Content is one of the teams or departments that no one quite knows what to do with.
We know who we are, what we do and the value we add, but it seems not all do.
A few years ago Marketing Week kept banging on about content marketing as a cheaper alternative to buying media space, so a lot of businesses think that’s where it sits.
So I’m here to help you with that; it doesn’t.
It’s user experience.
The minute you use content as a marketing tool is the moment the integrity of your user experience is eroded.
I can hear you sucking in your breath but I said what I said.
The reason being is that marketing and user experience are diametrically opposed.
Let me explain.
Marketing chases trading numbers, incremental uplifts and, dare I say it, vanity metrics - impressions isn’t an accurate measure of how good your content/ad is – using audience demographics.
It relies on shapes, colours and a clever pithy one-liner to grab the attention of the distracted and tuned-out-of-marketing-noise people on the web or waiting for a bus in order to build desire.
As American writer, John Lahr, once said, “Society drives people crazy with lust and calls it advertising”.
Marketing is disposable, moving quickly to meet short term business KPIs by targeting customers who have a high propensity to convert.
Content is a long-term, indirect play. Building one-to-one relationships with customers and prospects, being there when they have a specific needs whether that’s information, help, guidance, entertainment, inspiration and product/service using behavioural science and long-form storytelling.
To do this we look at qualitative research as well as quantitative to see how people are behaving or interacting with the site/content. We need to know people’s triggers and barriers to entry, we need to map out journeys so the experience is seamless, consistent and aids decision making. We weave in CRO to pick up where SEO leaves off. And we optimise each page for search and accessibility.
We chase value metrics like click-through-rates, dwell times, bounce rates, how long it takes to get from entry point A to desired point B, ROI and customer-led activity versus product-led activity.
Content isn’t targeted, it’s always-on, ready to be discovered as and when people have the need. And what’s there should appeal to your target audience because they see themselves in it.
It shouldn’t be cluttering a website with one-off stand-alone articles designed for a specific purpose for a niche audience driven by an idea someone had in a meeting.
Content is intrinsically and intimately linked to UX design because they’re about engineering an experience. Both using identical methodologies to help customers achieve their objectives.
As usability guru, Jared Spool, once said “our users don’t separate our design from our content. They think of them as the same. So why don’t we?”.
Content and UX (who I’ll collectively – and obnoxiously – call Experience Architects) are the engine room of a business as they’re responsible for frictionless buying, fulfilment and self-service journeys, they disseminate customer-led content that has next-best-actions seamlessly embedded within the journey, they’re at the heart of the research which will show opportunities and gaps for innovation, creatively find solutions to problems and are accountable for every element of the digital estate.
Because I never waited to be served an ad to buy a sofa. And I never sat expectantly for a call to replace my windows. When I want something, I go to Google. And Google should send me to you.
And you should make my life better by giving what I want quickly and easily… No pressure.
Okay, I see you in the room, elephant. While Experience Architects can put lipstick on a pig, they can’t hide it’s a pig. The product IS the business because… well, let’s hear it from the experts:
“Don’t find customers for your product. Finds products for your customers.” - Seth Godin
“If dogs don’t like your dog food, the packaging doesn’t matter.” – Stephen Denny
“Give them quality. That’s the best kind of advertising.” – Milton Hershey (ironically)
And not to forget ops and customer service because if people can’t get the product they want and the aftercare they need then a sexy website or app is just wallpapering over a very weak business model.
