content creation Archives

How to Make Sure That All Devices Have the Best Visual Experiences

Open your website’s page with the highest conversion rates on three different devices: mobile, tablet, and desktop.

Do it, really. Let me wait.

Does your content appear as you had hoped it would?

It doesn’t, as many marketers will discover. Unsatisfactory are the user experience and messaging consistency. It can be downright horrible at times.

What brought you here? After all, publishing content requires a significant investment from your business. By utilising the COPE (create once, publish everywhere) strategy, you can even make the most of those content resources.

And it might be an error.

Be positive, my content marketer friend. I’m here to assist with a SAM modification. ion – COPE-M

Learn why COPE-M is required.

When using the conventional COPE approach, you upload a single content piece (such as a definition, image, or description), and the CMS pulls (rather than pastes) that content into various outputs. Your repository is affected when you update the original content.

COPE content is sophisticated as a content strategy. It works well. It is sensible. Your investments in unique content are amortised and your content is reused more often. It is compatible with audio, video, and text.

But COPE won’t solve all of your content publishing problems. While images shrink down for your devices, modern browsers reflow your text. An image that looks fantastic on a desktop computer might not be recognizable on a mobile device.

Although COPE is a fantastic place to start, image control requires a more complex strategy. Create once, publish everywhere is what I refer to as COPE-M. The transition from a decent user experience to a terrific one may be made possible through COPE-M.

Your user experience may be improved, consistency can be increased, and your search engine optimization (SEO) can be enhanced with updated content if you adopt a COPE-M approach to your content publishing strategy.

COPE and images may not always get along.

Since Daniel Jacobson introduced the idea and technical methodology behind this content reuse strategy in 2009, a lot has changed. Despite the fact that material is now spread across a variety of device types, COPE is still a sound idea. More formats of content are consumed by audiences.

Images have an issue when single-sourced text is viewed in different browsers, but it still works for text. Text’s look can be separated from it. The appearance of text, including font sizes and column widths, can be changed without affecting the original source thanks to cascading style sheets.

Pictures are less changeable. The appearance of rendered visuals (such as JPEG or PNG files) cannot be isolated from them. There are times when a single source’s one size does not fit all. Even if an infographic looks great on a PC, it could be difficult to read on an iPhone. The viewer has to pinch, zoom, squint, and complain in order to see it.

Select the photos to be multi sourced.

You must think about when to COPE and when not to COPE with your photographs until content management systems are smart enough to automatically provide perfect viewing experiences for every image on every device.

Returning to my initial request, please open your best-converting page and check how it looks on various devices. Apply this principle to your website’s other crucial pages and graphics. They’ve presumably already been assigned tags in your analytics programme.

Tip: Focus only on pages that receive a sizable portion of their traffic from mobile devices.

Test the chosen pages on various devices to determine which images to multisource. Take a designer, content strategist, or user experience expert and a stack of devices. Think like your audience when loading your content. Add the image to a list of images that should be multisourced if it appears compressed.

Don’t only check to see if the image appears, as a tip. Examine it closely to see how it appears. COPE is most likely not the best approach if the user needs to pinch and zoom to see the entire image.

All content-related departments, such as content strategy, design, content engineering, and user experience, should be informed of the findings, as they should be aware of how your website’s images load.

planning for several screens

It can be beneficial to upload many images and specify to the system which breakpoint to utilise for each one because an image must be compressed on the high and low ends to fit a mobile device screen.

A breakpoint is the point at which the system switches from one image to one that is more appropriate for the viewing device. Because users can scroll vertically indefinitely but cannot enlarge the screen, breakpoints are dictated by the width of the device.

Three different breakpoints are shown in this illustration: 320 pixels for a cell phone, 720 pixels for a tablet or big phone, and 1,024 pixels for a laptop.

On a smaller screen, this image might become unreadable if it were a chart or infographic. You should therefore make a special effort to source several photos. The term “responsive art direction” describes this method. It’s a browser hack that gives you a little more control over how your viewers see the photos.

Here’s how it functions with the first illustration. This time, I made separate images for the 800, 400, and 200 pixel sizes. Their faces are around the same size when they are published.

One daughter is sitting on the steps with our dog in the 800-pixel horizontal version, while the other is standing along the railing with a view of the neighborhood in the backdrop. The dog is seated next to one of the girls on the steps in the 400-pixel vertical version, and both rails are visible. Each daughter and the dog have their own step in the 200-pixel vertical version, but only one railing is visible.

This strategy is not COPE. It is a minor component of COPE-M. I gave myself three times as much work to do. Because of this, you should restrict this time-consuming labour to just the crucial converting content.

Put COPE-M to work for your company.

Numerous outputs of a single image in various sizes and ratios can be produced by the majority of digital asset management (DAM) systems. For the best results across all screen sizes, crop the images if you are unable to retake them. Don’t expect your designers or developers to redesign each and every image on your website because it might be a lot of work. Aim for impact.

Consult your SEO experts before employing the multi-image strategy if SEO is a major priority. Websites that don’t offer the exact same experience on desktop and mobile could be penalised by Google’s algorithm. Even though you are giving humans a better experience, a Google crawler might not be aware of this just yet. Of course, Google will welcome it if more people find your page worthwhile as a result of a better image experience.

5 Agile Marketing Principles to Boost Your Content Creation Process

Making homemade pasta was a dirty pastime I recently engaged in for several hours on a Sunday afternoon, but it helped me understand the complexity of a simple strand of spaghetti.

I had no idea that, depending on the sort of pasta you want, there are numerous varieties of wheat to utilise in virtually endless combinations.

Many marketers and I share a similar connection with content.

Without actually comprehending the complex dance that resulted in their production, we happily use the goods of content marketing. Even those of us in charge of one or two of those steps lack a thorough understanding of the entire content development process.

Early on, we could get away with a haphazard approach, but now that high-quality content is expected, we need to invest in both the process of creation and its results.

You can’t just eat spaghetti without thinking about it any more; you need to get your hands filthy by learning about and improving the content marketing process.

Why the process is important

For years, a portion of the value of the content generation process has been concealed from view. It manifests in the study conducted by CMI, where the benefit of a written content strategy is frequently recognised. If you haven’t been following along, here are some tips for content marketers with a strategy for their content:

Are much more likely to believe that their content marketing is effective.
I find content marketing to be less difficult in all aspects.
Feel more efficient when using social media and any content marketing strategies
can support an increase in the content marketing budget.

Execution, however, makes up the other half of the equation; strategy only makes up one.

What happens once the plan is successful? What makes it come to life?

It appears that part, as well, needs to be recorded.

Marketers that document their processes are 466% more successful than those who don’t, according to CoSchedule.

When your method is in order, amazing results become possible. Every piece of work that passes through the process improves as it proceeds smoothly from beginning to end. Work is completed more quickly and is more likely to be of excellent quality and related to marketing goals.

And if we’re being completely honest, most of us could stand to improve in those areas.

Using an agile process for content marketing

An easy and clear way to start is by documenting your method, which increases your chances of success. But you’ll probably find out through documentation that execution could be improved.

Being “better” at executing content marketing is a vague and pointless objective. You need a trail that is well-marked.

You gain more from frameworks created for the first totally digital profession, software development, as marketing becomes an increasingly digital career.

Of course, I’m talking about the use of Agile methods in marketing.

Agile content marketing in action

I’m not suggesting that you implement the whole of agile frameworks like Scrum or Kanban, just to be clear. I recommend incorporating Agile values into your content marketing strategy.

The five areas of visibility, experimentation, iteration, cooperation, and efficiency are highlighted by agility in general and agile marketing in particular.

Visibility

Open up the conversation and see what transpires. Visibility could simply mean outlining all that your content team has planned and is working on for the upcoming month. Going one step further and putting that in a digital project management tool might be required, but at this point, that’s really just a bonus. Even a simple sticky note list on a whiteboard is a positive step.

In the end, enabling this openness enables those making content requests to understand how their new request affects the work already underway. Additionally, it displays the true extent of your content efforts, which is frequently MUCH larger than anyone outside the content team believes.

Finally, exposure reveals how effective your content marketing campaign really is. Although it won’t miraculously resolve all of your issues, it’s a great starting point.

Your new maxim should be: if you can’t fix it, make it obvious.

Experimentation

When you imagine the work, you’ll likely realise there is probably too much going on. What we can quit doing is the topic of the next logical conversation.

It can appear to be a sign of failure or missed opportunities to do nothing. Instead, use experimentation as an agile value to steer your content marketing.

The goal is to come to terms with the fact that no plan can be perfect. Audiences, rivals, and the erratic digital world in which we live are all unpredictable.

Accept numerous short-term tests rather than spend weeks or months trying to create a foolproof yearlong plan.

These experiments ought to be, in order to do their best:

They are safe to fail because they are made to not harm the brand if they don’t work.
executable in two to three weeks’ time is short term.
Well-designed, with clearly defined outcomes, measurements, and success and failure criteria (use the scientific method as your guide).
Iterative: Successful experiments encourage more of the same in the future.

Iteration

It’s time to iterate, the third Agile marketing value, when experiments show potential.

When you embrace iteration, you build upon tested concepts, gradually enhancing their value, attractiveness, and functionality.

Collaboration

The aforementioned values, as you might expect, operate best with a variety of viewpoints. Agile is built on the idea that those doing the work most closely and those who will be consuming it should determine how it is done.

Agile, in a word, promotes better teamwork. In other words, a content producer working alone in a basement office with a computer simply won’t be as effective as a team that collaborates and puts the audience first.

Agile develops structures like daily standup meetings to promote in-the-moment communication. In order for the team to offer value quickly and frequently, it also aims to form teams with a variety of talents and knowledge.

Even if you’re not ready to restructure your team or hold daily meetings, look for other points of view to help you create your content. Collaboration always enhances the process of creating material, whether through formal evaluations or an informal show-and-tell.

Efficiency

Although agile processes are frequently linked with quickness and productivity, I kept the discussion of efficiency for last since it is not the main objective of true Agile practices. Agile frameworks’ strength lies in their simplicity or in maximising the number of unfinished tasks.

Agile teams want to do less work, so let me say that again because it needs to be said again.

You are rewarded with an increase in the amount of work you can accomplish if you are successful in maximising the amount of labor you consciously choose NOT to undertake. Working on less and achieving more is one of the most perplexing aspects of the process, but it is unquestionably true.

The process undermines the ability to be creative.

Last but not least, an agile content marketing approach unleashes more than just quickness, productivity, and efficiency. Additionally, it brings about employee pleasure and makes way for genuine creativity.

How to Create an Effective Content Operations Workflow in 5 Easy Steps

Your team members need a defined workflow and the appropriate process to make their task manageable for content marketing operations to run well.

Workflow is the sequence of tasks you use to create a content item. The process is how your staff regularly and effectively completes those jobs. Together, they assist team members in comprehending their roles, how to fulfil them, and how their work will be moved on to the following stage.

You may map the workflow for any content format and create an executable procedure using this simplified, five-step method. You can complete each step more easily if you use the templates and examples.

Step 1: Examine your content formats

As part of your content marketing strategy, make a template with the following columns: content format, principal delivery platform, other delivery platforms, and unique situations that may apply. After that, complete the template with each type of content your team creates:

What kind of content do you produce? E-books? Presenting live? Webinars? visual material? List each regular format that your team develops.
Where is the first place each format is published or distributed?
Are there any further channels where this material format is distributed? ( These responses support the process by bringing to the surface additional tasks for that content format. To offer a consistent multi platform experience, it also takes into account measures taken after publishing.
Unique situations and variations: Do certain e-books have a lead generation gate but not others? Do you only use videos in your newsletters when there is a special event or deal? Any changes that call for additional measures ought to be mentioned.

Concentrate only on the high-level tasks in your workflow at this time. The finer points, such as who creates the content, who must approve it, design elements, etc., can be considered later.

Here is an illustration of what a finished template might resemble:

Format for Content	Platform of First Delivery	Additional Platforms for Distribution	Unique Situations/Variations
Feature article	website (blog)	Newsletter Group or page on LinkedIn Social networking	Sponsored articles Crowdsourced articles Illustration collections Republished articles
Newsletter	Email
E-book	Website (page with resources)	email marketing editorial piece Advertiser landing page	Gated for lead generation Advertised e-books
Video (livestream)	Instagram	Facebook Use Twitter	With influencers’ help,
Video (scripted)	YouTube	Blog on a website Microsite for an event Web website with videos	Featured webinars
Post on social media.	LinkedIn	Facebook Use Twitter With Instagram
Live performance	Personal encounter	blog entries Virtual occasion	Video clips shared on social media

Utilise this framework to create a list of the necessary tasks, map them as workflows, and combine them into one process.

Step 2: Make a list of every task for each format

Next, make a list of all the steps required to create a single content format for a single main platform.

You may wish to start with the format that is created the most frequently or that is most important to the objectives of your content. Alternatively, you might choose the asset that requires the most teams or additional procedures to generate and distribute. You’ll understand why shortly.

You don’t need to bother about organising the tasks just yet. Just make a list as ideas come to you. For example, the following tasks could be listed in an “editorial article”:

Choose a topic.
Plan when posts will appear on the blog.
Edit the copy that was submitted.
Add text and images to the CMS.
Content formatting for layout.
Send the author the revised draft for review and approval.
Request sales and marketing input on the subject.
Send the contact person the links and assets for the daily email.
Create and develop visuals.
assemble the assets and author bio information.
Develop a distinct story stance.
Speak with a subject-matter expert (s).
Assign the writer to draft the copy.
Verify and accept the finished design.

These jobs vary in the number of steps they require. For instance, formatting the content can entail adding hyperlinks, resizing imported photos, establishing category tags, etc. Stick to broad work categories for this practice, though.

Step 3: Group tasks according to production stages

The next step is to arrange the tasks into the pre-production, production, and post-production phases in the order depicted below. You are able to map a seamless workflow using this step (step four).

Formatting Stage of Content (editorial article)	Action Item
stage before production.	Identify the subject.
	Think of an angle.
	Determine your sources and subject-matter experts.
	Ask for feedback from sales and marketing on the subject and strategy.
	Choose a writer.
	Specify the needs for governance.
	assemble/create the author’s assets and bio.
manufacturing phase	Write articles and get author submissions.
	For style and content, edit and modify the copy.
	Create and develop visuals.
	Send a final draft for approval to the author and/or stakeholders.
	For layout, load and format the copy and graphics.
	Configure the metadata.
	Verify and accept the finished design.
after-production phase	When posts will appear on the blog, plan ahead.
	publicise material through metadata.
	Send information to [contact] for a newsletter or email alert.
	Send links or other assets to [contact] for further promotion, repurposing, or distribution in line with the content strategy.
	Gather metrics information and provide reports.

To assist you with sequencing your duties, take note of the following information:

Which actions must be completed before others can begin?
What tasks are allowed to run simultaneously?
Each task should be marked as finished and prepared for the next one in some manner.

Step 4: Assign roles and diagram how the work will be done.

From here, you expand the chart to include a column for roles and specify who is in charge of each track. You can make a flowchart illustrating how production efforts move from one role to the next using the information provided.

The first step is rather simple, especially if your content marketing staff is small, concentrated, and has distinct tasks. Include all roles when working on joint projects. As a guide, I inserted several pre-production roles in this instance.

Formatting Stage of Content (editorial article)	Action Item	Roles
stage before production.	Identify the subject.	team captain
	Think of an angle.	team captain Editing manager
	Determine your sources and subject-matter experts.	Editor-in-chief Story editor Staff writers
	Ask for feedback from sales and marketing on the subject and strategy.	Editing manager
	Choose a writer.	Editing manager
	Specify the needs for governance.	Editing manager
	assemble/create the author’s assets and bio.	A copy editor
manufacturing phase	Write articles and get author submissions.
	For style and content, edit and modify the copy.
	Create and develop visuals.
	Send a final draft for approval to the author and/or stakeholders.
	For layout, load and format the copy and graphics.
	Configure the metadata.
	Verify and accept the finished design.
after-production phase	When posts will appear on the blog, plan ahead.
	Publicise material through metadata.
	Send information to [contact] for a newsletter or email alert.
	Send links or other assets to [contact] for further promotion, repurposing, or distribution in line with the content strategy.
	Gather metrics information and provide reports.

For larger businesses or those with shared content obligations across numerous departments, role determination might be more difficult. However, as the content marketing team members are positioned, gaps become apparent. That will aid you in locating the appropriate groups to contact for collaborative support.

The workflow for the editorial article format is now fully explained by the graphic. But it may be a useful addition to make it into a shared graphic or map. Stakeholders will be better able to see where they fit into the production process and what still has to be done.

Step 5: Implement and refine

You currently have the duties and chronological order of actions for a content format mapped out. Make it a repeatable procedure now. Establish a system to monitor and manage the activities as they are completed, and make sure everyone has the resources they need to fulfil their part.

Build a complex system using the rich dashboards offered by project management software like Asana or Jira. Utilizing cloud-based productivity applications like Airtable, Trello, or Monday, you can also create unique trackers and checklists. The simplest strategy, though, One possibility might be to put the data from the templated chart into an Excel or Google spreadsheet that can be shared.

I indicated before that you may build a procedure around one type of information and then modify it for others. This is how it functions:

Review the original table to make any necessary adjustments for the unique situations and variances.
Go through the tasks shown on the chart. Determine which jobs are unneeded and ought to be cancelled, as well as which ones ought to be added.
Join the newly added responsibilities to the roles. You can create procedures for additional content types by modelling what you just did for editorial articles.

You can see the need for specific procedures for content formats with wide differences. You may also see how starting with your most complex format makes sense. It will be much harder to plan the production duties for more involved projects like e-books if you concentrate on a simpler format, like livestream videos for Instagram.

Create, edit, and repeat.

Teams working on content marketing balance a lot of tasks. Why not simplify things by outlining your workflows and creating solid procedures to accomplish your marketing objectives? If you want to use this shortcut, please leave a comment to let me know how it went, or what adjustments you made to make it more effective for your team.

content creation