Justin Stowell covers good principles to consider in adapting or creating content for the web.

1. WRITING FOR THE WEB
Justin Stowell

2. • Usability
• Digital Content Best Practices
• Shareability
• Creating Shareable Content
• Your Audience

3. UNDERSTANDING CONTENT
ON THE WEB

4. Usability is the ease of use of a website.
Some broad goals of usability are the presentation
of information and choices in a clear and concise
way, a lack of ambiguity and the placement of
important items in appropriate areas.
Basic Usability

5. Basic Usability
F-Shaped Reading Pattern

6. Basic Usability
F-Shaped Reading Pattern
• Headline & Image vitally important
• First two sentences–especially the first two
words matter most!
• Sub-headings and pull quotes can keep them
on the page
• Mobile–what they see at first load and swipe

7. Basic Usability
Make it Scannable
• Users on average read 20% of text on a page

8. Basic Usability
Don’t Crowd It
• Cutting half the words on a page increases
usability 58%

9. WHAT CAN YOU DO IN NINE SECONDS
OR LESS TO GRAB THEIR ATTENTION?

10. DIGITAL CONTENT
BEST PRACTICES

11. Digital Content Best Practices
Length
• Default to 500-750 words
• Specialized content could be more
• Users can read 200 words per minute
• Use this with your time on page stats
• Break paragraphs into two sentences

12. Digital Content Best Practices
What to do with Long Articles?
• Could it be a series of articles?

13. Digital Content Best Practices
What to do with Long Articles?
• Could you make a paragraph into a list?

14. Digital Content Best Practices
What to do with Long Articles?
• Could it be an infographic?

15. Digital Content Best Practices
What to do with Long Articles?
• Different content for different platforms
• Think about all of your channels
• Different angles of the same story?
• Written to two different users (personas)

16. Digital Content Best Practices
Imagery
• Visual wins–you need an image!
• People-centric
• Intriguing and personal
• Clear (not grainy)

17. Digital Content Best Practices
Headlines
• 6 words or less
• Stand out in search, entice to read more
• Deliver what you promise–be clear
• Numeric lists like “The 10 Best…”
• Promises concise and authoritative content
• Teasing titles- Clear but intriguing

18. Digital Content Best Practices
Other
• Bulleted lists
• Pull quotes with intriguing words
• End with a call to action
• Additional videos and images when possible
• No dead-ends
• Social media has to be part of the process–
from the start!

19. “More content is being created in 48 hours than what
was produced from the beginning of time until 2003.”
Eric Schmidt
Content Overload

20. • The problem is content saturation, how do you
stand out?
• Just creating new content isn’t enough, it has to
be engaging
Content Overload

21. THE KEY TO DIGITAL
CONTENT IS
“SHAREABILITY”

22. WHY DO USERS SHARE?

23. To bring valuable and entertaining content to others
94%
carefully consider
how the
information they
share will be useful
to the recipient
[I share] to enrich
the lives of those
around me.
- Immersion
participant, female
49%
say sharing allows
them to inform
others of products
they care about and
potentially change
opinions or
encourage action

24. I try to share only
information that will reinforce
the image I’d like to present:
thoughtful, reasoned, kind,
interested and passionate
about certain things.
To define ourselves to others
68%
share to give
people a better
sense of who they
are and what
they care about
- Deprivation participant, male

25. To grow and nourish our relationships
I miss the companionship and
conversations on Facebook.
I feel like I’m probably missing
out on some things without the
connection.
- Deprivation participant, male
78%
share information
online because it lets
them stay connected
to people they may
not otherwise stay
in touch with
73%
share information
because it helps
them connect with
others who share
their interests

26. Self-fulfillment
69%
share
information
because it allows
them to feel more
involved in the world
I enjoy getting comments
that I sent great information
and that my friends will forward
it to their friends because
it’s so helpful. It
makes me feel valuable.
- Ethnography participant, female

27. To get the word out about causes or brands
I forwarded an article
about Proposition B to
Everyone in my union. I
wanted them to learn about
the issue and rally against it.
- Ethnography participant, male
84%
share because
it is a way to support
causes or issues they
care about

28. WHAT MAKES CONTENT
SHAREABLE?

29. What Makes Content Shareable?
It’s Timely

30. What Makes Content Shareable?
It’s Relevant

31. What Makes Content Shareable?
Catchy Title

32. What Makes Content Shareable?
Catchy Image

33. What Makes Content Shareable?
Unique Topic

34. What Makes Content Shareable?
Unique Angle

35. What Makes Content Shareable?
Learn Something Quickly

36. What Makes Content Shareable?
Self Analysis

37. What Makes Content Shareable?
“That’s Me!”

38. What Makes Content Shareable?
Audience Specificity

39. QUESTIONS FOR CREATING
SHAREABLE CONTENT

40. • Would I read this?
• Would I share this?
• How does this add value for our audience?
• How will this help or entertain them?
• Why will they share it?
Questions for Creating Shareable Content

41. Questions for Creating Shareable Content
• What is the unique perspective?
• Is this content useful?
• Are readers able to do something better?
• Are readers entertained? Educated?
What keeps your readers up at
night, and how can you help?

42. Creating Shareable Content
• Social can be your biggest driver of views
• Optimize for each social platform
• Use all of your media assets
• Reward your biggest fans with unique angles
• “Snackable” content
• What can they share that would touch on the
sharing motivations?

43. WHAT DOES YOUR AUDIENCE
WANT OR NEED?

44. Identifying Your Audience
How to Find Your Audience
• Analytics
• Where visitors came from, keywords, how
long they spent on site
• Customer service interactions
• Social media listening
• Your platforms, hashtags
• Surveys and interviews
• Focus groups

45. • Top 20 search words/terms of your audience
• What are the 10 topics of interest to them?
• Who are the influencers of your audience?
• What’s the latest news in that world?
• Social Media Listening- Real time view into
your audience’s head
Identifying Your Audience

46. Identifying Your Audience
Personas
Personas are fictional representations of your
ideal readers. They help you identify who you
are writing to and planning content for.
• Who are they?
• What do they need most?
• What information are they searching for?
• What action would you like them to take?

47. Identifying Your Audience
Personas
• Name
• Demographic info
• Job title/Role
• Pains
• Needs
*Check out Lieze Langford’s session for
more on creating personas

48. Get Started!

49. Get Started!

50. Questions?

51. Take your five most recent pieces of content
and rework them for the web. Think about:
Length, formatting, links, imagery, new assets
to pull in, etc.
Action Step