Arthur Jones

There are so many ways to update content, and you don't always have to do a heavy edit, rework or cut. Sometimes, you could make a blog or article more effective by adding quotes from subject matter experts, smart linking to additional resources, adding media like video or even just tweaking your title and introduction copy. The trick here is to keep measuring and learning from what works and doesn't.

Choosing content types relies heavily on your customer research. Where are they spending their time, and what are they looking for? The content types will change according to their purpose and place on your marketing funnel. You need *extensive* and *always-on* customer research, and you must know precisely what your product or service offers. That helps define (and refine) your content strategy, channels and types. You need to do testing all the time to ensure your content stays on target. Your goal is to know what your target audience wants to hear across the buyer journey and how you can dovetail that with your commercial goals. That will help determine the rest, such as content type, channel, frequency, etc.

There are two methods to keep in mind with your content planning and updating. Firstly, don't underestimate the power of repurposing. You're probably sitting with a wealth of evergreen content already created, which can be reworked into new formats to gain more engagement and achieve marketing KPIs. Secondly, pay attention to your distribution strategy. It requires as much time and effort investment as your content planning. Spend time to see how your content can live in other channels and through new partnerships with other creators and brands can unlock much greater growth. You want strategic distribution across as many high-quality channels as possible.

Everything you write should provide a service or have a purpose. Here's where journalism principles can offer helpful guidelines in crafting engaging writing. The most powerful way to share information is through storytelling, and it all starts with an attention-grabbing hook, angle or opening lead. That should start a tight narrative, where concise copy offers a logical, easy-to-follow plot. It's important to remember that this should include more than just facts or details. It should show *why* it matters to your reader in one meaningful, concise, service-driven narrative. To get this right, you must interview the right people and ask the right questions. It's a crucial ingredient of purpose-driven writing.

I like to use a '3S' framework: Simple, short, and specific. Albert Einstein said it best: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." Cut unnecessary words and jargon, make it active, and focus on the specifics that make your company unique. If you don't know what those are, interview the correct stakeholders to get them. Once you have those insights, you must explain the company's purpose in direct, simple terms: why was it created? Another great quote for this challenge: "Good writing is clear thinking made visible." Bill Wheeler

Adding the right metadata can provide a host of SEO benefits and better search engine rankings, but the most important and most inclusive reason is that it offers more accessibility — especially for visually impaired users. Alt text and descriptive file names help these users understand the content of images when using screen readers. Also, when images are labelled correctly, it can help reduce bounce rates and drive longer on-page dwell time.