30+ little tips to improve your content
TRANSCRIPT
A Portent U thing By Ian - @portentint
30 (or so) things to make your content better
DISCLAIMERS AND STUFF
LINK AT THE END
Got questions? Ask ‘em here Or tweet @portentint with the hashtag #portentu
I’ll answer at the end
ALL TACTICAL
I WILL NOT USE THE WORD ‘STRATEGY’
i’ll stop saying it when we
start doing it
there’s so much content fighting for attention…
“be unique” just won’t do it.
THESE ARE THE LITTLE THINGS THAT BOOST YOUR CONTENT
1. It’s all content
3E6699Content = Any communications
Yup. Content.
2. Remember content is a product
My first investment with you is time
3E6699You must deliver in return
3E6699That’s what this is all about
3. Remember the ripple effect
PAID EARNED OWNED
CONTENT
ANALYTICS
INFRASTRUCTURE
CoolsocialiconsfromAzmidh5p://portent.co/1Sxb6EP
The ripple effect
$
CoolsocialiconsfromAzmidh5p://portent.co/1Sxb6EP
The ripple effect
$
CoolsocialiconsfromAzmidh5p://portent.co/1Sxb6EP
The ripple effect
$
CoolsocialiconsfromAzmidh5p://portent.co/1Sxb6EP
The ripple effect
$
CoolsocialiconsfromAzmidh5p://portent.co/1Sxb6EP
The ripple effect
$
CoolsocialiconsfromAzmidh5p://portent.co/1Sxb6EP
The ripple effect
$
CoolsocialiconsfromAzmidh5p://portent.co/1Sxb6EP
The ripple effect
$
3E6699Content always generates more content
Grammar and writing
3E6699
You are not James Joyce
PublicDomain,h5ps://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2379544
Thank the gods
4. Edit
My process
Read forwards
Read backwards, a paragraph at a time
Read backwards, a sentence at a time
Read backwards, a word at a time
Get someone else to read it
i’d freak out, except I
know Ian never gets to do it
this way.
here are some tools, instead
Grammarly
3E6699Wordy.com (proceed with caution)
3E6699Think it’s just for blog posts?
CREDIT: ZEKE MILLER, TIME REPORTER
Think again
5. Brevitimate (Be concise)
Hemingwayapp.com
6. Reduce the adverbs. Literally.
3E6699
I am emphatically opposed to painfully overusing adverbs. They make it really hard to read even the most carefully written text.
3E6699
I am opposed to overusing adverbs. They make it hard to read even the most carefully written text.
7. Learn to use commas
3E6699
Our planes have great restrooms flight attendants and seats.
3E6699
Our planes have great restrooms, flight attendants, and seats.
8. Use active voice
3E6699
The house was painted by me.
I don’t think my writing is liked
by all.
3E6699
I painted the damned house.
If you did it, just say so.
9. Know how to use : and ;
3E6699
The first places they looked were bare; there wasn’t anything in them.
3E6699
Learn these skills: HTML CSS PDQ AOK
10. Eliminate plague words
3E6699
end result result indeed omit regardless omit simply put omit obviously omit beyond a shadow of a doubt definitely
http://portent.co/plague-wordz
3E6699under no circumstances never
Learn a little formatting (and) HTML
3E66991960 called. They want their skill set back.
3E6699
Hi jane. can you do the layout
for this blog post…
can you just learn what a
#**!!paragraph tag is
already?!!!
11. No more than 4-5 lines/paragraph
12. <p>, not <br /><br />
Bad
Good
Better formatting in most templates
Better for later redesigns
Greater versatility
13. <h>, not <strong>
Bad
Good
Better formatting in most templates
Better for later redesigns
Greater versatility
14. No more than 13-15 words/line
Terrifying
Easier to read
3E6699(May require a little design time)
3E6699(But at least you can ask)
15. 3-5 paragraphs between headings
16. Use real lists
Bad
Good
17. Use smart quotes
To get this smart quote Type single right quote ’ single left quote ‘ double right quote ” double left quote “
Bad
Good
Aaaahhhhh
18. Use the other entities
ellipsis … & (ampersand) & em dash — en dash –
19. Don’t be afraid to point
3E6699
One writes better when one gives the audience their personal attention.
3E6699
You’ll write better when you give the audience your personal attention.
3E6699
Sites perform better.
Your site performs better.
Visuals
how ya like this visual, huh?
20. Don’t use stock photos
3E6699You know it’s a stock photo if…
Identical water levels
Five happy people in a meeting
Why Is she laughing?!!!!
21. If you must use a stock photo
3E6699…do something with it
buuuuuurppp
castle ain’t what it used to be. i’m crying in
side.
22. Don’t use images as white space. They’re content.
3E6699Images should have a purpose
3E6699(feature images may just get attention)
(feature images may just get attention)
(and some are too good to pass up)
23. Compress images
700kb png 64kb jpg
1.1 megabytes
227kb
Imageoptim (mac) ww.imageoptim.com
3E6699On the PC, try Caesium
www.saerasoft.com/caesium
3E6699I will stop saying it when we all start doing it
Conversations
24. Comment on posts in social media
25. Answer comments in social media.
26. Answer comments on the blog.
CoolsocialiconsfromAzmidh5p://portent.co/1Sxb6EP
The ripple effect
$
General tips
27. Link when it makes sense
3E6699
This is the best dang bicycle you’ll ever ride. It pedals itself, but somehow burns calories at the same time! And it has a built-in umbrella! We wrote about the Capybara 200 and said it was the best. But it’s not. The Pangolin wins. As reported by Bicycling Magazine.
3E6699
This is the best dang bicycle you’ll ever ride. It pedals itself, but somehow burns calories at the same time! And it has a built-in umbrella! We wrote about the Capybara 200 and said it was the best. But it’s not. The Pangolin wins. As reported by Bicycling Magazine.
3E6699Don’t ask:
“How many links?”
3E6699Ask:
“Will someone click this?”
28. Avoid the ‘duh’
3E6699
We’ve all done this.
3E6699
“Content is really important”
3E6699
Just delete it.
29. Avoid the bandwagon
3E6699
Blog post the blog posts of the blog so we get more posts with keywords oh and how about the blog posts please with some more blog posts. Thanks for all those blog posts.
3E6699
Infographics OMG Infographics!!!!!!
30. Remember: There are other formats (and places)
3E6699
Slideshare Vine
Instagram Scribd Kindle Audio
3E6699
Medium LinkedIn Pulse
Quora Reddit
Why publish elsewhere?
My audience
Their audience
1 PIECE OF CONTENT IMPACTS EVERYTHING
PAID EARNED OWNED
CONTENT
ANALYTICS
INFRASTRUCTURE
CoolsocialiconsfromAzmidh5p://portent.co/1Sxb6EP
The ripple effect
$
WE GET TO DO ALL THIS 1/100 TIMES
31. Remember: 10x content doesn’t mean 10x effort
32. Ship it
[email protected] @portentint Slides & links www.portent.co/30littlethings
Small, unmarked bills, please