how to work with content creators
TRANSCRIPT
How to Work With Content Creators
… And Not Be an Editing Jerk .
Presented by Noelle Schuck, Director of Content [email protected]
@noelleschuck
The editing jerk ...
Editors’ marked-up copy
45 Days
● Losing sight of the goals of content● Expecting immediate/clear ROI right away● Striving for perfection● Subjectivity
4 Common Editing Struggles
• Losing sight of the goals of content• Expecting immediate/clear ROI right away• Striving for perfection• Subjectivity
4 Common Editing Struggles
1. Brand awareness2. Lead generation3. Lead conversion4. Customer retention
4 Common Content Goals
● Set clear goals ● Add the goals to your content calendar● Add them to every draft ofyour content
ADVICE: Keep content goals within line of sight
● Losing sight of the goals of content● Expecting immediate/clear ROI right away● Striving for perfection● Subjectivity
4 Common Editing Struggles
“Content marketing is the art of providing relevant, useful content to your customers without selling or interrupting them.
Traditional media vs digital media mindsets
Traditional Media Social/Digital Media
One-way conversation, closed system, mass marketing
Two-way conversation, open system, one-to-one marketing
Opaque, controlled communication Transparent, unstructured communication
About me/us (organization), formal language About you (audience), informal language
Professional and polished content on paid channels
Brand- and user-generated, authentic and free content
Economic decision-making Community decision-making
Produced/scheduled Real-time creation
Top-down strategy, passive involvement Bottom-up strategy, active involvement
Source: Angela Hausman, Mkt Maven
Traditional media - All about me, me, me
“Long gone are the days of an old-fashioned key. You unlock and start the new cee’d using the Kia Smart Entry System*, a ‘smart key’ that can be kept in your pocket or bag …”
“... is easy with the 7in satnav touchscreen system… postcode recognition … Traffic Messaging Channel … adaptive xenon headlights … “
Digital media - all about you
Only brand mention
Audience-focused topics
“The problem with most content is that it is created for the boss. It isn’t created for the audience you are trying to reach, engage, and convert. So stop creating content that sells. Stop creating content no one will ever see.
-- Michael Brenner of Marketing Insider Group on CMI
● Non-branded content (wider audience, share-able, supports organic SEO, linkable)
● Calls to action (no sales pitch, relevant links, helpful, natural)● Be patient● Get to know your audience
ADVICE: Less “me” more “you”
● Conversational, not formal● Teaching, not preaching● Solving, not selling● Authentic, not rehearsed● Language, not jargon
No, we’re not saying you should dumb it down
But it’s worth it! Brandpoint analyzed organic traffic generated by clients who were new to content marketing and found: ● Breakeven = 9 months● 200% ROI = 36 months● 10 x lift in organic traffic by increasing overall content footprint
It’s a slow process. Slow. Very, very slow.
More content = more everything
Source: Hubspot
Companies that post more than 16 posts/month get 3.5x more traffic than companies that publish 0-4 posts per month.
● Losing sight of the goals of content● Expecting immediate/clear ROI right away● Striving for perfection● Subjectivity
4 Common Editing Struggles
Day 1: Assign to writer
Day 2-7: Writing
Day 7-9: Editing
Day 10-15: Client review
Day 15: Client didn’t like content and rewrote it
Day 17: Client call to discuss changes
Day 18-23: We revise content
Day 24-31: Client review - the director, C suite, legal
Day 31: Client misses deadline. Editing held up in C suite and legal
Day 35: Client sends back marked-up copy that looks like (next slide) ...
A “day” in the life of a piece of content
10 Days
8 Days
5 Days
12 Days
35 Days
Client marked-up copy
45 Days
● Set clear expectations up front
● Establish a clear workflow
● Eliminate bottlenecks (put writers in touch with editors, whether it’s the CEO, director or legal)
● Strive for “good enough”
ADVICE: Cut down editing process
● Real-time content
● Let go of the small stuff (Oxford comma? Your audience doesn’t care.)
● Use QC checklists
MORE ADVICE: Let go of the small stuff
● Losing sight of the goals of content● Expecting immediate/clear ROI right away● Striving for perfection● Subjectivity
4 Common Editing Struggles
Let’s agree …
Us You
Outdated statistics, facts X
Factual statements that are incorrect,
questionable or not properly sourced
X
Conflicts of interest, e.g. a reference to a
competitor, negatively reflects on client
X
Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors X
Incorrect branding or naming conventions X
Subjective improvements (see How to Edit
Your Agency’s Content one-sheet)
X
Words of wisdom
“ Perfectionism is the enemy of profitability.Mark Cuban
Done is better than perfect.Everyone at Vertical Measures
Progress, not perfection.Unknown Wise Person
● Shoot for 7s, 8s, and 9s. Perfect 10s are rare. (And, no one cares.)
● Digital content can be changed and removed as quickly as it can be published.
● Get rid of the traditional media mindset and adopt a digital media mindset (informal, authentic, real-time, bottom-up)
Words of wisdom ...
