Lose the Crutches, Let Your Client’s Message Run Free

If you want your content to really take off, you might have to shake off a few crutches.

The New York Times regularly reviews its content for usage and style. Last week, Philip B. Corbett shared the "Words We Love Too Much" in the publication's After Deadline feature.

It's a fascinating read if you're into words. Read it and realize that we in Web design, marketing, or communications should learn plenty of lessons from the Times' experience.

I've been in the media and marketing communications for a good long time now. Those years have included writing and editing for various employers, penning personal blogs, freelance work, sports and entertainment profiles and reviews, and all kinds of other forms of communications, marketing, and media writing.

In many cases, I've lost track of what I've written, where, and why. I can't even hazard a guess as to how many words I've typed. I've written thousands of blogs, tens of thousands of articles and marketing pieces...

So it's safe to say that I've likely accumulated some crutches along that long and winding road.

Writing for yourself, by yourself is one thing. It's more forgivable if you follow into certain patterns, use certain terms, or follow certain archetypes in your content creation. If we are being charitable, we can consider it creating our 'style.'

As I mentioned, I've forgotten more of what I've written than I remember. But I also know that I can recognize my writing, even if it's a couple of decades old. I can also usually pinpoint when it was written based upon my growth – after all, even though I thought I knew everything about writing coming out of university, I've since learned how much I didn't know. I thought I was good then; I'm a lot better now. And I continue to work to be better, faster, and more effective.

But when it comes to writing for clients, those patterns can be dangerous. And it's something of which we as a creative class (in which I'll include front and back-end developers, artists and art directors, graphic designers, photographers, and writers) need to be not just aware, but hyper-vigilant.

When working with a client, we have to subjugate our ego. It isn't about what we want, but rather how can we use our skills, talent, and experience to ensure that the client's goals are met, message is sent, and identity is reflected in the best way possible.

Simply put, I want people reading the client's copy to think that the client wrote it. If too much of me leaks through, then I haven't succeeded. Same goes for imagery, format, style, and design. If solutions mirror each other too much, then we've imposed a style upon them, as opposed to letting their style shine through.

How do you avoid this? Like most things in the world, obtaining knowledge that's both deep and wide helps. You can focus a mile deep on a topic and be an expert, but if your breadth of knowledge is only an inch wide, then you're guaranteed to fall into that trap.

Read

I tend to say this a lot, but it's important. Don't just read the things that are in your wheelhouse, but explore topics outside of your field of interest. Follow links and delve into new topics. Think laterally. Some people say it's staying on top of trends, but I like to think of it as adding to your toolbox.

For example, sports writing has some of the best and most inventive writing around? Why? Because it's pure drugery having to pump out copy about the 70th non-descript game in an increasingly monotonous regular season. The same applies for marketing copy -- how do you make something about which you've written multiple times sound different? 

Remember, staying trendy only contributes to that "sameness" you're trying to avoid. Developing a unique solution comes from having a variety of tools in your toolbox – and having the knowledge and expertise in how to use them.

Diversify your skills

Wherever possible, try to apply your skills to new tasks and opportunities. I grew up in sports and news media, but have branched out to health writing, marketing, entertainment and theatre reviews, speechwriting, etc. I've dabbled in photography (thinking I'm better than I am), and I volunteer with a few different causes.

I guess if there's a defining character in what I do, it's about listening to other people's stories, interests, and goals. I find I learn more about myself and my beliefs by tempering my assumptions with other perspectives. It helps me learn and grow – and, from a content perspective, helps me understand what messages resonate and why.

Watch/read advertising

With the advent of PVRs, it's easy to skip over ads. With iPods and on-line music resources, it's simple to live an ad-free existence. But, at least in the content world, it's important to see what's out there. And, more importantly, understand why.

Watch for the words, images, and messaging that are being used. It's always important to understand the market -- especially when it comes to your client's competition – but by no means copy it.

Understand the game, but don't play it

Recently I read yet another article eulogizing SEO. I'll get to why it's painfully wrong in a future post, but the concept behind the article has some merit.

We still live in a world of content shysters who try to game the system – and that's where these birth and death articles erroneously focus their attention. But these are just tactics.

The true value of a reputable content-creation and/or design professional comes from the ability to cut through the flash and dash and focus on the heart of the matter. More and more, the steak is mattering more than the sizzle (thank the Google for that), and the only future-proof solution is one based on quality content and design that meets the needs of your customer base.

Conclusion

It's normal to fall into patterns. After all, we all find things (words, images, colours, designs) that we love. And while that may be fine for our personal/vanity projects, it's a disservice to our clients.

The best way to avoid "me" shining through is simple business basics – focus on the customer and his or her needs. Make sure you lose the crutches and let your client's message run free.