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Making it Great: Tactics for Amazing Content
Ian Lurie
Content Creation
@portentint | #ContentJam
Facts about me
I run an agency: Portent, Inc. If you’re in Seale, look us up
I have no design skills
Took 2 hours
Our first site
First content marketing ever
I have no photography skills
My dog
I have no pography skills
I used this font on corporate web sites
I can’t spell
Philsophy
I don’t crap rainbows. I fail hard. A lot.
5-year timespan
All sales to my mom
I am not a narcissistic asshat I use my stuff because I have permission
But, I have learned:
Content’s all about the tactics.
1. Lile things can erode the experience
2. Lile things can improve it
IAN, THAT IMAGE LOOKS LIKE !@##
Owns me
HUFFINGTON POST
3. Lile things become big things
Pardon impossible, to send to Siberia Pardon, impossible to send to Siberia
Czarina Maria Fyodorovna
4. We’re responsible for the outcome of a process
“Hey, we need content!!!”
Nervous breakdownPublish
How many blog posts can write?
Sorry, the CMS is down
Actually, let’s do an infographic
Our lawyers said…
But we don’t control it
5. But we do control the tactics
Great content starts with the ideas
But amazing content happens because of tactics
@#$!@ Right
HUFFINGTON POST
IT’S NOT CONTENT. IT’S AN APP.
What probably happened
Content?
GO WORK ON YOUR BLOG POSTS
Content?
GO WORK ON YOUR BLOG POSTS
IT’S ALL CONTENT Oh my gods why is it so hard to get people to understand that it’s not just the blog
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content
These tactics apply to all content
Authoring
Write in plain text
Geekery One way or another, the characters end up meeting with Angus Bloodstone at The Brimming Tankard. The dwarf knows the PCs. They've spent time here during their training at Swords Cross. He greets them heartily, immediately putting their favorite drinks up on the bar. The Convo Once the conversation starts, Angus will motion towards a table, where they all sit down. Angus lowers his brow as only a dwarf can. He then tells the characters his suspicions about digging under the city. Depending on plots already completed, his information may send them to Plot 2, 9 or further along Plot 1. 1. If the characters are receptive, he'll buy them an ale 2. If they're sarcastic, he'll slap the biggest one 3. If one of the party is an elf, Angus regards them with grudging respect and a little suspicion.
Plain Text 100% cross-platform 100% future-proof
Plain Text Doesn’t do this shit
Plain Text
No surprises
Plain Text Editing Mode
YAY! Looks great!
Visual from MS Word
Sonofa…
Surprise!!!!
<span style=”FONT-FAMILY: wtfbold”> One way or another, the characters end up meeting with
Angus Bloodstone at The Brimming Tankard. <span style=”mso-spacerun: yes”> </span> The dwarf knows the PCs. They've spent time here during
their training at Swords Cross. He greets them heartily, immediately putting their favorite drinks up on the bar.
<b style=”mso-bidi-font-weight: normal”> Once the conversation starts </b>, <i style=”mso-bidi-font-style: normal”>make this
italics</i>, <u>underlines</u>, and <span style=”COLOR: red”>font colors</span>
<p></p> </span></p>
Pasted from Word to SiteCore 100% clusterf$#@
MS Word to Most CMSes
<span style=”FONT-FAMILY: wtfbold”> One way or another, the characters end up meeting with
Angus Bloodstone at The Brimming Tankard. <span style=”mso-spacerun: yes”> </span> The dwarf knows the PCs. They've spent time here during
their training at Swords Cross. He greets them heartily, immediately putting their favorite drinks up on the bar.
<b style=”mso-bidi-font-weight: normal”> Once the conversation starts </b>, <i style=”mso-bidi-font-style: normal”>make this
italics</i>, <u>underlines</u>, and <span style=”COLOR: red”>font colors</span>
<p></p> </span></p>
Pasted from Word to SiteCore 100% clusterf$#@
LSD-Driven HTML
<p>One way or another, the characters end up meeting with Angus Bloodstone at The Brimming Tankard. The dwarf knows the PCs. They've spent time here during their training at Swords Cross. He greets them heartily, immediately putting their favorite drinks up on the bar.</p> <p>Once this conversation starts, make this <em>italics</em>, <u>underlines</u> and <span style=“color:red”>font colors</span></p>
The Metamorphosis
<span style=”FONT-FAMILY: wtfbold”> One way or another, the characters end up meeting with Angus
Bloodstone at The Brimming Tankard. <span style=”mso-spacerun: yes”> </span> The dwarf knows the PCs. They've spent time here during
their training at Swords Cross. He greets them heartily, immediately putting their favorite drinks up on the bar.
<b style=”mso-bidi-font-weight: normal”> Once the conversation starts </b>, <i style=”mso-bidi-font-style: normal”>make this
italics</i>, <u>underlines</u>, and <span style=”COLOR: red”>font colors</span>
<p></p> </span></p>
heeelllppppmeeeeee
This became…
…this.
Instead: Write In Plain Text
Geekery One way or another, the characters end up meeting with Angus Bloodstone at The Brimming Tankard. The dwarf knows the PCs. They've spent time here during their training at Swords Cross. He greets them heartily, immediately putting their favorite drinks up on the bar. The Convo Once the conversation starts, Angus will motion towards a table, where they all sit down. Angus lowers his brow as only a dwarf can. He then tells the characters his suspicions about digging under the city. Depending on plots already completed, his information may send them to Plot 2, 9 or further along Plot 1. 1. If the characters are receptive, he'll buy them an ale 2. If they're sarcastic, he'll slap the biggest one 3. If one of the party is an elf, Angus regards them with grudging respect and a little suspicion.
Clean Easily adapted to many formats Great for use on the web
Or, Cut-And-Paste
MS Word Plain Text CMS
<h1></h1>
<p></p>
<ol></ol>
<li></li>
<a href=“”></a>
&
&endash;
&emdash;
”
’
“
‘
Learn Formaing In HTML
Chill. He’s kidding.
Learn Markdown
Write in plain text + Markdown
# Heading## Heading 2### Heading 3
1. Numbered 12. Numbered 23. Numbered 3
* Bullet 1 * Bullet 2
**Bold***Emphasis*
[Link text](Link URL)
Now, you know Markdown
Write in plain text + Markdown
# GeekeryOne way or another, the characters end up meeting with Angus Bloodstone at **The Brimming Tankard**. The dwarf knows the PCs. They’ve spent time here during their training at *Swords Cross*. He greets them heartily, immediately putting their favorite drinks up on the bar.
## The ConvoOnce the conversation starts, Angus will motion towards a table, where they all sit down. Angus lowers his brow as only a dwarf can. He then tells the characters his suspicions about digging under the city. Depending on plots already completed, his information may send them to Plot 2, 9 or further along Plot 1.
1. If the characters are receptive, he'll buy them an ale2. If they're sarcastic, he'll slap the biggest one3. If one of the party is an elf, Angus regards them with grudging respect and a little suspicion. Elves helped save him during The Fall, in exchange for his help repairing their stone ships.
From [a page on the internet](http://www.gibblegibbet.com).
Heading Bold
Heading 2
Numbered
Link
Paragraph
Copy From Preview Tool
Converts to…
<h1 id="geekery">Geekery</h1>
<p>One way or another, the characters end up meeting with Angus Bloodstone at <strong>The Brimming Tankard</strong>. The dwarf knows the PCs. They’ve spent time here during their training at <em>Swords Cross</em>. He greets them heartily, immediately putting their favorite drinks up on the bar.</p>
<h2 id="theconvo">The Convo</h2>
<p>Once the conversation starts, Angus will motion towards a table, where they all sit down. Angus lowers his brow as only a dwarf can. He then tells the characters his suspicions about digging under the city. Depending on plots already completed, his information may send them to Plot 2, 9 or further along Plot 1.</p>
<ol><li>If the characters are receptive, he’ll buy them an ale</li><li>If they’re sarcastic, he’ll slap the biggest one</li><li>If one of the party is an elf, Angus regards them with grudging respect and a little suspicion. Elves helped save him during The Fall, in exchange for his help repairing their stone ships.</li></ol>
<p>From <a href="http://www.gibblegibbet.com">a page on the internet</a>.</p>
Heading
Bold
Heading 2
Numbered
Link
Paragraph
Converts to…
<h1 id="geekery">Geekery</h1>
<p>One way or another, the characters end up meeting with Angus Bloodstone at <strong>The Brimming Tankard</strong>. The dwarf knows the PCs. They’ve spent time here during their training at <em>Swords Cross</em>. He greets them heartily, immediately putting their favorite drinks up on the bar.</p>
<h2 id="theconvo">The Convo</h2>
<p>Once the conversation starts, Angus will motion towards a table, where they all sit down. Angus lowers his brow as only a dwarf can. He then tells the characters his suspicions about digging under the city. Depending on plots already completed, his information may send them to Plot 2, 9 or further along Plot 1.</p>
<ol><li>If the characters are receptive, he’ll buy them an ale</li><li>If they’re sarcastic, he’ll slap the biggest one</li><li>If one of the party is an elf, Angus regards them with grudging respect and a little suspicion. Elves helped save him during The Fall, in exchange for his help repairing their stone ships.</li></ol>
<p>From <a href="http://www.gibblegibbet.com">a page on the internet</a>.</p>
Smart quotes
Paste into CMS
Easy No surprises Super-clean Will adopt site formaing
Converts to…
Heading Bold
Heading 2
Numbered Link
Paragraph
Smart quotes
Some tools
dillinger.io
Browser-based editing and formaing
Marked
OS X preview tool
MarkdownPad
Windows
Sublime Text
Nerdvana
IA Writer
i am pumped
Get fast
TextExpander
.sm [tab] social media
hh2 [tab] ## | ##
TextExpander ;jewwatch [tab]
Our first step is geing links removed from sites that had no intention of helping Jew Watch rank. I've built a list of the 'unintentional boosters'. I need folks to contact these sites.
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is:
Please do the following:
1. Find out who to contact to remove the link from the above page(s).
2. Contact them and ask politely if they'd remove the link. You can use this message, or write your own:
Language
Make your text more brief Use fewer words
Be concise
He was paid by the word. You are not.
Stop adverb abuse
I am emphatically opposed to painfully overusing adverbs. They make it really hard to read even the most carefully wrien text.
I oppose overusing adverbs. They make it hard to read even the most carefully wrien text.
Use active voice 99% of the time
The product is manufactured by us.
We manufacture the product.
Dump plague words
Indeed, the end result was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, success.
It was a success.
Dump plague words
Obviously, I love chocolate.
I love chocolate.
Dump plague words
end result result indeed omit regardless omit simply put omit obviously omit beyond a shadow of a doubt definitely
hp://portent.co/plague-wordz
Get to the point
We’ve all been there
“If you don’t rank, you won’t get much traffic from search engines”
“200mph is fast”
“Aster 20 years, I’ve been doing this a long time”
I’m trying to find the point, but I can’t.
Oy.
Use tools to edit & proofread (because you won’t have time)
Hemingway App
Grammarly
User Experience
Don’t use lame stock images
Matching water levels Blank pads
All happy
Showing up everywhere
Showing up everywhere
Showing up everywhere
Lack of brand safe
What’s so funny?
Sometimes you just have to use a stock image, I know
buuuuuurppp
castle ain’t what it used to be. i’m crying in
side.
So own it
if i look down, no one will know I’m
high
Images must have a purpose (they’re not white space)
No
Yes
Well, OK
Great sources: Pexels.com
Unsplash.com
For annotating screen caps: Snagit Skitch
Site speed = UX Images = site speed
Load time goes up Engagement goes down
if you’d listened to ian, i’d be alive right now
700kb png 64kb jpg
JPG for photos
24kb jpg 4kb png
6kb jpg
PNG for less photo-ish
4kb png
6kb jpg
Ewwww. Artifacts.
1.1 megabytes
Compress!!!
227kb
Compress!!!
Imageoptim (mac) www.imageoptim.com
Preview (Mac)
On the PC, try Caesium
Create a cool feature image
Pablo
Link with care
Will anyone click these links?
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.
i will kick your ass
OK
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.
No more than 4-5 lines/paragraph
No more than 13-15 words/line
3-5 paragraphs between headings
Process
Stay off the format bandwagon
Stay off the bandwagon
infographics
infographics
infographicsinfographics
Instructions should not be “infographics”
Lists should not be “infographics” without a really good reason
Take the numbers. Present them graphically. Then this is a great infographic.
Longform of the longform so we can create some longform content with longform layouts and a parallax scroll so it’s really cool longform.
Use When
Infographics High information densi
Longform A long, interesting narrative
Whitepapers Audience deserves punishment
Blog posts Always, I guess
Slides A progression of ideas
Use When
Audio You have the resources
Video Same
Interactive content Same
Batch and chunk
One piece One editing run
Five posts
Fewer trips through the process Higher efficiency
Repurpose
This worked
OK.
Check
Wait a second...
Up next
Do not duplicate! Each must build on the last.
If you used plain text, repurposing is easy
Why?
Content’s already approved
You know it works
(Yeah, ok, it’s a cheesy stock photo
Rollup (h/t Michael Martinez @seo-theory)
Write about rutabagas
Write about carrots
Write about beef
6 months later, pull relevant content from each piece and write about stew
well, crap.
A less sick example
10 scary food additives
5 ways to keep your food nutritious
Industrial farming: Pros and cons
(traffic dies down)
The Guide to The American Food Chain
Piggy-back
LinkedIn Quora Reddit
Medium SlideShare
My audience
Their audience
They’ve done the formaing
They’ve done the formaing They’ve built the tools
The summary
IT’S ALL CONTENT Oh my gods why is it so hard to get people to understand that it’s not just the blog
Authoring
Work in plain text
Use Markdown to generate HTML
Get fast
Language
Less passive voice
No plague words
Get to the point
Systematically edit & proofread
User experience
No crappy stock photos
Use the right image format
Compress images
Link when it’s helpful
13-15 words/line
3-5 lines/paragraph
3-5 paragraphs per heading
Process
Stay off the format bandwagon
Batch and chunk
Rollup
Repurpose
Amazing content happens (or doesn’t happen) because of tactics
The links: hp://portent.co/amazecontent
Thank you! Ian Lurie
@portentint | #ContentJam
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