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Data, context

& content strategy

M. mappedblog.comM.M.

Elizabeth McGuane Content Strategist, LBi London(@emcguane)

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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Strategic contexts

Customer contexts

Forrester customer types

Putting it together

Context on a small scale

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“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

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@randallsnare

Thanks!