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Online Presence Research Report Reviewing the Jet Cooper website and blog strategy
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Online Presence Research Report Reviewing the Jet Cooper website and blog strategy
Satish Kanwar
Prepared For
Partner satish@jetcooper.com
Verne Ho Partner verne@jetcooper.com
Arati Sharma Operations Lead arati@jetcooper.com
Prepared By
Jet Cooper
Medina Abdelkader Communications Intern medina@jetcooper.com
Document
Version 1.1 | March 13, 2012 This document should be amended according to evolving Jet Cooper practices. As with the posts themselves, our online strategy should be highly iterative and scale with the growth of the company.
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Preamble
Hello,
Digital products are our oeuvre. The Jet Cooper website & blog are not only the portal through which we communicate, they are also a manifestation of the products of which we claim to be experts. As such, we have a responsibility to leverage our virtual real estate in a way that embodies what we do. By not treating the blog as a product, we do a disservice to the work we produce. If we approach our online presence with the same meticulous care that we approach our clients’ products, we guarantee the quality and accountability that we so avidly advocate.
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Overview
1.0 Content
In this report
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders. 1.1 Caution against vanity metrics i. Actionable metrics ii. Accessible metrics iii. Auditable metrics 1.2 The analytics 1.3 Identifying and targeting stakeholders 1.4 Filling a niche; Jet Cooper as connector 1.5 Best practices of industry blogs 1.6 Economics of length 1.7 Online reading patterns 1.8 Action
2.0 Cadence Reconciling the company tone with that of its individual contributors. 2.1 Capturing company voice 2.2 Storytelling 2.2.2 Building the story 2.3 Hooks i. Titles & teasers ii. Series 2.4 Action
3.0 Community Addressing all groups and establishing feedback loops 3.1. Events 3.2. Effective feedback loops & listening strategies i. Target active users ii. Teach iii. Provide rewards iv. Go where your readers are 3.3 Encouraging feedback 3.4 Types of contributors 3.5 Action
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Overview
In this report (con’d)
4.0 Implementation Action for the short- and long-term
4.1 Quick fixes for the homepage
4.2 T-model 4.3 Interconnectivity 4.4 Lifecycle of a post 4.5 Action
Appendix A. Referenced material B. Quick action guide
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1.0
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders.
against vanity metrics 1.1 Caution
Content
Basic analytics give us a sense of the blog’s general exposure. But there are limits to quantifying the success of the blog - vanity metrics say very little about the handful of influential users that are perhaps more important than having high traffic (see 3.2 Effective feedback loops and listening strategies). Alternative metrics can be established to gauge the success and progress we achieve on the blog on our own terms. In an article written for the Harvard Business Review, Eric Ries
identifies that alternative metrics should be actionable, accessible,
i. Actionable metrics
and auditable.
Are inherently reproducible. There should be clear indicators about how to reproduce the action that caused the metric in the first place. ii. Accessible metrics Should be comprehensible to people externally and internally. Instead of observing solely traffic through the website, perhaps this means observing the quality and tone of the comments generated through posts iii. Auditable metrics Metrics should be credible and accurate to all those who drive the vision of the product, or in the case, the blog. We should be able to use these values to comprehensively review and objectively access progress. This means that generating a report is simple and that it relies on data that is objective and easily accessed.
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2.0
Content
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders.
1.2 The analytics
Top Pages
How long our visitors stay
Keeping visitors on the site
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Drawing visitors back to the site
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1.0
Content
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders.
Running a workshop with some of the team drew out several key
1.3 Identifying and targeting
stakeholders of the Jet Cooper blog. Generating a matrix points to
stakeholders
several key areas that these stakeholders might be interested in reading about. This is a working document that should evolve over time and recognize that the order of importance will vary from post to post.
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1.0
Content
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders.
To continue the blog-as-product concept, we should identify a
1.4 Filling a niche -
niche for the company blog to fill. Through team workshops, we
Jet Cooper as
were able to identify interconnectivity as one of the strongest
connector
elements of successful content on the Jet Cooper blog. Jet Cooper is successful because it has positioned itself in the market as a bridge between design, development, user experience and quality assurance, as well as its sales, customer relationships and overall strategy. Because interconnectivity comes naturally to Jet Cooper, it is one of the simplest tactics to implement. By ensuring that each post combines a range of topics, we can address a number of communities and stakeholders at once while firmly rooting our position as design experts.
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1.0
Content
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders.
i. Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/blog/)
1.5 Best practices of industry blogs
Have posts that speak in the first person and tell great stories (anecdotes that reveal aspects of the author’s personality and company culture)
ii. Teehan + Lax (http://www.teehanlax.com/blog/) Posts that make poignant arguments (often with a subtle structure akin to narrative essays) and take a strong position.
iii. Happy Cog (http://cognition.happycog.com/) Brand their blogs as distinct, but still part of, the website.
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1.0
Content
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders.
iv. Radian 6 (http://www.radian6.com/blog/)
1.5 Best practices
Play host to a variety of media that serve different purposes and
of industry blogs
online consumption habits.
(con’d)
v. 37signals (http://37signals.com/svn) Embed a stream of consciousness (weaves a web of links within articles and connects corners of the blog)
vi. hootsuite (http://blog.hootsuite.com/) Create consistent features or series that can be resources for blog readers.
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1.0
Content
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders.
1.6 Economics of length
According to an analysis of the Technorati Top 100 (eliminating those not published in the English language, and those not identifiable as conventional blogs), designer and producer Stuart Brown took an average word count of the ten most recent posts on each blog. The results revealed that short posts were the most common (between 100 and 249 words) and medium posts were the next best thing (250 - 499 words). Anything above or below was not hugely common.
Distribution of Blog Post Word Counts based on the Technorati Top 100
While this range might seem quite short, remember that blog posts can (and should, where possible) be accompanied by visual references that support the written content.
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1.0
Content
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders.
It can be valuable to understanding online reading patterns to get a
1.7 Online reading
sense of where to place hooks and structure posts based how
patterns
people read. Findings from Nielsen Norman Group’s reveal a fairly distinct f-pattern in subjects observed using eye-tracking heatmaps.
Online Reading Patterns
findings discovered by Nielson Norman Group
i. Users first read in a horizontal movement, usually across the upper part of the content area. ii. Next, users move slightly down the page, and then read across in a second horizontal movement. This second movement usually covers less area than the last. This forms the F’s lower bar. iii. Finally, users vertically scan the left side of content, sometimes slowly and systematically (appears as a solid stripe on an eyetracking heatmap) and sometimes quickly (creating a spottier heatmap). This forms the stem of the F.
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1.0
Content
Generating content that reaches all of our stakeholders.
i. Plan your posts Use the stakeholder matrix as a tool and to craft your content to address three or four stakeholders
1.8 Action
ii. Stay in tune with blog content Be sure the content you generate does not contradict or replicate past posts by other team members. This is a common problem among blogs with multiple contributors iii. Review other industry blogs Get inspired by reading the kind of content that other companies generate. This also helps to make sure the Jet Cooper blog does not replicate other industry blogs. iv. Create a stream of consciousness Be sure to link back to other blog posts the team has generated to keep people clicking through content. v. Incentivize Give people a reason to come back to the blog. Boast upcoming announcements, create a rewards system, etc. vi. Establish metrics Clearly articulate how you as a team are going to measure the success of the blog. Do you want the blog to better reflect company culture? Increase conversation on the blog?
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2.0
Cadence
Reconciling the company tone with that of its individual contributors.
2.2 Capturing
The benefit of using a variety of media in the blog is that you can
company voice
(often literally) capture the voice of a company. Photos, videos, drawings and conversation-based posts say much more than just words. They also communicate a kind of behind-the-scenes sentiment that humanizes the Jet Cooper experience and gives it a kind of physicality that is hugely important for companies that generate virtual products. A 2004 research collaboration between Stanford and the University of California that “blogging is as much about reading as writing, as much about listening as talking.” It is incredibly important for users and contributors of the blog to utilize a variety of writers, both to generate unique posts that appeal to a wide range of readers and to serve as a reflective exercise for team members. The key to maintaining the company voice then, is simple; do not force it. Establish some core company values and allow each writer to develop their own narrative within these values. The blog audience is not a homogenous, fixed group and neither are its contributors. Thus, the blog should reflect multiple voices while reflecting core company competencies and values. In theory, allowing contributors to find their own voice should allow for more creative freedom and help alleviate barriers to blogging.
2.1 Storytelling
The ability to tell a story through the blog is absolutely vital to its success. Blogs are somewhat self-indulgent - it places the company in the center of the narrative, with its readers orbiting on the periphery. Telling a story reels in blog readers and allows them to contribute to the conversation by unconsciously drawing the readers’ empathy. Storytelling is largely dialogical insofar as users can relate to the story being told. In fairytales, stories often have tidy resolutions that end and leave the reader satisfied. But the stories we tell in the context of the Jet Cooper blog are often ongoing - think of blog posts as chapters in a book with no ending. It’s extremely powerful because it generates a kind of suspense that encourages readers to
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Cadence
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become regular readers and perhaps even contribute to the Jet
2.3 Storytelling
Cooper story.
(con’d)
Being part of the storytelling process is also incredibly important to
figure 1 “Once upon a time a man out of his morning stroll came upon three bricklayers busy at work. The man was curious to know what they were building and asked the first bricklayer what he was doing. The bricklayer replied irritably that he was busy laying bricks. What did it look like?! Since this really gave the man no further insight into what they were building, he went on to ask the next bricklayer. The bricklayer gave him a quick glance and answered that he was busy building a wall. The man moved on and reached the third bricklayer who was whistling merrily. He decided to ask one last time. The bricklayer stopped working, mopped his brow and replied proudly: ”I’m building the town’s next cathedral.” c/o Storytelling: Branding in Practice
self-worth of team members. Being recognized as an integral cog of company activities and a core character in the Jet Cooper story becomes a motivating beacon that not only drives productivity, but also creates a positive, inclusive working environment for all team members. It holds the potential to create ownership, especially for employees who are new to the company culture. Figure 1 is a great anecdote demonstrating that “if employees can identify with the company’s core story, they will also proudly share that story.” The bricklayer shares the story of the cathedral he is part of because he feels part of something bigger and more important than himself. Effective storytelling also increases feedback loops. The blog can become more of an open-source story where readers are encouraged to contribute and be part of the conversation by responding on twitter, posting comments, etc. - allowing our stakeholders, who are typically outside of the Jet Cooper’s core, to interact with the story.
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2.0
Cadence
Reconciling the company tone with that of its individual contributors.
2.2.2 Building
Fog and Budtz argue that there are four primary elements of
the story
storytelling (figure 2) and various stages within a story that we can use for reference (figure 3).
figure 2
figure 3
Fog and Budtz argue that because people are constantly looking to achieve balance, “a good story centers on the struggle to attain, defend or regain harmony.” Great design serves to bring order to chaos and as such, Jet Cooper has the perfect vantage point to document the journey whilst maintaining and extrapolating on our position as industry experts.
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2.0
Cadence
Reconciling the company tone with that of its individual contributors.
i. Titles & teasers
2.3 Hooks
Post titles can be hugely instrumental in drawing in readers. Kissmetrics is a great example of a blog that generates posts with great titles.
The trick is to generate titles that are not directly motivated by the sale of Jet Cooper products but address common plights that are clever and readers can relate to. Post titles can be quite casual and allude (even just a hint) to what the reader can expect. It is also valuable to embed teasers for other posts throughout the blog and off the homepage (see 4.1 Quick fixes for the homepage for some examples of how to do that). Teasers can be excerpts or snapshots that not only urge readers to move through the website but show a dynamic range of media. Creative titles and teasers also begin to reflect their respective writers and lend themselves well to establishing the individual voice and/or signatures of the blog’s contributors. ii. Series The value of creating a series within the blog is threefold; firstly, it establishes a continuity and flow that blogs with multiple contributors often lack; secondly, it generates consistent content that readers will come to expect, hopefully improving the rate of returning users. And thirdly, it creates an internal precedent wherein contributors have a responsibility to produce this content on a regular basis.
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2.0
Cadence
Reconciling the company tone with that of its individual contributors.
i. Review, review, review Be sure that your content not only reflects your intent, but that it also projects Jet Cooper culture and firmly roots our expertise in design.
2.4 Action
ii. Have a thesis or bottom line And make sure that you stay on-point and articulate as you move through your ideas iii. Build a story Approach each both like a chapter in the Jet Cooper story. Who are the key players in your story (team members, clients, event organizers, etc)? What kind of conflict or climax appears? How does your post elevate the Jet Cooper narrative? Is it a captivating story to read? iv. Talk out your idea Preferably discuss it with someone that can give you feedback. Record the conversation and listen to it after. Not only will it reveal insight, but also it frees individuals of the urge of take extensive notes. Talking it out also helps to infuse your post with some personality. v. Observe online reading patterns Use heatmap analysis to position your hooks and the most vital points of your post.
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3.0
Community
Addressing all groups and establishing feedback loops
The best event posts should be clear and concise. Unless the event
3.1 Events
is tied to a specific cause that requires background information, posts should cover the who, what, when, where & why, accompanied by a logo or event from a past year and Jet Cooper’s affiliation with the event. Types of event posts i. Promotional Released 3 to 5 days before the event, works to promote a Jet Cooper or community event, with pertinent details only. ii. Past event Describes Jet Cooper’s presence at a past event, with a short description of why it is relevant to the company. iii. Partner & sponsored events Usually more in-depth, this post should cover Jet Cooper’s involvement with the event, the event’s alignment with Jet Cooper goals and values and should showcase the work (and process, if applicable) the company contributed.
3.2 Effective
For this system to be effective, the aim is to increase input and
feedback loops
output - that is to say that the Jet Cooper blog should strive to increase opportunities for contribution and in turn keep the
and listening
conversation going by responding promptly to feedback we receive.
strategies
Research suggests a strong correlation between popularity (attention a piece of online material received) and productivity (tendency to contribute). So content produced on the blog needs to gain more attention in order to increase contributions from its readers.
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3.0
Community
Addressing all groups and establishing feedback loops
i. Target active users
3.3 Encouraging feedback
Blog traffic is considered a vanity metric until you generate feedback and stimulate discussion. By targeting the networks who are more likely to share the material through their websites, blogs etc., you increase the reach of the content. ii. Teach Becoming a resource for readers to learn about various topics is an invaluable way to generate feedback. Not only does it position Jet Cooper as an expert, it also serves as a valuable reflection exercise for the team member who creates the content. iii. Provide rewards Rewards for blog readers can either be tangible or intangible whether it be running a contest that yields a prize winner or simply positively reinforcing any contribution made by a reader, acknowledging participation gives readers a stake in the blog. iv. Go where your readers are Part of drawing readers into the blog is to be active in communities that your readers might be. If we want the Jet Cooper blog to be a hub in the community, we have to participate in other areas of it. Posting on forums, commenting on articles and responding to comments on other blogs is an effective way of being engaged with the readers who would frequent the Jet Cooper blog. Not only would this draw new readers to the blog and raise the profile of Jet Cooper, it also serves as a means of researching the kind of content that our potential readers value. Ultimately, this could inform the niche that Jet Cooper carves out in the blogosphere.
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3.0
Community
Addressing all groups and establishing feedback loops
3.4 Types of
Category C below is the most potent - these are the highest quality
contributors
contributors that we want to address and ensure that the conversation does not lose momentum. When sharing content, we must ensure that the Jet Cooper does not end the conversation prematurely and cut the feedback loop (see 2.2.1 Storytelling for more on this).
A. Content browsers - general traffic
B. Content Distributors - sharing through various platforms (ex. Twi"er) C. Content Reactors - users who add to the conversation, comment on posts, share & add commentary through personal websites, blogs, etc.
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3.0
Community
Addressing all groups and establishing feedback loops
i. Dedicate team members to cover events Send the team out to capture events that happen in the
3.5 Action
community. Consider photo albums and/or videos from events to keep posts engaging and easy to implement. ii.
Link to other conversations
Get active on blogs where your readers might be and engage in those conversations, always connecting back to the Jet Cooper blog iii.
Reach out to friends of Jet Cooper
Gather feedback about how the Jet Cooper blog is doing. This will prompt our immediate community to sit up and take notice of what we are doing and hopefully encourage conversation. iv.
Leverage content reactors
Take notice of those readers who are active in the blogging community and address them directly. People appreciate being consulted and will be more likely to engage and share content we generate. v.
Always engage feedback
Value any feedback the Jet Cooper blog receives. Never cut the conversation short – if people are contributing to the blog, acknowledge it and keep that momentum going. This means responding to comments on the blog as soon as possible, and following up with commentary or links where possible.
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4.0
Implementation
Action for the short- and long-term
4.1 Quick fixes for the website homepage
List one or two of the latest blog entry titles
Include a “What I’m working on” caption under each team member & encourage them to update it. No specific client names, but captions can include ‘wireframing’ or ‘client workshop’ AND/OR Each team member’s most recent blog post (this works to motivate team members to blog as well)
Link featured clients to project posts
Provide teaser titles of blog posts & clearer/bold chevrons
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4.0
Implementation
Action for the short- and long-term
Establishing a core set of company values and embodying these
4.2 Key themes
values through the blog is a challenge. It is in fact, the biggest challenge the Jet Cooper blog faces - How do we talk about ourselves? Do we need to communicate the values that form the foundation of the company before tackling smaller segments of what we do? Through team discussion we were able to draw the conclusion that there are several key topics that the Jet Cooper blog needs to tackle broadly. The path we follow to approach these topics does not have to be linear per se, but should clearly articulate the company’s primary pillars. As part of a blogging strategy, the Jet Cooper team should articulate these key areas and aim generate comprehensive posts for each.
key theme
key theme
key theme
key theme
key theme
We can use a T-model to define the content strategy of the blog.
4.3 The t-model
The vertical stem represents expertise in a specific area, an element that firmly roots the value of the organization. The more generalized skills are represented horizontally. Development Process Product Management
Operations Communication Lean strategy
Design
Through team workshops, we were able to identify design as Jet Cooper’s defining feature. We identified design as the company’s core competency, the element that grounds and informs all of the
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4.0
Implementation
Action for the short- and long-term
other facets of Jet Cooper. Along the horizontal axis of the Jet
4.3 The t-model (con’d)
Cooper blog T-model are the other competencies that are integral to the Jet Cooper process, existing mostly behind the scenes or complimenting design strategy. As captured in the Cadence section, one of the benefits of having multiple contributors is that each individual has their own T-model. While we may steer the Jet Cooper blog towards a design focus, framing posts to ground our design strategy, the skills and strengths of each individual translates to a broad spectrum of expertise and interests in each post.
To create the best conditions for generating blog posts, team
4.4 Lifecycle
members should have time booked into their schedules specifically
of a post
dedicated to creating blog content. This means two or three days set aside every couple of months to brainstorm, plan, workshop and execute their ideas.
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4.0
Implementation
Action for the short- and long-term
i. Have weekly blog meetings Urge the Jet Cooper team to attend to regular blog meetings, even if they are not contributing that week. It provides ownership, increases the awareness of what is being discussed on the blog and elevates the presence of the blog internally.
4.5 Action
ii. Book time for blogging It is absolutely vital to book a few days every few months for team members to craft their posts. iii. Identify key themes Map out the some of the vital content that Jet Cooper should address on the blog. iv. Use a wide range of media Do not get hung up on words – if you can say something more clearly in photos or a podcast, do. v. Make the process iterative Go through lots of drafts & titles and take suggestions from other team members. vi. Take some space After writing notes or a draft, stop looking at your post for a while. Come at it with fresh eyes after you’ve had some time away.
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Appendix Referenced material and additional resources
Articles
A. Referenced material
Blogging as Social Activity, or, Would You Let 900 Million People Read Your Diary? Bonnie A. Nard, Diane J. Schiano & Michelle Gumbrech https://wiki.cc.gatech.edu/scqualifier/images/9/9b/NardiBlogging_as_social_activity.pdf Feedback loops of attention in peer production Fang Wu, Dennis M. Wilkinson, and Bernardo A. Huberman http://arxiv.org/pdf/0905.1740.pdf Entrepreneurs: Beware of Vanity Metrics Eric Ries http://s.hbr.org/zD2UvX How Long is the Ideal Blog Post? Stuart Brown http://modernl.com/article/how-long-is-the-ideal-blog-post
Books Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics, 2nd Edition Brian Clifton http://amzn.com/0470562315 Storytelling: Branding in Practice Klaus Fog http://amzn.com/3540883487 Eyetracking Web Usability Jakob Nielsen http://amzn.com/0321498364 Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity Avinash Kaushik http://amzn.com/0470529393 The Web Startup Success Guide Bob Walsh http://amzn.com/1430219858
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1
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Appendix Referenced material and additional resources
B. Quick action guide
Content i. Plan your posts Use the stakeholder matrix as a tool and to craft your content to address three or four stakeholders ii. Stay in tune with blog content Be sure the content you generate does not contradict or replicate past posts by other team members. This is a common problem among blogs with multiple contributors iii. Review other industry blogs Get inspired by reading the kind of content that other companies generate. This also helps to make sure the Jet Cooper blog does not replicate other industry blogs. iv. Create a stream of consciousness Be sure to link back to other blog posts the team has generated to keep people clicking through content. v. Incentivize Give people a reason to come back to the blog. Boast upcoming announcements, create a rewards system, etc. vi. Establish metrics Clearly articulate how you as a team are going to measure the success of the blog. Do you want the blog to better reflect company culture? Increase conversation on the blog?
Cadence i. Review, review, review Be sure that your content not only reflects your intent, but that it also projects Jet Cooper culture and firmly roots our expertise in design. ii. Have a thesis or bottom line And make sure that you stay on-point and articulate as you move through your ideas iii. Build a story Approach each both like a chapter in the Jet Cooper story. How does your post elevate the Jet Cooper narrative? Is it a captivating story to read? iv. Talk out your idea Preferably discuss it with someone that can give you feedback.
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Appendix Referenced material and additional resources
Record the conversation and listen to it after. Not only will it reveal insight, but also free the individual of the distraction to take extensive notes. Talking it out also helps to infuse your post with some personality.
B. Quick action guide (con’d)
v. Observe online reading patterns Use heatmap analysis to position your hooks and the most vital points of your post.
Community i. Dedicate team members to cover events Send the team out to capture events that happen in the community. Consider photo albums and/or videos from events to keep posts engaging and easy to implement. ii.
Link to other conversations
Get active on blogs where your readers might be and engage in those conversations, always connecting back to the Jet Cooper blog iii.
Reach out to friends of Jet Cooper
Gather feedback about how the Jet Cooper blog is doing. This will prompt our immediate community to sit up and take notice of what we are doing and hopefully encourage conversation. iv.
Leverage content reactors
Take notice of those readers who are active in the blogging community and address them directly. People appreciate being consulted and will be more likely to engage and share content we generate. v.
Always engage feedback
Value any feedback the Jet Cooper blog receives. Never cut the conversation short – if people are contributing to the blog, acknowledge it and keep that momentum going. This means responding to comments on the blog as soon as possible, and following up with commentary or links where possible.
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Appendix Referenced material and additional resources
B. Quick action
Implementation
guide (con’d)
i. Have weekly blog meetings Urge the Jet Cooper team to attend to regular blog meetings, even if they are not contributing that week. It provides ownership, increases the awareness of what is being discussed on the blog and elevates the presence of the blog internally. ii. Book time for blogging It is absolutely vital to book a few days every few months for team members to craft their posts. iii. Identify key themes Map out the some of the vital content that Jet Cooper should address on the blog. iv. Use a wide range of media Do not get hung up on words – if you can say something more clearly in photos or a podcast, do. v. Make the process iterative Go through lots of drafts & titles and take suggestions from other team members. vi. Take some space After writing notes or a draft, stop looking at your post for a while. Come at it with fresh eyes after you have had some time away.
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