Content: how to make it work for you Madeleine Sugden Content Manager www.knowhownonprofit.org

What is web content for? Proof of existence – ‘about us’ Help people do / learn something Encourage action / change behaviour

Proof of existence – ‘about us’

Help people do / learn something

Encourage action / change behaviour

5 questions Five things to think about to help you make the most out of your content….

Five things to think about to help you make the most out of your content….

1. Audience Who are you talking to? Are you using the right language? How do you know what they want?

Who are you talking to?

Are you using the right language?

How do you know what they want?

Eg1 Spinal Research Who is this information for? Audience unclear

Who is this information for?

Audience unclear

Eg2 Alzheimer Scotland Written very precisely for particular audience Information presented clearly, not alarmist or patronising.

Written very precisely for particular audience

Information presented clearly, not alarmist or patronising.

Eg3 Working with Men Online questionnaire to find out opinions on the website from the users

Online questionnaire to find out opinions on the website from the users

Eg4 Friends of the Earth Sharing the results of a previous survey Keeping audience informed of views and changed that will be made Really good content – clearly in touch with audience (eg Pub Ammo)

Sharing the results of a previous survey

Keeping audience informed of views and changed that will be made

Really good content – clearly in touch with audience (eg Pub Ammo)

2. Presentation Are you helping skim reading? Are you writing for the web? Are you giving too much information? How are you using images? Is it accessible? Are you encouraging people to read on?

Are you helping skim reading?

Are you writing for the web?

Are you giving too much information?

How are you using images?

Is it accessible?

Are you encouraging people to read on?

Eg5 Birmingham Settlement Lots of information here Not easy to skim read Simple to improve by adding headings to each section

Lots of information here

Not easy to skim read

Simple to improve by adding headings to each section

Eg6 British Heart Foundation Really well presented Good, clear headings Short bulleted lists Images to bring to life Written for the audience

Really well presented

Good, clear headings

Short bulleted lists

Images to bring to life

Written for the audience

Eg7 Arthritis Research Campaign Very detailed information of their activities Good to have pie chart but what does it all mean (£1.2m spent on education)? Paragraphs are complicated and long What was the impact on people?

Very detailed information of their activities

Good to have pie chart but what does it all mean (£1.2m spent on education)?

Paragraphs are complicated and long

What was the impact on people?

Eg8 Break Shows the impact on people Bullet points make it easier to read Could have enhanced further with stories about real people

Shows the impact on people

Bullet points make it easier to read

Could have enhanced further with stories about real people

Eg9 WISH Homepage of website Too much text! Confusing image Big story from 2007

Homepage of website

Too much text!

Confusing image

Big story from 2007

Eg10 Kids Company Very strong image

Very strong image

3. Medium Content isn’t just printed words Are you using the best format? Are you using audio / video? Is it interesting / fun?

Content isn’t just printed words

Are you using the best format?

Are you using audio / video?

Is it interesting / fun?

Eg11 Sight Saver Lovely story of Kelvin presented as text Great picture But told from the perspective of Sight Savers What could be added to make it more personal?

Lovely story of Kelvin presented as text

Great picture

But told from the perspective of Sight Savers

What could be added to make it more personal?

Eg12 Macmillan Karen telling her own story Quite a long clip but very engaging

Karen telling her own story

Quite a long clip but very engaging

Eg13 Action for Prisoners’ Families Audio story Do the words introducing Nancy’s story make you want to listen? Have to work to listen to it as the play button is somewhere else on the page You have to work to bring people in and not expect them to work to engage

Audio story

Do the words introducing Nancy’s story make you want to listen?

Have to work to listen to it as the play button is somewhere else on the page

You have to work to bring people in and not expect them to work to engage

Eg14 World Service Trust Series of podcasts Uses good words and images to draw you in

Series of podcasts

Uses good words and images to draw you in

Eg15 Food4Thought British Heart Foundation – healthy eating game Its fun and engaging! Gets the message across without being patronising

British Heart Foundation – healthy eating game

Its fun and engaging!

Gets the message across without being patronising

Eg16 Stuff4Sam Hi Sam messages sent from across the world Fun way of connecting with audience / S4S community

Hi Sam messages sent from across the world

Fun way of connecting with audience / S4S community

4. Marketing Help people find your site Search engines Use all channels Integrate on and offline activities

Help people find your site

Search engines

Use all channels

Integrate on and offline activities

Eg17 Google search for depression Search finds no charities in top 10 Mental health charities could take steps to change this (eg pay for keywords, use the word depression more clearly on their sites, include the word in metadata, encourage people to link to them in connection with this word)

Search finds no charities in top 10

Mental health charities could take steps to change this (eg pay for keywords, use the word depression more clearly on their sites, include the word in metadata, encourage people to link to them in connection with this word)

Eg18 Dogs Trust We’re on Facebook! Keeping supporters connected in ways that work for them

We’re on Facebook!

Keeping supporters connected in ways that work for them

Eg19 Action for Children Great online material (images, blog, video) matching strength of print campaign Campaign hard to find though – search for Nicola finds nothing related Big spend on campaign but make sure people can find it online

Great online material (images, blog, video) matching strength of print campaign

Campaign hard to find though – search for Nicola finds nothing related

Big spend on campaign but make sure people can find it online

5. Influence From passive users to active users to super active users… Make it easy to interact / take action Influence windows

From passive users to active users to super active users…

Make it easy to interact / take action

Influence windows

Eg20 Islamic Relief This is what we do - bullet points / case studies At the bottom of the page, click button to donate now Make it easy! People are caring enough to read, help them to take action – don’t make them have to search for next steps.

This is what we do - bullet points / case studies

At the bottom of the page, click button to donate now

Make it easy! People are caring enough to read, help them to take action – don’t make them have to search for next steps.

Eg21 RSPB – Bird watch Engaging text explaining why you should get involved It’s fun!

Engaging text explaining why you should get involved

It’s fun!

Eg22 Breast Cancer Care Excellent connection between content and discussions Saying that we don’t have all the answers – talk to other people / read what they have to say

Excellent connection between content and discussions

Saying that we don’t have all the answers – talk to other people / read what they have to say

Eg23 Save Darfur Lots of ways to get involved Making it easy to do something

Lots of ways to get involved

Making it easy to do something

Eg24 Plane Stupid People want to engage – don’t apologise for it! Once they have engaged (in this case signed up for newsletter) tell them about other things they can do. Make them feel part of your work

People want to engage – don’t apologise for it!

Once they have engaged (in this case signed up for newsletter) tell them about other things they can do. Make them feel part of your work

Eg25 Oxfam Add a donation included in shop More likely to add donation at this point Oxfam are making it easy

Add a donation included in shop

More likely to add donation at this point

Oxfam are making it easy

5 questions - PAMMI P resentation A udience M edium M arketing I nfluence

P resentation

A udience

M edium

M arketing

I nfluence

Madeleine Sugden Content Manager KnowHow NonProfit www.knowhownonprofit.org