Be Careful with Using Fear in Ads

I got this ad in an email just now and didn't particularly like the use of fear, especially since it alludes to a child drowning. Of course a call to action (download our app or else!) is the goal, but I just can't imagine that app would be able to save her life in an instant (unless it turns your phone into a swimming robot).

Content Strategy

Simply put, content can be thought of as words and images, something (say a video) that must be expressed through a medium (say a website). The internet, for example, is filled with an abundance of content – sometimes meaningful and relevant, often times not. Content Strategy then can be understood as the action plan for giving content overall direction; making it useful, relevant and usable for those seeking to consume it.

In the context of designing websites, let’s think about content strategy as our home. We have walls and support beams, doors and steps; all necessary components to the structure of our home. All of this must make sense though, and there is no simple formula because this structure may be different for you than for me. Just like with website content, we all seek something different from our home which reflects our personal tastes. So when building a website we must first think about the necessary architecture or structure – the website layout, the colors, the fonts, the location of the context, all the way down to the  tools that exist behind the website that analyzes our actions and key strokes.

Now strategic content is more than just the framework of the home. Your home reflects who you are; your design and personal touch. You may like to have a vase on your living room table; I might not even want a table at all. You organize details within your home so that it works for you. If you didn’t have a refrigerator in your kitchen, the walls in that kitchen really wouldn’t matter – your kitchen is useless without it and a website is useless without the information you are seeking. Just like a home reflects our personal needs beyond four walls and a roof, a website must contain more than just words and images. A website must be comprised of messages, ideas, and topics that have purpose, and that purpose must align with the goals of the business providing the content.

Sounds simple when you put it like that right? But of course not, because the objectives of each website or business is different, and the relevant content to each consumer (or potential consumer) varies widely.

So now what? I think the biggest challenge comes with understanding who wants to consume what. Content curators must first develop a strategic action plan. I feel that developing a deep understanding of the user is at the forefront of that plan. Then the curators must align the challenges and objectives of the company with the desires of their target market.

So here is the winning formula. Know business challenges and objectives. Understand the target market. Create COMPELLING content (with purpose) relevant to their needs. Test it. Implement it. Probably test it again. Tweak it along the way as more information is gathered or the desires of the consumers change (OR the business objectives change). And voila!

Why is this important? Without strategic content consumers will fail to find what is useful and relevant, and in turn the business providing the content will crumble, just like an old home.