
It’s winter here in Michigan. Time to hibernate, declutter, and prepare for the year ahead – and maybe even indulge in some R&R.
A little R&R can be good for your digital content, too. Not the rest-and-relaxation kind; I’m talking about review and revisions. One of the digital content’s biggest strengths is that it can be updated at any time – no reprint costs, no (or minimal) redistribution costs. It only takes a little time and effort to review your content, evaluate its effectiveness, and renew topics with the most impact. And what better time than the start of a new year?
While reviewing and revising your content, consider a few other R-words, as well: Reduce, Rewrite, Recycle, Refresh, and Revisit. These can guide your content cleanup as well as shape and sharpen your message.
Review What You’ve Published
Start by reviewing your primary digital content: website, landing pages, ads, eBooks, infographics, tip sheets – anything that clients or prospects can access. Updating these documents are your top priority. Next, focus on your social posts. Look carefully at each piece. Is the content correct? Does it reflect your business tone? Are there typos or grammar don’ts? Fix these issues, then move on to the other concerns.
Reduce Your Words
If you cut your writer’s teeth in newspaper journalism, you’ve experienced what a copy editor can do. They slash away unnecessary words until all that’s left is a clear and highly readable message. If you haven’t personally experienced the editor’s red pen, do yourself – and your readers – a favor by becoming your own ruthless copy editor. Once you’ve written content, step away from it for a while. Let it age overnight. Review it with fresh eyes and the detached discipline of an editor, and slash away. Repeat as necessary.
Rewrite Dated Copy
Let three words be your mantra: Ban Business Jargon.
Words can date your content every bit as much as old graphics. Today’s “disruptive” is yesterday’s “synergy.” Ditch the business-ese. Keeping it in your content is like sporting a 70s mustache. It doesn’t make you look smarter. It doesn’t make your product or service more appealing. (And if you routinely use leverage as a verb instead of a noun, we can’t be friends.)
That being said, there is a place for some tabloid-style terminology in your content, and that place is social media. Social media copy is timely, but temporary. Words like “amazing,” “exclusive,” and “check it out” are acceptable for social posts because they grab readers’ attention and keep them reading. And most readers won’t scroll back in your posts to see what you wrote six months ago. But use them sparingly in your social posts, or you’ll sound like a late-night infomercial.
Recycle Solid Content
Want to help save the earth? Recycle. Want to save valuable time? Recycle. Look for ways that existing content can be revised or updated. Add new information, new graphics, and/or a new call to action. Turn a blog into an informational article and submit it to a trade publication or local media. Or rejuvenate the piece by transforming it into an infographic or a tip sheet. These are easy ways to extend the lifespan of your content and get the most mileage from your message.
Refresh Keywords
I have a love/hate relationship with keywords in digital content. As a marketing specialist, I know they have the power to attract readers/potential clients. But as a copywriter, keywords can feel like shackles, limiting what I can write and how I can write it. (If you’ve ever tried to fit a long-tail keyword into a short blog multiple times, you’ve felt my pain.)
But keywords are the key to getting your online content read. Online research is the first step many, if not most, clients take before making a significant purchase. So, your keywords should reflect exactly what you can offer. And as your business changes, your keywords should change, too. Refresh keywords annually, especially if you’ve added a new product or service, expanded your business area, or tapped into a new client base.
Revisit Links
Updating the links is an easy, effective way to add impact to your digital content. As you review your website, look for opportunities to add internal links – links that take the reader to another area of the website. Do the same for any blogs, you’ve published; you may need to add some new copy to make the link fit naturally in the context of the blog.
Add and update external links, as well. External links direct the reader to other sites for additional information. Don’t worry about momentarily taking your reader away from your content; solid external links can help your content by reinforcing your reputation as a credible source and encouraging backlinks to your site.
Finally, double check all your links to make sure they’re in working order and are still linking to the information you want to pass on to your readers.
Summing It Up
The time you invest in reviewing and revising your content can generate new leads, new interest in what you offer, and a more professional image. If you don’t have the time, contact a marketing specialist who can polish your content and make it shine.