lunn, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ_L-Gq7J6A
$127
$175
$249ref Pete Lunn, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ_L-Gq7J6A
•What is data?
•How do we incorporate data into our work?
•How do we account for context?
M.
The five types of datawe’ll look at today
Analyticsdata
User testingdata
My so calleddata
Uselessdata
Metadata
A data-driven journey
Analyticsdata
User testingdata
My so calleddata
Uselessdata
Metadata
Analytics: search terms
M.
1%2%2%
6%
14%
23%
53%
Site search terms categories
Health ProductTools Product relatedClaims OtherVHI
health keywords, not product names
Context can be about relevance
M.
Analytics: navigation summaries
Context can be about potential
Analyticsdata
User testingdata
My so calleddata
Uselessdata
Metadata
User testing: testing content
When people read, do they understand?
The cloze test
We wanted to test:
•General comfort level with the text
•Difficulty with particular words or concepts
Tracker mortgages
With this type of __________, the interest rate tracks a __________ that is outside the __________ of the lender, such as the Bank of England base __________. Every time that rate goes up or __________, so does the interest rate on your __________.
Naturally, you will be better off __________ the interest rates __________ and your monthly __________ will be less. But, you should make sure your __________ will allow you to make __________ monthly payments if __________ rates were to go back up. Early __________ charges will sometimes __________ if you switch away from the __________ before the tracker deal period __________.
Tracker mortgages
With this type of __________, the interest rate tracks a __________ that is outside the __________ of the lender, such as the Bank of England base __________. Every time that rate goes up or __________, so does the interest rate on your __________.
Naturally, you will be better off __________ the interest rates __________ and your monthly __________ will be less. But, you should make sure your __________ will allow you to make __________ monthly payments if __________ rates were to go back up. Early __________ charges will sometimes __________ if you switch away from the __________ before the tracker deal period __________.
Naturally, you will be better off __________ the interest rates __________ and your monthly __________ will be less. But, you should make sure your __________ will allow you to make __________ monthly payments if __________ rates were to go back up. Early __________ charges will sometimes __________ if you switch away from the __________ before the tracker deal period __________.
•Nearly 90% (26/29) of respondents said: “Make sure your lender/bank will allow you to make up payments if interest rates were to go back up”.•Only 10% (3/29) got it right:
“Make sure your budget/income will allow you to make higher payments if interest rates were to go back up.
What the data revealed
•People’s assumptions about the product & the bank (or banks in general)
•If a key word was removed - in this case, the word ‘budget’ - they assumed the worst.
Paternal tone + association= the bank will take my house
Context can be about fear
Analyticsdata
User testingdata
My so calleddata
Uselessdata
Metadata
Metadata:keywords & information architecture
Why so meta?
•Metadata is a core part of content strategy
•It gives content:
•Longevity - because it supports information architecture
•Extensibility - as it connects content to the semantic web
When should data direct us?
A commercial art content strategy
Usability & findability
•We knew our browser titles needed keywords from our content audit & search data
•But we needed to be able to expand the site structure to include new prints - such as maps that weren’t based on typography
It’s about positioning
The solution
•Browser titles with broad headings that include important keywords in a short, meaningful string
•A flexible structure that has multiple categories for prints
The product, not the data, drives the content
•Metadata is more than a search tool - it needs to reflect the content, the business, and accommodate future plans
The data we generate matters
Context can be about the future
Analyticsdata
User testingdata
My so calleddata
Uselessdata
Metadata
Expert analysis: language
Tone descriptor Less like . . . More like . . .
Warm Subject to prior approval and satisfaction in full of specified criteria.
Make sure you get approval for the treatment before you have it done. We’ll outline all the criteria for elective treatments in your policy starter documents.
When you go on holiday or a business trip abroad, you're still covered. This means we'll cover €65,000 for the following:
•Emergency treatment you may need while you're abroad. Your trip abroad must be less than 180 days.•Elective treatment abroad (give us a call to check which treatments we cover)•Surgeries - ones that are available in Ireland and•Treatment not available in Ireland.
Make sure you get approval for any treatment or surgery before you get them done.
“
When you go on holiday or a business trip abroad, you're still covered. This means we'll cover €65,000 for the following:
•Emergency treatment you may need while you're abroad. Your trip abroad must be less than 180 days.•Elective treatment abroad (give us a call to check which treatments we cover)•Surgeries - ones that are available in Ireland and•Treatment not available in Ireland.
Make sure you get approval for any treatment or surgery before you get them done.
“When you go on holiday or a business trip abroad . . .
Context can be about repurposing
Data analysis:social listening
Data can reveal new ideas
= Creamy
Context isn’t alwaysabout your brand
Analyticsdata
User testingdata
My so calleddata
Uselessdata
Metadata
Useless data: To track or
not to track?
Context can be about ignoring what’s not important
The big contextual picture
M.
Strategic contexts
Customer contexts
Forrester customer types
Putting it together
Context on a small scale
M.
“Chicken” “Egg”
“Goat” “Ghost”
Putting data to work:
An exercise
The brief
You’re writing for a large cancer charity website.
They provide the latest research and support for those with cancer and people whose lives have been touched by cancer. The client has come to you asking for ‘fresh’ content for their website relaunch.
So: what content do you need?
What questions do you ask?
What would you ask: To find the story?To understand your readers’ context?
Where would you go to find the answers?
Why one type of data over another?
What different data types revealAnalytics: Look at search terms to see what topics people are looking for.
Social data: Do a listening audit to see what the wider world is concerned about around your subject.
User testing: Talk to real users of your site to see what’s missing and what’s valuable to them.
Location-based data: Look at cancer statistics in particular areas to focus your topics.
... and more
Context is about layering
Data itself isn’t the answerInsight is the answer
M. @mappedblogM.M.
@emcguane
M.
@randallsnare
Thanks!