ellen de vries: 3 tools from a content strategist's toolkit: workshop deck

@ELDEVRI

3 WORDS. GO.

@ELDEVRI

PREPARATION 1 OF 3

@ELDEVRI

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAND LANGUAGE.

@ELDEVRI

LANGUAGE.

@ELDEVRI

“WE ARE DEBRIS ARRANGERS. EQUIPPED WITH WHAT WE HAVE INHERITED, WE TRY TO MAKE A LIFE, MAKE A LIVING… WE ARE ASSEMBLERS. WE FORGE RECEIVED PARTS INTO MEANINGFUL COMPOSITIONS. THIS STATE OF AFFAIRS IS OUR PLIGHT AND OUR DESTINY.

IT ALSO OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND MEANING AS WELL AS TO FIND COMMUNION WITH OTHERS.”

― ANNE BOGART

@ELDEVRI

THE SUM TOTAL OF THE MEANING(S) THAT PEOPLE MAKE AROUND YOUR PRODUCT. INCLUDING YOUR TEAM.

@ELDEVRI

THE MEANING THAT YOU CHOOSE TO CRAFT.

@ELDEVRI

“THE BEST WORDS, IN THE BEST ORDER POSSIBLE.”

ON POETRY, SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE.

@ELDEVRI

WHAT ARE THE BEST WORDS FOR YOUR PRODUCT?

@ELDEVRI

CRAFTING MEANING WITHOUT WORDS.

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

LABANOTATION: CREATING SIGNS ON PAPER THAT COULD REPRESENT BODY PARTS MOVING IN SPACE AND TIME DYNAMICALLY.

@ELDEVRI

PARTI.

@ELDEVRI

DISCOVER YOUR SHARED LANGUAGE.

@ELDEVRI

WHO DO YOU SHARE YOUR LANGUAGE WITH?

@ELDEVRI

DESIGNER & USER & DEV & IA & CONTENT STRATEGY & MANAGEMENT & MOTION & CLIENT & STAKEHOLDERS & USERS & ANIMATORS & IMAGE EDITORS & JOURNALISTS & THE PERSON BESIDE YOU & THE PERSON FAR AWAY.

@ELDEVRI

PREPARATION 2 OF 3

@ELDEVRI

A STORY FROM MY WORK AS A CONTENT STRATEGIST.

@ELDEVRI

WHAT DOES A CONTENT STRATEGIST DO?

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

CONTENT

@ELDEVRI

LANGUAGE

@ELDEVRI

WHEN EVERYTHING IS GROWING SO FAST IT’S BRAVE TO STOP AND ASK: •WHAT IS CONFUSING? •DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN? •HOW WOULD YOU SUMMARISE IT?

@ELDEVRI

CAMPAIGN MOVEMENT PLATFORM

@ELDEVRI

“WORDS ARE THE INTERFACE …AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE.”

PETER MORVILLE INTERTWINGLED.

@ELDEVRI

PREPARATION 3 OF 3.

@ELDEVRI

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR LANGUAGE ISN’T SERVING YOU WELL?

@ELDEVRI

INCONSISTENT MESSAGES INCONSISTENT VOCAB INSPIRING STORIES GET LOST YOU BECOME DIFFICULT TO RELATE TO NO-ONE KNOWS WHAT YOU DO YOU DON’T STAND OUT

@ELDEVRI

?INTERNAL STRATEGY

OUTWARD FACING COMMS

WHO DECIDES ON YOUR LANGUAGE?

@ELDEVRI

INTERNAL STRATEGY

BRAND LANGUAGE PALETTE: MESSAGING VOCABULARY PROPOSITION TONE DIFFERENTIATORS

OUTWARD FACING COMMS

WHO DECIDES ON YOUR LANGUAGE?

@ELDEVRI

ARTICULATING YOUR CULTURE

“THE STORIES WE REPEAT TO EACH OTHER UNTIL THEY HAPPEN” MARC RETTIG

VALUES PURPOSE (WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?) PROPOSITION MISSION MESSAGING IA VOCABULARY PROPOSITION TONE AND STYLE DIFFERENTIATORS

@ELDEVRI

FROM STRATEGIC DISCUSSION WITH THE TEAM:

“PEOPLE PAY £10,000 - THEY WANT EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES AND THEY WANT TO SEE PARTICULAR TYPES OF MONKEYS ON THEIR JOURNEY. OUR SPECIALISTS ORGANISE THAT. THAT’S NOT NORMAL.”

INTO CONTENT:

YOU WANT SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. IF YOU WANT TO SEE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF MONKEY ON YOUR JOURNEY, OUR SPECIALISTS CAN ORGANISE THAT. WE’RE FAR FROM YOUR BASIC TRAVEL AGENCY”

@ELDEVRI

FROM STRATEGIC DISCUSSION WITH THE TEAM:

“PEOPLE PAY £10,000 - THEY WANT EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES AND THEY WANT TO SEE PARTICULAR TYPES OF MONKEYS ON THEIR JOURNEY. OUR SPECIALISTS ORGANISE THAT. THAT’S NOT NORMAL.”

INTO CONTENT:

YOU WANT SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. IF YOU WANT TO SEE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF MONKEY ON YOUR JOURNEY, OUR SPECIALISTS CAN ORGANISE THAT. WE’RE FAR FROM YOUR BASIC TRAVEL AGENCY”

@ELDEVRI

DEVELOP A LANGUAGE PALETTE.

@ELDEVRI

DEVELOP A LANGUAGE PALETTE.

Values

Learn, share, learn, share.Every individual who works with us has the opportunity to

learn, to develop their voice and cultivate their ideas.

Our industry was built by people spreading what they’ve

learned. We embrace that same spirit of generosity, which

is why we’re an enthusiastic body of mentors, writers,

bloggers, public speakers and events organisers.

Proposition statement

We work together with organisations of all sizes to tackle thorny problems, navigate their complexities, and uncover fresh opportunities.

We take a responsible approach to designing a clear digital strategy which leads to creating purposeful products and services.

Responsible design.

Differentiators

We work together inside our clients’ organisations so that we share our knowledge… and so the process rubs off on them.

TYPI NON HABENT CLARITATEM INSITAM; EST USUS LEGENTIS IN IIS QUI FACIT EORUM CLARITATEM. INVESTIGATIONES DEMONSTRAVERUNT

DUIS AUTEM VEL EUM IRIURE DOLOR IN HENDRERIT IN VULPUTATE VELIT ESSE MOLESTIE CONSEQUAT, VEL ILLUM DOLORE EU FEUGIAT NULLA FACILISIS AT VERO EROS ET ACCUMSAN ET IUSTO ODIO DIGNISSIM QUI BLANDIT PRAESENT LUPTATUM ZZRIL DELENIT AUGUE DUIS.

We work together inside our clients’ organisations so that we share our knowledge and the process rubs off on them.

www.voiceandtone.com

@ELDEVRI

DO IT YOUR WAY.

@ELDEVRI

BEFORE YOUR LANGUAGE BECOMES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUR BRAND AGENCY, YOUR COPYWRITER, OR YOUR SEO AGENCY, IT’S YOURS.

IT’S THE MEETING POINT BETWEEN YOU, YOUR STRATEGY, YOUR PURPOSE, YOUR AFFINITY WITH USERS’ SENSE OF WHAT IS MEANINGFUL, YOUR DISTINCTIVE VOICE, AND YOUR CULTURE. OWN IT.

@ELDEVRI

LET’S GO.

@ELDEVRI

OUR TASKS NOW:

1. DISCOVER USERS’ LANGUAGE 2. DEVELOP A DISTINCTIVE VOICE 3. DEVELOP AN ARCHETYPE

@ELDEVRI

IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND YOUR ‘THING’

@ELDEVRI

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO WORK ON TODAY?

@ELDEVRI

FICTIONAL OPTIONS: A NEW MAGAZINE A PAIR OF JEANS AN ECO-KETTLE A WEBSITE FOR A HOTEL

@ELDEVRI

TASK 1: A HYPOTHETICAL JOURNEY TO DISCOVER MESSAGES USERS NEED TO HEAR.

@ELDEVRI

WHO ARE YOUR AUDIENCE?

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

THE 5 GOLDEN QUESTIONS.

@ELDEVRI

1. WHAT ARE THEY SKEPTICAL ABOUT IN RELATION TO WHAT YOU OFFER?

@ELDEVRI

2. WHAT PROBLEMS DO THEY HAVE IN RELATION TO THE THING YOU’RE OFFERING?

@ELDEVRI

3. WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN INTERESTED/USED IT/KNOWN IT BEFORE?

@ELDEVRI

4. WHAT’S DIFFERENT NOW THAT YOU’VE COME ALONG WITH YOUR ‘THING’.

@ELDEVRI

5. PAINT A PRETTY PICTURE OF THEIR LIFE NOW THAT THEY’VE HAPPILY WORKED WITH / LISTENED TO YOU.

@ELDEVRI

TEST THESE THEORIES RESEARCH THESE QUESTIONS SPEAK TO USERS SPEAK TO STAKEHOLDERS SPEAK TO THE TEAM HARVEST LANGUAGES

@ELDEVRI

CIRCLE THE CONCEPTS THAT STAND OUT:

Joy wants to feel like she has agency, and that she is being given the right tools to make change happen in her community.

She needs to know that she is not putting herself in danger, with strong advice on how to stay safe in her communications.

@ELDEVRI

WHAT THE USERS SAY THEY NEED GIVES SHAPE TO YOUR SHAPE.

MESSAGING MICRO-COPY

VALUES

DIFFERENTIATORS

TONE OF VOICE

ARCHITECTURE

DIGITAL BRAND

CONTENT PRINCIPLES

@ELDEVRI

TASK 2: DEVELOPING A DISTINCTIVE VOICE.

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

TASK 3: GIVE YOUR PRODUCT AN ARCHETYPE.

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

@ELDEVRI

WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?

@ELDEVRI

START LOOKING OUT FOR LANGUAGE THAT IS NOT FRESH, THAT DOESN’T FEEL AUTHENTIC.

@ELDEVRI

PICK UP ON BULLSH*T OR LACK OF CLARITY FOR THERE LIES GOLD.

@ELDEVRI

LISTEN HARVEST USE TEST.

@ELDEVRI

INVITE PEOPLE TO CLARIFY EVEN THE SIMPLEST VOCABULARY.

@ELDEVRI

PLAY. EXPERIMENT.

@ELDEVRI

NOTATE NOTATE NOTATE.

@ELDEVRI

DON’T FORGET THE MAGIC POWER OF LANGUAGE TO FORM AN INSPIRING BOND.

@ELDEVRI

HIRE A CONTENT STRATEGIST.

@ELDEVRI

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

TOODLEPIP. ELLEN DE VRIES.