Many companies don’t see the need to hire outside counsel when developing content. That’s a huge mistake and here’s why…
1. For the foreseeable future, people will continue to read.
It’s how they are reading that’s changing. While you might be a subject matter expert, you likely aren’t focused on how people search for and consume content online – and how that consumption is evolving. Outside counsel can provide value by streamlining your message, and optimizing the corresponding content so that your core audiences can find clear information about you and your organization quickly.
2. When is the last time you tried writing a personal statement? It’s difficult, isn’t it?
When we are consumed in a subject, we often can’t see the forest for the trees – we are unable to think objectively about who we are, what we do, and why people should care. Outside counsel provides a fresh perspective for eliciting the words, phrases and ideas that best define you. Perhaps more importantly, they will be able to identify nebulous, esoteric or confusing concepts and ideas that you may be pushing online.
3. The Stream is made up entirely of data – and who has time to wade through all that information?
Outside counsel can provide valuable research and analysis on how people are searching for and consuming – or, as is often the case, not consuming – your web content. As writing is often a subjective discipline, data helps to establish for your organization definitive proof of what your audiences do and do not like about what you are writing online.
4. As Mark Twain once said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”
Content experts are trained to think about web consumption – and consumption is quick. If users don’t find what they’re looking for quickly, they simply leave your site. You might write a brilliant page of content, but if it’s not edited to identify key points quickly, and serve people who are looking to establish – in mere seconds – who you are and what you do, they’re gone. And writing short, actionable copy takes time.
That’s where we come in.
5. When reading online, people scan, they do not read.
The research may vacillate on this point, but the fact of the matter is that people only read engaging content. If they’re looking for information quickly, they are not engaging. This lighting-quick consumption of content demands not only an understanding of content development and editing, but also, editorial page structure and design. Sub headings, bullets, numerals instead of spelled-out numbers are among the many tactics to simplify the scanning process for your readers. We know, it goes against AP style and every other rule of grammar you’ve ever learned.
So do yourself a favor, submit to hiring people who think about these issues in their sleep – people like us.
By Will Sullivan
Feature image courtesy of Rahego – Flickr Creative Commons
