Writing content for intranets

1. Writing content for intranets Simon Pointer

2. Agenda • What your content editors tell me • Perception of e-Gov content strategy • What users really want • What users usually get • How to give users what they need

3. It's payback day!

4. What they tell me • Editors driven by overall intranet strategy • Editors can't do what they are trained to do • Tools are too restrictive or useless • Guidance and strategy is not web specific • Rail-roaded by organisational politics • Strategists are less skilled than they are • There is no ownership of content • They are forced to publish poor content

5. Perception of intranet strategy • Targeting is weak and badly communicated • Freedom of information act • Badly miss interpreted • You are not required to respond to a request if information is already reasonably accessible. • Therefore “all” information must be published • Intranet and websites are the sacrificial lambs • Perceived as a “free” or cheap resource • Content shovelling is rife

6. Intranet is not “free” or cheap • A simple estimated calculation for NICE • 11 full time specialists • IT systems costs and support • Up to 50 people part time on intranet • 20,000 pages! (but estimate 1000 useful pages) 11 x £25k £275k Estimated IT £50k 50 x (10% x £25k) £125k Total cost £450k £ Per Page £22.50

7. Perception of intranet strategy • “Owners” are non specialised writers • Skilled on-line editors can't change things • Intranets don't communicate policy they become policy • No Value Chain • No ownership and accountability for content • Content “owners” don't “pay” for pages • They don't have to justify value • They are not targeted on value

8. What users really want • Intranet users are impatient • Physiology • Psychology • They have stringent expectations • They never “read” anything • Usability is key • Content is still king • Less high quality content is preferred

9. How do you find reading on screen?

10. User issues - Physiology • Screens vary enormously • Screens are poor devises to read from • Reading is tiring and seems boring • Poor design effects readability • According to IBM it's 37% slower

11. How's your mental approach?

12. User issues - Psychology • Users can't ascertain the size of the prize • Default is “this will be difficult” • No obvious way to scan pages for information • Pick up on subtle clues • Very impatient • Don't set time aside • Feel talk at rather than to

13. What users usually get • Far too much content • Trying to be everything for everyone • Unable to find what they need • Search is weak (keywords poorly implemented) • Have to learn to use the system • Poorly formed “official” content • Content from off line sources not re-formed • Too long winded • Inappropriate tone of voice

14. The net result • Rubbish in – rubbish out • Intranet is poorly perceived and under used • Intranet does not add value to staff • Intranet does not add value to organisation • Users go elsewhere

15. What do do about it • Give users what they need • Strategise for the majority of users • Give content providers “ownership” • Make content owners accountable for value • Empower content experts • Provide appropriate tools and resources • Train content writers specifically for on-line