Do You Really Need a Blog (and other important questions)

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

•  Twitter

•  Facebook

•  LinkedIn

•  Integrating content from these networks into site

VISUAL

•  Instagram

•  Facebook

•  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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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!