Anyone who runs a blog connected to a business should occasionally take time to explain what they do. This is doubly important when your idea of what you do changes on a regular basis! So here’s my attempt. I’ll try (for once) to be brief.
I’ll follow up this post in the next few days with another one talking about my plans for this blog over the next year.
My bread and butter: Flagship web content for small-medium businesses
Most of my projects at the moment involve working with a small or medium business person who’s building a new website, and wants the words on the site to be as professional and compelling as the site design. I mostly work on highly visible “flagship” static content like home pages, “about us” pages, product descriptions, FAQs and targeted landing pages.
As my business name suggests, my focus is on content that enhances usability – that helps people get what they’re looking for (information, products and services, or human contact) as quickly and enjoyably as possible. I like working with clients who believe in creating a great user experience as the best way of attracting new customers, and turning existing customers into fanatically loyal fans.
Anybody who writes copy for the web needs to know the basics of Search Engine Optimisation. I’m no exception, but because of my focus on usability I choose not to describe myself as an “SEO copywriter”. I want to work with clients who put the user experience first. If people need a specialised SEO focus I would rather refer them on.
My growing sideline: Stakeholder communication for large business
Last year I had the wonderful opportunity to work with one of Australia’s biggest companies, updating the Corporate Responsibility area of their website and producing a report on their programs in support of Indigenous Australians.
This is a kind of work I’d love to do more of. I think I understand how to write for multiple audiences simultaneously, and this served me well producing documents to be read by shareholders, employees, customers, community partners and the general public. Whether it’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) work or other kinds of stakeholder reporting (such as annual reports), I like to think this will be a growing area of my business.
Just starting out: Content strategy
“Content strategy” is a popular buzzword in the web industry at the moment. At its most basic, it means thinking systematically about your business goals and what kind of online content you need to achieve them – as well as the logistics of who will write it, how often, using what guidelines, and how it will be published.
I already do this in an informal way – for example, I frequently give clients advice about blogging and other kinds of regularly updated content that they produce themselves. But this is something I can see becoming a lot more systematic over the next couple of years. It might even end up being the main thing I do.
So that’s it.
I hope that satisfies anyone who’s curious. Need to say, if you need any of the services I’ve mentioned, I’d love to hear from you at angus@usablewords.com.
