Adventures in Content Strategy
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." Benjamin Franklin
For the past 18 years, the Edelman Trust Barometer has measured brand trust around the globe. This year, they titled their report “The Battle for Truth.” It’s not a subtle message. US consumer trust has decreased in every realm: NGOs, business, government, and the media. We need consumer-centric strategies. The Customer’s Always Right Have you…
A friend of mine (male) works at a bar. He was recently asked to teach a new server how to use the corkscrew. After he explained to her what she needed to do, she told him he was mansplaining. He considered trying to explain himself, but he decided against it. After all, if he pushed…
Customizing Content, by Amy Behrens Content is everywhere. How do we cut through the noise? We make our content: accurate trustworthy timely customized Customization is different from personalization. Customization is by the user. Personalization is by us, for the user. Why Customize? We are busy, selfish creatures. We want clear, relevant information when and where we want it….
Designing for Health Fluency, by Dana Ortegón As a content strategist, Dana listens to peoples’ stories. She listens for what’s being told, in addition to what’s being said. She watched her mother struggle with the language when they lived in Columbia (her dad spoke the language fluently, but her mother did not). Navigating the health…
Writing Content for Low Health Literacy, by Emily Broderick Health literacy: the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services in order to make appropriate health decisions.” The top 3 health searches: pregnancy symptoms flu symptoms diabetes symptoms More than 35% of people go online to self-diagnose their symptoms (as of 2013). So we need to…
Innovation Beyond the Lab, by Adam Connor What does it take for people to accept a human-centered mindset? Adam works for people across industries. He has 5 lessons to share.
Incorporating Human-Centered Design into Policy Development; or, How I Learned to Let Go of All My Natural Instincts and (Try to) Embrace Chaos, by Deborah A, Brown Deb works in the mayor’s office. She is trained as a hospital attorney. Then she encountered hospital gain sharing. Gain sharing is a program that says if providers…
The Digital Transformation of Health: Balancing Speed, Innovation and Ethics, by Sara Holoubek 40,000 Americans a year die from car accidents. $80 billion dollars has been spent against a possible (hypothetical) solution (self-driving cars). How do we create a system where technology can be tested and ethically ensured to the same level that clinical testing…
In the UX world, we use behavior change interventions to encourage positive behaviors and decrease negative or self-defeating behaviors. When we help people change their behaviors, we increase positive outcomes. While these are often related to health, they may impact any part of a person’s life. Content strategy is a key connector for bringing behavior…
Health literacy is defined by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) as “the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.” It would be easy to relegate health literacy to copywriters online, and healthcare professionals in appointments. But health literacy goes well beyond reading,…