WordCamp US 2016 - How to Talk Content: A Guide for Developers

How to Talk Content

#WCUS

A Guide for Developers

Lisa Melegari@lmelegari

Why do I need to learn to talk content?

How many times have you… Had a project held up? Had a project go over estimates? Had to go back and re-do significant amounts of work?

This does not have to be your reality!

EXAMPLE

I need an approval of this wireframe of your home page

before we can proceed.

What do those boxes and numbers mean? And what’s

that nonsense text?

Are those pictures of Bill Murray going to stay that

way?

“The blank slate paralyzes clients.”

- Karina Kreger

So what do we do about this?

Determine Where Your Client is in the Content Development Phase

Don’t use the word “content” – break it down into the actual things you need.

Have them fill out a content onboarding questionnaire.

Ask for access to their existing assets or someone in charge of producing those assets.

Probably a picture gallery, maybe some videos.

I’m not sure yet, I’ll figure it out once you finish the site.

Isn’t that your job?

I want a full image background that stays when you scroll down. I’m going to

be using a lot of pictures in my blogs and posting at least

once a week. I might have a logo later, but not right now.

Offer Some Assistance

Provide basic, relevant filler content and encourage them to make it their own.

Work with a creator friend and have them make some samples.

Help Them Get InspiredFind sites with similar goals or uses in your

portfolio.

Show them some sites you think have great visuals or write a good block of text.

Give them homework.

Any questions?

@lmelegarilmelegari@gmail.com

Download this presentation and my speaker notes here:

goo.gl/IT38Qm

(that’s an uppercase ‘i’ in front of the T, it’s

case sensitive)