do you really need a blog (and other important questions)
Post on 17-Jun-2015
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DO YOU REALLY NEED A BLOG? AND OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Natalie Semczuk
@talkanatalka
WordCamp Saratoga
Great question.
WHO THE HECK AM I
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PROJECT MANAGER, FORMER DESIGNER, CLIENT ADVISER, WORDPRESS USER
I AM A
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THROUGHOUT PROJECTS I’VE LEARNED….
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MOST PEOPLE AREN’T WEB EXPERTS
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MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME TO INVEST IN WEBSITES
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MOST PEOPLE THINK THEY NEED TO LEARN AND DO EVERYTHING
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Site mapping, content suggestions, sketches
MOST PROJECT KICKOFFS LOOK LIKE THIS
IN AN IDEAL WORLD, EVERYTHING IS PERFECT
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EVERY PIECE OF CONTENT WILL BE PRODUCED
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SITES WILL BE ON BUDGET
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SITE LAUNCHES WILL BE ON TIME
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BLOGS WILL ALWAYS HAVE FRESH CONTENT
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IN REALITY….NOT SO MUCH
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COMMON PROJECT PROBLEMS…
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OVER BUDGET
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LATE LAUNCH
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OUT OF SCOPE FUNCTIONALITY
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OVERPROMISING FUNCTIONALITY
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UNEXPECTED STAKEHOLDER CHANGES
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LACK OF CONTENT
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NO PROJECT MAINTENANCE PLAN
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COMMON PROJECT PROBLEMS… OVER BUDGET
LATE LAUNCH
OUT OF SCOPE FUNCTIONALITY
OVERPROMISING FUNCTIONALITY
UNEXPECTED STAKEHOLDER CHANGES
LACK OF CONTENT
NO PROJECT MAINTENANCE PLAN
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QUESTION EVERYTHING
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YOU DON’T NEED IT ALL
WHEN IT COMES TO WEBSITES
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YOUR PROJECT PLAN LOOKS NICE BUT…
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WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF THE SITE?
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WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE SITE?
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IS THERE A BETTER (EASIER) WAY FOR THIS INFO?
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WHAT IS THE PROJECT MAINTENANCE PLAN?
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WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF THE SITE?
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COMMUNICATION INFORMATION
• Contact info
• Business hours
• About
• Careers
• Team
• Expert info
• News
VISUALS
• Photo galleries
• Examples of work
• Instructional videos
• Entertainment
• Expert infographics
• About
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ECOMMERCE • Purchase products for self
• Purchase products for gifts
• Purchase services
• Resell items
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ESTABLISH EXPERTISE IN AN AREA • Blog posts
• Infographics
• How To videos
• Interviews
• Testimonials
• Certifications
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SHARE OTHERS’ CONTENT • Show how customers use your products
• Curate events or blog posts on a topic
• Consolidate discussions on a single topic
• Curate interviews or expert articles on a subject
• Share news on a specific topic or location
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WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE SITE?
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WHAT SHOULD VISITORS BE ABLE TO DO?
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SEARCH FOR CONTENT?
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SEE BUSINESS HOURS OR MAPS?
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CONTACT FOR A QUOTE OR MORE INFO?
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FIND A JOB?
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PURCHASE GOODS?
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WRITE REVIEWS?
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SHARE CONTENT?
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IS THERE A BETTER MEDIUM FOR THIS INFO? #wct
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QUESTIONS TO ASK
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WHERE IS THE COMMUNITY BASED ONLINE?
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IS THIS INFO ALREADY BEING UPDATED ELSEWHERE?
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WHERE IS THIS INFO EASIEST TO SHARE?
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DOES THE INFO NEED BETTER EXPOSURE?
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MEDIUMS TO CONSIDER WRITTEN
• Guest blog posts
• Integrating content from these networks into site
VISUAL
• YouTube
• Curate images tagged with business name or hashtag
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WEBSITES SHOULD…
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BENEFIT BOTH PARTIES (VISITOR AND OWNER)
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EXIST WITH SOMETHING TO SAY
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(NOT JUST A “WEB PRESENCE”)
WHAT IS THE MAINTENANCE PLAN?
THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION…
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WHAT ABOUT….
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BUGS?
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NEW PHOTOS?
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NEW EVENTS?
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NEWS STORIES?
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BLOG POSTS?
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EMPLOYEE UPDATES?
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#wct
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BUT IT’S OK!
THAT’S WHY WE NEED TO QUESTION EVERYTHING.
WHAT IF I STILL WANT A BLOG?
BUT WAIT…
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MAKE A PLAN
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USE TOOLS TO HELP
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TONS OF WP RESOURCES
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TOOL: CONTENT CALENDAR
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CONTENT CALENDAR • Purpose: to plan out
content in advance for a blog or website
• It can be used across teams or with a single person
• Should include topic, date, who is responsible, and what category it falls under
IMAGE FROM BUFFERAPP.COM #wct
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LIST OF ALL CONTENT AVAILABLE ON SITE, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE, WHAT PURPOSE IT SERVES
TOOL: CONTENT AUDIT
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KEEP THINGS SIMPLE
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PLAN AROUND EVENTS, LAUNCHES, HOLIDAYS, OR IMPORTANT DATES
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DON’T OVERCOMMIT
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QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY
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PLAN FAR IN ADVANCE
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REUSE CONTENT APPROPRIATELY
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QUESTION EVERYTHING
AND REMEMBER…
GO FORTH AND BLOG SMARTLY.
THANKS!
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