If you have marshalled the resources and tools required to create your compelling content and presented them in an accessible format, it’s time to leverage those assets and allow your customers to enjoy the content experience. The value to organisations and benefits for users will soon become apparent.
Resources and tools may include, for example, style guidelines, a glossary or terminology database, tone of voice and brand guidelines and some great examples of customer-centric, relevant content. Also to be borne in mind is the fact that content will be consumed on multiple devices and, often, in several different languages.
The basic rules for creating content are straightforward and these involve taking into account the following creative elements:
- Expressing key messages consistently
- Getting your message – and call to action – across clearly
- Creating source content which can be translated easily
- Being consistent with the brand’s tone of voice
- Ensuring that an intuitive information architecture is in place
- And following the guidelines for different content types, for example, blogs, product descriptions and news stories
The result?
So, what does success look like? Customers will be able to make an informed decision about how they manage to achieve their goals by following a journey through the site and engaging with an organisation digitally. They will find it easier to complete a specific task using content which has been designed to be intuitive, has a consistent message and enables them to identify, not only ‘how’ to carry out a task, but also surfaces the ‘why’ your product or service is more engaging that that of any competitors.
The value to organisations is that they should be able to improve customer acquisition, engagement and retention. The benefits to users are that they are able to enjoy relevant, readable and findable content which offers integrity and continuity of experience and inspires trust in the brand.