tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38810336718309659332012-01-26T17:47:07.884-05:00Online it ALL MattersInnovations in Content Strategy and Web writing with a focus on healthcare.Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.comBlogger771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-15526203340125486522012-01-17T22:41:00.000-05:002012-01-17T22:41:54.749-05:00Content Strategy: 3 Lessons from Moneyball
I won’t even pretend to explain the plot of Moneyball because what I know about baseball is this: you need a ball, a bat and four bases.
What I can tell you is Moneyball is a movie about a man who tried to do something different within an industry that thought he was all wrong. In the film, Billy Beane, the General Manager of the Oakland Athletics implements a system called Moneyball—introducedAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-4236536263791602832012-01-03T11:54:00.001-05:002012-01-03T11:55:28.885-05:00Content Strategy and Content Marketing: 12 Ways to Start 2012 Right
We all make goals around this time of the year. The classic list—how do we make our new year more productive?
It’s only natural—beginnings feel so fresh.
However, for many of us, it’s hard to meet those goals. And, we are constantly adding new information to the blender of our imaginations. This causes many businesses to go off course, following strategies that months later look foolish.
Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-70087258832102558822011-12-05T15:00:00.000-05:002011-12-05T15:00:28.671-05:00Hospitals: 8 Ways to Increase Social Engagement with Content
From the below post, "Make Google Panda Work For You", we all know how important social media and sharing content is to your search engine results. This means you must create and publish relevant, effective content on a regular basis.
With this strategy the challenge is clear: how do you create a workflow that works within your hospital's busy marketing/Web strategy department? How can you Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-66640576226515867322011-11-21T10:55:00.000-05:002011-11-21T10:55:09.291-05:00Content Strategy: Make Google Panda Work For You
In the world of Web design, everyone is clamoring to get an invite to Google’s party. Landing on the first page of Google’s search returns is the holy grail of SEO. If your pages show up higher in the rankings, the more likely potential customers and clients will jump to your pages, leading to new business opportunities.
It used to be that you could get those sought-after Google rankings by Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-50962581054868421742011-10-26T16:24:00.004-04:002011-10-26T16:28:48.722-04:00Robotic Surgery: 5 Marketing Ideas for your Hospital's Website
Robotic surgery is one of the most exciting developments in surgery in recent years. If your hospital uses a da Vinci® Si™ Surgical System or other robotic surgery system, you want to let patients know. Whether it's pelvic prolapse, mitral valve repair or robotic prostatectomy, the more your patients know and understand about surgical procedures that can be performed using robotic surgery, the Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-47714361094234473142011-10-10T16:10:00.000-04:002011-10-10T16:10:53.545-04:00Promoting Hospital Doctors: 8 Creative Ideas for your WebsiteYour doctors are a critical part of your hospital’s reputation. Their credentials, expertise and experience are what draw patients to your institution. So it makes sense to showcase your physicians’ expertise prominently on your website.
Here are eight creative ideas for featuring your doctors on your site:
1. Pictures: Nothing says reassuring, confident and experienced like pictures of your Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-38525019581672689182011-08-08T13:57:00.000-04:002011-08-08T13:57:31.065-04:00Content Strategy: Testing Mobile ContentThere's so much to say on this topic. Here's a great new post from Jakob Nielsen on Defer Secondary Content When Writing for Mobile Users.
A lot of what he says in this post backs up some of the things I talked about in my presentation at Web Content Chicago, this past June on Testing Mobile Content.
Watch the presentation "Testing Mobile Content."
Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-77434965272506307822011-08-01T10:14:00.000-04:002011-08-01T10:14:05.284-04:00The 3 Hats of a Content Strategist: What We Really Do
In my practice as a content strategist, I have come to realize that I actually do three different things that in actuality separate from each other and yet still inform my practice of each.
I think most content strategists feel that the definitions of content strategy are still milling about in the air like many uncaught fireflies on a summer night. For the purpose of bringing some added Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-36283166866670453972011-06-23T09:45:00.001-04:002011-06-23T09:49:36.091-04:00The 3 Unbreakable Rules of Content Strategy
At this point there are 3 to 4 well-known and accepted definitions of content strategy. To me it is a two-fold process: an overall plan to plan, create, publish and execute different content types and a way of thinking about your organization as a publishing entity.
After practicing content strategy, or some form of it, for more than 10 years, I’ve come to the following 3 unbreakable rules thatAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-81218067509213529462011-04-14T21:58:00.003-04:002011-04-21T15:29:27.273-04:00Content Strategy: Creating a Website in 8 Steps
Recently someone asked me what the steps were to create a website from a content strategy perspective. Always a fan of “boiling it down”, the below list are my thoughts in brief. Obviously, I’ve skipped many many sub-steps. Obviously, I’ve over simplified. But this is a repeatable cycle that MUST happen for every site. And, preferably in this order.
1. Business strategy alignment: You must Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-40313831077358833322011-04-11T11:38:00.000-04:002011-04-11T11:38:45.277-04:00Content Strategy: Recent ThoughtsIt's been a busy month at Aha Media Group, LLC. Here are some posts I've recently written:
Creating Valuable Content: An Essential Checklist
Using the Valuable Content Checklist
Best Practices for Web Projects: A Panel Approach from Leaders in Fields of Content Strategy, Visual Design and IA
Enjoy!Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-90337481243631611312011-03-03T13:38:00.001-05:002011-03-03T13:39:22.813-05:00Content Strategy Rant: Here's what we REALLY do
Ok, I need to rant, but maybe once I'm done, I'll feel better.
A content strategist is not a "clever Internet marketer." Nor are they an "excellent Web copywriter." Or any of the other bizarre labels we seem to be getting.
There are, on my last count, 4 types of content strategists:
1. Technical documentation specialists who can help you with an enterprise content strategy that makes use Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-64183267692851179442011-02-23T09:01:00.000-05:002011-02-23T09:01:08.548-05:005 Content Strategy Tools Your Hospital Should Be Using Now
As the healthcare market becomes increasingly competitive, hospitals and healthcare organizations will become increasingly more sophisticated in how they manage their digital communications strategy. Typically, in a hospital, content is the most valuable marketing asset: information about conditions, treatments, doctors and research are a core part of any hospital's marketing strategy.
With Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-38128132921253740022011-01-24T17:54:00.002-05:002011-01-25T09:19:07.335-05:0010 Questions you MUST Ask your Clients before Starting any Content Strategy Project
Obviously there are hundreds of questions you need to ask a client during a content strategy project. But, I think this list encompasses the ones you need to know before you even start.
1. Can you describe your current content creation process?
2. What process do you use to create content?
3. How are goals about content and revenue communicated to staff?
4. Do you have a direct formula forAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-76174091644510071512010-12-23T15:54:00.002-05:002010-12-23T17:17:50.790-05:00Content Strategy: What my 2 year old knows about Relationships and Classification
I have a two year old who is learning his colors. Today he identified a yellow block, a red block and then he pointed to a light blue block and said, “What’s that called?”
Later today, I had lunch with Dan Brown, the author of Communicating Design, and a well-known Information Architect. I related this story to him as we spoke about how children learn to classify information (His son is four Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-34897296601106010862010-12-08T20:24:00.000-05:002010-12-08T20:24:01.915-05:00Content Strategy: Why it's like therapy
My good friend Virginia Hill Condon (@ginnyhill) used to be a social worker.
She has a great line. She says that content strategy has a lot in common with therapy. She explains, that in social work, you:
1. Meet the client where they are. Which is the same as trying to plan a website that answers a user's questions and anticipates their needs.
2. Travel with them on their journey. Again,Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-16333715859585117882010-11-23T14:26:00.000-05:002010-11-23T14:26:35.144-05:00Content Strategy for Print, Part II: Changing course in digital communications
Why do clients reject the need for a content strategy? Have you ever asked them how they would manage their Web content if all those Web pages were actual documents that needed to be printed, stored and managed?
In Part 1 of Content Strategy for Print, we talked to Charlene Haykel, a print content strategist about simplified communications, the importance of governance on any system of contentAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-12197867770199299442010-11-19T09:08:00.000-05:002010-11-19T09:08:50.269-05:00What is content strategy?Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-52238670596446763602010-11-17T12:37:00.003-05:002010-11-17T12:48:14.368-05:00Content Strategy for Print: Always start with the content
Charlene Haykel
With all the focus on content strategy for the Web, it’s a wonder we haven’t focused on a similar approach to content for printed materials. The very medium of the Web calls for content strategy—the technology, seemingly endless storage and worldwide access to digital content—create challenges that demand a system with concrete rules. But print operates within an entirely Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-75907395432621412762010-11-11T21:18:00.003-05:002010-11-17T12:48:45.373-05:00How hospitals can use Facebook Places, Foursquare and QR codes
During an episode of Sex and the City, the four main characters converse over a conference line to discuss their Saturday night plans. Charlotte, confused by the number of voices on the line, says, “Is everyone on the phone?” To which Carrie replies, “It’s the future.”
Now the idea of a party line seems five minutes ago. But when it was first introduced, it was revolutionary. And we're Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-77077650554740975492010-11-09T16:50:00.005-05:002010-11-09T20:26:28.344-05:00Content Strategy: How to make your content jump like Michael Jordan
During the content creation phase of working with clients, how many times have you heard these questions?
1. Do you think we should have a video made?
2. How do you feel about pictures?
3. Should we upload that brochure alongside our text content?
If you’re like me, and work as a content strategist and web writer, you are asked these questions—a lot. It makes sense—our jobs as content Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-27863796889128843092010-11-02T09:32:00.002-04:002010-11-09T14:17:39.422-05:00Content Strategy: Would lorem ipsum be better?
This just got sent to me. I have to "add" in the words. Is this better or worse than lorem ipsum? I just can't tell.Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-11136642743214324282010-10-26T17:14:00.004-04:002010-10-26T17:23:27.598-04:00Sticky, sticky, bounce, bounce: How to stop pissing off your users
Good morning, Class.
Today we're going to discuss sticky, sticky, bounce, bounce, which is the technical term for describing what happens to a user when they are trying to use your website and cannot because the directions are so awful. They stick, because you have something they want, but then they bounce, because they can’t figure out how to get it.
Let’s give examples of sticky, stickyAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-4301786671379081512010-10-22T09:29:00.003-04:002010-10-22T09:33:15.920-04:00Content Strategy: Don't make your Twitter bio a puzzleOk, this is a short, Friday, I'm itching to write something blog post. Quick advice:
You must put something interesting and relevant to me in your Twitter bio. Otherwise, why would I bother following you back?!?Everyday I get a few new Twitter followers. Some are people following me back-thanks. Others are spam-that's expected. But some are people who are following some of the people that Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-13538986353012110892010-10-17T15:16:00.004-04:002010-10-22T09:33:44.444-04:00Why Don Draper would embrace Content StrategyAnyone who has ever worked in an agency setting should watch Mad Men, a television series about advertising set in the 1960’s. Don Draper, the lead, is head creative and watching him spin magic is—well—magical.
However, this season, Don and his partners are faced with the possible dissolution of their firm, following the loss of a huge account. When his right-hand woman asks him, “Isn’t there Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-66818629006576781762010-10-12T18:19:00.003-04:002010-10-13T17:46:33.965-04:00Content Strategy: How to avoid content breaking design
Content breaking design is a critical issue for us content strategists. One of the goals of content strategy is to make meaning out of content BEFORE the design process begins (if possible) so that you don’t end up with the problem described so well by Charlie Peverett here:
And when does a 'content person' get involved? Usually at what is, effectively, the last minute. When the lorem ipsem (Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-170404323269231392010-10-07T18:35:00.004-04:002010-10-07T18:42:33.378-04:00In defense of Content Strategy: In every generation there's a GAPIt’s been a hard week for content strategists. (I will not direct any more traffic to a certain blog post.) Yes, our discipline is “new” and needs clear definition. But as someone who practices the discipline, and the art, what I know for sure is that we are desperately needed in the world of Web development.
Content Strategy is very much like Supply Chain Management or Supply Chain Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-74994691564987732712010-10-05T16:56:00.002-04:002010-10-05T17:02:56.500-04:00Content Strategy for Hospitals: Make your Health Library Pages StickierWhen is the last time you did a health search online? If you’re like two-thirds of Americans, it was pretty recently. According to The Social Life of Health Information, from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 66% of internet users online look on the Web for information about a specific disease or medical problem.
How do health searches happen?
According to Pew’s report, Online Health Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-14943768358080725732010-09-26T21:48:00.004-04:002010-09-28T11:14:03.519-04:00Content Strategy: Who says it's great content?Lately, I’ve been noticing that many firms, copywriters and Tweeters are talking about creating great content.
“We need to create great content for our #contentstrategy.”
“Our content sings—it’s the most important part of our content strategy.”
“I craft great content that will fit in with your content strategy.”
Uh huh.
What makes your content great? There is only one answer to this timeless Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-21995437382620463482010-09-21T10:32:00.002-04:002010-09-25T20:25:02.769-04:005 Rules for Avoiding Boring Hospital Web ContentI gave this presentation last night at Health Stat 2.0. You can also watch the presentation on You Tube here. Five years of experience on 20 slides...Enjoy!
5 Rules for Avoiding Boring Hospital Web Content
View more presentations from Ahava Leibtag.Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-34550631532052570152010-09-21T02:36:00.003-04:002010-09-21T09:25:07.363-04:00What a content strategist needs a Web designer to know
If I asked you to build me a house, what would be the questions you would ask before you began planning?
Let’s hope: How many people will live in your house? What is your budget? How large is the land? How many bathrooms do you want? How many kitchens do you want? Oh right, just 1 kitchen, usually.
If I asked you to buy me a car, what would you ask me?
Let’s hope: What kind of car do you Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-37735439154090438822010-09-13T16:55:00.003-04:002010-09-13T17:02:06.955-04:00Content Strategy: Why you should hire a content strategist
Content strategy is hot. But companies are loathe to embrace the next big thing, particularly because it’s so hard to pin return on investment on social media, the last big thing. So why should you, if you are contemplating a redesign, migration, re-do of a section, mobile or email campaign, hire a content strategist?
First, a story: Last year I decided to take up running. Always an avid “Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-32882313430341202232010-09-08T11:13:00.003-04:002010-09-08T11:16:05.366-04:00Content Strategy: Stop the Blah, Blahing and focus on THE GET
Users come to your site to GET something: information, a pair of shoes, a feeling of friendship, a piece of music, etc. Whether it’s a physical commodity, an interaction or a phone number, the GET is what users are after.
Problem: Sometimes their GET isn’t the same as the GET we marketers, Web people, CEOs want them to GET.
So how you we, as Web professionals, GET them to GET it?
For exampleAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-24863800353645878782010-08-25T18:13:00.005-04:002010-08-25T18:36:08.068-04:00How health literate is your hospital's website?Earlier this year, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion published a must-read for any Web professional producing healthcare websites, “Health Literacy Online: A guide to writing and designing easy-to-use health Web sites.” [PDF] The report is 98-pages, but if you are a healthcare content strategist and Web writer like myself, it’s a fascinating read. Millions of Americans have aAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-53985529946436522272010-08-18T16:20:00.004-04:002010-08-18T16:26:06.788-04:00Web writing: 7 tools you need right in front of youMy favorite part about conferences and Meetups is hearing how my peers manage the actual nitty gritty details of what we do. I love hearing how different content strategists and Web writers work and what tools, reference materials and other guides they use while writing fresh, sparkling Web copy. In the spirit of sharing, here’s a list of what I always have in front of me while writing a new Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-89128752325478174142010-07-28T21:18:00.003-04:002010-07-28T21:30:11.668-04:003 Simple Basics to Great Web Writing: From a Fro Yo MenuLook at the picture above. This is a perfect example of excellent Web writing. Why? Because the call to action is crystal clear—they want you to buy yogurt and they make it simple and easy to do so. Look at the techniques they used to get you there:1. Break text into simple steps or bullets: Notice how every step has its own couple of lines. Users reading online can easily absorb the Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-83782779376191704552010-07-20T11:08:00.004-04:002010-07-20T11:14:27.847-04:00Update on the numeralsYahoo! Style Guide does not change AP Stylebook's judgement on numbers. However, they do say certain language rules are outdated (Old "rules" that no longer apply, pg. 348), including:• Never split an infinitive• Never end a sentence with a preposition• Never start a sentence with a conjunctionI guess we'll have to wait for someone with an ever larger language/style gavel to get rid of writing Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-33981674895028417912010-07-08T11:21:00.006-04:002010-07-08T11:39:14.571-04:00Why you gotta be all AP stylin' on me?I recognize the need for a style guide. I'm horrified when my clients don't have a basic one, like what they call their institution on second mention within the copy or how they list names (degrees after the name or Dr. X?). But, I have a gripe with the worshipped AP Style guide. A gripe with the numbers thing.Anyone who's ever read the most basic article on Web writing knows that people/users Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-36140584000012968082010-06-15T13:49:00.009-04:002010-06-15T14:28:50.485-04:00Content Mapping: A Different Way to AuditBefore rewriting any website, I like to see what content is currently there. Often my clients don’t know themselves, or have no understanding of how their content is linked or related. There are currently two popular ways to do a content audit:1. Quantitative audit—a basic list of the content on your site, including URLs, page titles and downloadable documents. This is really an inventory of Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-6781754129046280392010-05-03T10:30:00.001-04:002010-05-03T10:30:38.903-04:00Content Strategy Framework for the Content LifecycleCheck out this SlideShare Presentation: Content Strategy Framework for the Content LifecycleView more presentations from Rahel Anne Bailie.Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-39766090788904455012010-03-01T13:27:00.001-05:002010-03-01T13:27:55.550-05:00Usable, Influential ContentCheck out this SlideShare Presentation. I really love the way she talks about how development of content can be influenced by a few different fields of study (more toward the back end of the slideshow). Usable, Influential ContentView more presentations from Colleen Jones.Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-1933074521407381862010-02-10T00:31:00.003-05:002010-02-10T00:38:14.131-05:00Why I LOVE contentI do. I admit it. I love content. I love it because it's complicated and webby and you need to think about a million different things when you're creating it and strategizing about it. And I’m not just talking about text. I’m talking about video and photos and different ways to highlight my clients’ concerns about WHAT IT IS ACTUALLY they are getting across to their customers.I have a littleAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-11400172881389080322010-02-02T10:58:00.002-05:002010-02-02T10:59:20.659-05:00Doing a content audit or inventoryCouldn't have said it better myself.Check out this great article on content audits and content inventories (and yes, they are different!).Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-75971042783121262762009-12-21T18:53:00.001-05:002009-12-21T18:53:09.040-05:00Content Gone Wild!Watching this is like looking at the back of a Dunkin' Heinz cake mix- in 4 easy steps you too will have a yummy content strategy. But Rachel does break it down, gives meaningful examples and I could follow along without audio. Dig in.Content Gone Wild!View more documents from Rachel Lovinger.Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-5792581540160210672009-12-18T13:38:00.004-05:002009-12-18T13:56:44.954-05:00Top 2009 buzzwords: healthcare online marketingWatching what’s going on in the healthcare online marketing space has been a wild ride in 2009. Hospitals and patient-oriented healthcare organizations had to rethink everything about the way they used to do business. The recession and how the technology around marketing changed the landscape for everyone. Here is what I think were the top 5 biggest buzz words in the healthcare online marketing Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-22300871289729846222009-12-17T14:07:00.005-05:002009-12-17T14:23:59.803-05:00Why no one really cares about multidisciplinary medicineAs a Web writer for major medical institutions, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve typed the world multidisciplinary, as well as its very distant cousin, interdisciplinary. Multidisciplinary is what healthcare practitioners in highly specialized fields think is the buzz word of the moment. All my clients tell me they are special because this is the type of medicine they practice. But again, Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-71894079374870035612009-12-15T10:25:00.006-05:002009-12-15T10:41:07.333-05:00Why Chanukah is like web contentFor 8 days, Jews everywhere celebrate the holiday of Chanukah, or Hannukah; known as the Festival of Lights. The main commandment of the holiday is to publicize the miracle of Chanukah: a small flask of pure oil was found in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, and instead of lasting just 1 day, it lasted eight days.The other miracle Jews celebrate is that a small band of Jewish rebels was able to win aAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-47891132276438597122009-11-05T16:21:00.009-05:002009-11-05T17:10:28.676-05:00Healthcare Content Strategy: Think about the pictures, not just the words!"Visuals convey critical information to the user without getting lost in the marketing gobblydegook that so many organizations insist on putting on EVERY page."It's one of the best cliches out there-- "A picture is worth a 1,000 words." (Except for the freelancers creed, "You get what you pay for".) If you're paid by the word (I'm not) you may be invested in ignoring the pictures, graphics, Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-76370915428097568002009-11-03T10:41:00.005-05:002009-11-03T11:01:48.662-05:00Do you use "you" or "the patient"? What about when they have cancer?On Friday I attended the Center for Plain Language's 2009 Symposium at the National Press Club. I also really enjoyed the training session given in the morning by John Strylowski, a plain language expert.Some of the rules of plain language are exactly the same as the rules for good Web writing. In fact, the definition of plain language is "Communication that your readers can understand the first Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-90365990379695642492009-10-20T13:10:00.004-04:002009-10-20T13:24:42.002-04:005 Ways to Make Your Healthcare Content Online Different from OthersLast week, Jay Parkinson, MD, wrote a post on his blog called “How Healthcare Institutions Talk to You.” His post asserts that all the major medical centers use the same language and messages to describe themselves: 1. “We care about you.“ and/or2. “We’re the best.”Daphne Swancutt, a noted healthcare marketer, calls this the “sea of sameness”. Same messages, different institution.I’m a Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-9827461123785732052009-10-19T09:15:00.005-04:002009-10-19T09:33:37.667-04:00Does Google listen to me?This summer I wrote a blog post, "Is Google Over?" about a comparison between Google and Bing on my own name. I was surprised to see Bing returning search results way better, in my opinion, than Google's.In my original blog post (because let's face it, most of you won't jump) I said that Google was ranking my own website way down the page, rather than pushing it to the top. Old listings of my Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-63448181953635734672009-10-02T09:07:00.004-04:002009-10-02T09:17:51.914-04:00How to put your users firstI recently attended the first GrowSmartBiz conference, sponsored by Network Solutions. There were many great speakers and panels, but one panel, “Marketing and Innovation”, stood out in my mind. One of the panelists, Ramon Ray, is a “Technology Evangelist”, who runs Smallbiztechnology.com, a company that helps small businesses with their technology needs. He gave a list of rules for small Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-77096236130071708542009-09-21T18:25:00.007-04:002009-09-21T20:23:52.365-04:005 Rules for understanding and answering your users' questionsWhen we don't know what our users need, we tend to write fluff and filler. This never works in our favor. Jared SpoolI feel like copying and pasting this again and again and again because it is SO true. It seems to be the one rule that writers, content strategists, marketers, executives, okay, everyone, seems to forget ALL the time. I would even sharpen it further to state:“When we don’t Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-89100042805204219382009-09-15T22:13:00.003-04:002009-09-15T22:21:17.329-04:00Can everyone SEE the VISION?Almost every organization has some kind of mission and vision statement. My understanding of a mission statement's purpose is to list several goals and founding ideals for the organization. A vision statement is a shorter, concrete expression of the organization's goals for the future. However, does every employee of every organization know the vision statement for their organization? In severalAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-27393700460879277082009-08-21T17:52:00.006-04:002009-08-21T18:12:01.924-04:00Why writing content is like playing a great game of chessAs a freelance Web content writer, you would think I would be the first person to say that content is king and agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. And for many sites, I believe this to be true. Fundamentally, as a Web professional, I know that users come to Web sites to get something; be it a piece of information, an item or a sense of community. Getting there is part of that journey. Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-60361847507912130532009-08-09T21:53:00.007-04:002009-08-09T22:20:33.093-04:00Content Found!!!! pagesHave you ever looked over the shoulder at someone who is trying to find something on the Web? Well I have (I actually get paid to do it) and it seems that like a baby following a typical development: tripoding, sitting up, lunging, crawling, cruising, walking, most people pretty much search the same way, in the same order. Scenes from a usability study:1. Furiously mouse over any links as theyAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-63555622169112507942009-06-30T20:20:00.004-04:002009-06-30T20:37:27.862-04:00Jared Spool affirms what I've been saying here all alongSo the basic thrust of my entire blog is that Advanced Web professionals need to move toward an industry standard. Part of the way I think we get there is by sharing roles and knowing everything about something and something about everything when it comes to the different roles that team members play when creating a successful user experience.This brings me to my VERY first blog post "WHY it all Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-36152276765550531072009-06-26T12:46:00.003-04:002009-06-30T20:20:05.227-04:00Is Google over?I’m going to get on the unpopular side of things here and say that Google’s time may have reached its peak. I’m not saying Bing is the next Google, or that Google has, in any way lost market share. What I’m saying is what goes up, must come down. And I think the programmers at Google have crowded their algorithm and lost sight of what users might really be looking for when they are searchingAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-9465787924176196062009-06-25T14:48:00.002-04:002009-06-25T14:51:16.830-04:00What makes a great Website?My mother recently asked me which Website I thought was great. I told her it depends on a lot of factors. But to me, what makes a Website really great is one simple rule:A USER CAN FIND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.That's it, folks.Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-58883588108182671562009-06-12T06:02:00.003-04:002009-06-14T14:26:31.039-04:005 Questions you NEED to ask your Web writerYour organization definitely has a Web site. (If it doesn’t, call or email me immediately!) Is it well-written for the Web? Here are some questions to ask the next person you hire to craft keyword-rich, user-friendly content for online.1. Are you a good writer? This is similar to the rule I tell my friends when they are dating; start with a good person. Good Web writers, good print writers, Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-89909092215734089572009-06-08T07:37:00.006-04:002009-06-08T07:45:40.359-04:00Don't make 'em jump when they may be thinking about jumpingHaving written more than 25 healthcare Web sites in the past 3 years, I’ve learned A LOT about different diseases, conditions and treatments. In fact, it’s really better not to know how much goes wrong with your body- in some cases it might make you feel very depressed. Having said that, I do think it’s critical for Web organizations in general, particularly hospitals or private practices, to Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-36891774383455160452009-05-26T10:09:00.002-04:002009-05-26T10:10:37.348-04:00New strategies for searchThis is a great read on SEO here.Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-87427438046743194052009-04-22T16:54:00.001-04:002009-04-22T16:55:51.105-04:00My stint as a Guest BloggerRead about 5 Ways to Make Networking Pay Off.Thanks Beth!Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-7560182396228430702009-04-07T10:34:00.003-04:002009-04-08T06:24:13.943-04:00The bible as a study in usabilityJust because tonight is the first night of Passover, I thought it would be interesting to talk about the Bible as a study in usability.Did you know that the Bible was not written (by a deity or by people- reader's pick) with chapters? No, no...that was added later so people could have a uniform way of finding the same place in the Bible together.What does that really do to our reading of the Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-73719496953526748792009-04-07T10:21:00.005-04:002009-04-07T13:53:37.184-04:00The true goal of social media- I've found it!!!!What are we all doing on Twitter, Facebook, Digg, etc? Are we communicating or interacting?Communication is about imparting knowledge. Interaction is about acting upon someone. In essence, one is active and one is passive. Yes, communication is critical so people can make choices. But interaction is where it’s at.I was at a client’s office a few weeks ago and her husband happened to be thereAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-548019210470183462009-04-06T05:41:00.004-04:002009-04-06T05:47:08.702-04:00You have to always think of yourself as broadcasting a messageLast night my husband was getting ready to interview someone else and was trying to decide what to wear. I said to him, "What message are you trying to send?" He said, "I haven't even thought about it."In my line of work, it's always the first thing I think about. What's the message? Stay on message. How do I communicate this more effectively? Stay on message. When this person walks away, Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-26302419793983338142009-04-05T16:44:00.003-04:002009-04-05T16:56:30.894-04:00Information is Power...and don't you forget it, either!I'm not going to get into the specifics of how I came to the title of this blog, but let's just say that a friend helped me out of a foundation issue by referring me to a store that could customize a solution for me. I had no idea such things were available...nor did it ever occur to me to ask if such a thing was possible. Vague? Let's say it like this- suppose you are a physician who wants to Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-7181659049405032542009-04-03T13:48:00.005-04:002009-04-03T13:59:54.291-04:00Say what you mean to sayI don't know if John Mayer was the first person to say this, but I do think one of the most important rules in great writing is to say what you mean to say.Shout out to one of my followers, Shuly: She was recently told by her writing coach to write "Less Swarthmore and more South Florida." No offense to either of those institutions, I'm certain, but I do think that long convoluted sentences neverAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-43974396099092052922009-03-31T10:07:00.004-04:002009-03-31T11:38:26.716-04:00Web writing VS. Content strategy VS. Content intelligence"What exactly do you do?" I get asked this question constantly. What’s a Web writer? What does that mean?In short, I am a copywriter. I write copy. My Web copy is different because it answers to technical concerns online, including:-- How people read onscreen-- Tasks people are trying to accomplish online-- Using keywords appropriately-- Answering users’ questions in as few pages as possibleSome Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-22819532873744676682009-03-29T21:03:00.008-04:002009-03-31T21:44:25.725-04:00An open letter of advice to Entertainment WeeklyTo your webmaster,I'm a usability expert and the placement of your comments command is wrong. It should really be below the line. Above the line, closest to the text should be the NEXT command, to navigate through the full review. Leaving the comments section so close to the text confuses the reader and takes them to the comments section where there might be spoilers. This is something you Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-63634267225765123062009-03-29T09:10:00.005-04:002009-03-29T09:35:55.863-04:00What coping strategies are we making users use?A couple of weeks ago I was at a meeting for a discussion on something called the Semantic Web. A what? Never fear, dear reader, after this article and what Wikipedia has to say, you too will understand (or have some grasp) of the Semantic Web. But since I don't want you to have to jump (a coping strategy), I will explain in brief.The Semantic Web is a fantasy of all data on the Web being able toAhavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-74363627263692152002009-03-26T09:48:00.006-04:002009-03-26T10:03:36.191-04:00Evaluating the usability of full online episodesI like to watch T.V. But in my multi-tasking life, I like to get more than one thing done at a time. This past January, we purchased an elliptical and put it right in front of one of our computers so we could watch downloaded episodes of our favorite shows.Most of my shows are on ABC, NBC and Fox. I don't watch anything on CBS (sorry, all you CSI fans). In my comparisons of the three players , Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-22581202406286541162009-03-25T09:14:00.002-04:002009-03-25T09:30:10.584-04:00Evaluating a WebsiteNo matter what profession you are, I’m sure you’ve had someone ask you your professional opinion. My husband is an economist and people are always asking him what he thinks of President Obama’s plan. Commanding him to predict the future of the economy, my husband always replies that his expertise is retail food pricing and not macroeconomics.Similarly, once people hear what I do, they Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-47173223892264705402009-03-24T09:57:00.004-04:002009-03-24T10:02:41.938-04:00WHAT matters online?Obviously, if you’ve been paying attention, the theme here is everything. AWPs need to move toward industry standards in so many ways. The SEO professionals MUST understand core usability principles. The usability experts MUST be able to talk to the developers. You can’t say, “What’s a CSS?” Designers need to watch or read the results of usability studies so they can see how users interact or Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-19758688206767631942009-03-24T09:48:00.001-04:002009-03-24T09:54:49.867-04:00WHO matters online?My last post focused on this question a little bit, when I talked about how Advanced Web Professionals (AWPs) need gather information about their users to write, design, develop and market better for and to them. This brings me to an exercise I go through with my clients at the beginning of every project. I ask the following questions:Describe your target audience (i.e. average age, special Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-8526264268947362212009-03-23T17:49:00.002-04:002009-03-23T17:52:30.133-04:00WHEN does it matter online?If it ALL matters online, then probably it ALWAYS matters online. But it’s not always true. For example, there are certain sites I will visit, even though they have poor usability, because there’s something I just NEED from that site.For example, I recently received a coupon on email for 20% off Land’s End on almost everything. Because I wanted to buy some summer things, I went to the site to Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3881033671830965933.post-2520450158904144722009-03-23T16:32:00.000-04:002009-03-23T17:08:57.045-04:00WHY it ALL matters onlineIt ALL matters online because in such a vast competitive landscape, good websites aren't good enough. They have to be fantastic. The ALL refers to SEO, usability, excellent content, well constructed information architecture (IA), accessibility...ALL of it. And we all need to learn to speak each other's languages: the writers, developers, designers, architects, usability experts. We need to move Ahavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05128598844814531854noreply@blogger.com0