Blog Insights
Building a Solid Brand on the Foundation of Content
Did you attend last week’s webinar on content and design? If not, no worries! I’m here for you. Even if you did attend, we’ve got some useful quick next steps if you are looking to update or refresh your brand. You can view the slides here, listen to the webinar here, and browse what we shared in terms of the designs here.
To recap, here are some takeaways from the webinar:
- Content is at the core. Users come to your site for the content, the design facilitates ease-of-use.
- Branding is key. Your users will respond to a brand that clearly relates your messages and is aligned with clear calls to action.
- Content should map to messages. All content should serve a purpose. If it doesn’t, it shouldn’t be there.
- Visuals should be built on content. The design of your site helps your users understand the story you are trying to tell.
But now what? Here are a few immediate steps you can take to start on refreshing (or rebuilding!) your brand:
- Study your audience. Do you know who they are, what they are looking for, and what motivates them? Even if you think you do know these things, you should validate and confirm through discussions with your internal stakeholders.
- Revisit your messages. Are your messages clear? Does your content (copy, images, etc.) map to these messages and have a clear reason for being on the site? Defining your messages and making sure that content points to them will go a long way when it comes to reaching your targeted audiences and achieving stated goals.
- Check in on your voice. Does your organization have a cohesive voice through which it communicates your messages and overall brand? Telling a consistent story about who you are, what you do, and why you do it is an essential part of positioning your brand. If you already have a defined voice, start a deep dive on fleshing out page-specific tone.
- Know your content development workflow. Are you posting content ad hoc as a reactive measure to stay up-to-date? Creating workstreams for developing and updating content will give you a better handle on understanding which content you need and the resources necessary for keeping that content fresh.
Need some resources to get started or want to learn more?
Audience Definition
- The Elements of a Persona
- Mapping Content to Audiences Part 1 & Part 2
Assessing and Creating Content
- 4 Content Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Next Website Redesign
- Editorial Calendars: the Project Manager of Content Strategy
