The content strategy has been a key pillar of the overall marketing strategy in most notable organizations. However, in recent times, the UX content strategy is making its presence felt more than ever.
What’s the difference, one might ask. Well, just an attractive and functional design is not enough; you need compelling content to make it work. A compelling UX & content design includes researching, testing and re-iterating wire-frames to create functional MVPs and sampling the prototype with the right sample audience. UX content strategists strive to strike the right tone to match the desired voice or personality of the brand.
Content written specifically to aid the UX of a product or service is the UX Content Strategy. Unlike regular copywriting, UX writers are handed the task of writing crisp, brief copy or phrases that best describe a product or service to the end user. Content should also be tailored to the device that it is being created since the UX for a tablet or phone differs from that of a laptop screen. Progressive enhancement depending on the screen size must be incorporated in the overall UX content strategy.
While everyone agrees that having a UX content strategy is absolutely vital, one should definitely define a framework for generating, moderating and executing relevant content. Below pointers can come handy while setting up the UX content framework:
The purpose of articulating a strategy is to design content to achieve business objectives. The content strategy has to demarcate one single, central message that can be reinforced by the entire UX content matrix. The UX content strategists have to work on effective content blueprints to structure an effective storyboard keeping in mind the audience of the content.
Structure is an essential part of UX content design. It defines the shape and thought-process behind how the content dictates what the strategy is trying to say. It arranges the content according to the priority and relevance by mapping messages to content, bridging details and stitching it together, such that it makes sense.
As the word suggests, workflow dictates how content is managed and updated on a regular basis as per different exclusive or dependent roles and tools required to do so.
This is the part of the strategy that most UX content strategists Google for suggestions! Governance defines the policies, intermittent standards, and standard operating procedures that regulate content and its application in the organization in the present and in the future. This doesn’t mean that old content can’t be reused; it just might need some rework!
Have you ever used a mobile application with a seemingly attractive interface but poorly structured content? Yes, we all have! Even the most efficient website design can be rendered useless by bad content. It’s one of the biggest differentiators between apps that have higher ‘bounce’ and those who don’t.
The right content in UX can improve the navigation on the app and help the user find what he or she is looking for thereby improving conversion. In doing so, the content lends a definitive voice to the brand that serves as a prominent differentiator from its competitors. The right content in the right place is like an effective store manager who can assist the customer right from the shopping aisle to the billing desk.
For the UX content strategy to work, the writing has to be on point. It’s a delicate balance between user-centric design and regular copywriting. This style of writing is all about appealing to the end users, helping them fulfill their need and building the right recall to the company and the brand.
Every product has unique features and attributes that appeal to a certain set of customers. As a UX writer, it is up to to you to understand the product and give it a unique voice such that you can communicate everything the user needs to know. The product description must have articulate clearly demonstrate the characteristics while also establishing factors of differentiation over others in the market. For example, check out Paytm Money app tone and personality; it not only explains everything in detail but also accompanies the conversation with micro-interactions.
When it comes to UX & content design the messaging has to be consistent throughout. The product description, the website copy, the call to action, et cetera, everything about the brand must be cohesive. Customers must form and maintain the same impression of the brand with every growing interaction. For example, check out Grades Don’t Matter app tone, right from the name of the company to its punch line ‘Learn on the go’, every minute detail talks consistently.
Every product caters to a different customer demographic which has its own unique set of tastes and preferences. While scripting conversations, make sure that you address the users in a way that it is familiar to them. Copy written with this intent is highest on conversion. For example, check out PS Group, a real estate web app language, it’s punch line is ‘It’s Family Time’.
A/B testing is very important to figure out what works. Play around with different formats of UX content and design and compare them with relevant metrics like click-through-rate, open rates, placed order, downloads, et cetera. When you stumble upon a formula that works, replicate and rule!
UX content designers work with cross-disciplinary teams to enable work functionality. They often receive business insights and user data from the research and analytics team that they translate into useful content. This content has to then be coordinated with the design team for the creation of seamless UX. Hence, coordination is a daily process that involves the prioritization, structuring, and placement of content on the interface.
Content is a crucial part of the overall UX strategy. It can make or break the user experience. The synchronicity between these two disciplines can go a long way in appeasing the customers and achieving the overall business goals.
