The job of a web content editor is to make content comprehensible and something that visitors actually want to read. There are several rules we can follow to achieve this: use the active voice, use concrete nouns, use pronouns, avoid jargon etc. etc.
But we often encounter material that’s, well, impossible to make something of. It could be vague, incomprehensible to the reader (and/or the editor) or devoid of any factual content that the reader might be interested in.
The editor has a number of choices when faced by this:
- ask for clarification, more detail etc.
- copy and use as is
- get ‘creative’ with the content
Of course, the only real option is the first: option two merely abrogates our duty as an editor, while the third can cause confusion (and legal problems!)
The first option is also far from ideal. It’s time consuming and the submitter often feels that he or she has done his or her job in giving you the material. Far better to ensure that we receive decent quality material in the first place.
We could simply email the organisation’s style guide to anyone who submits material for publication. Except that (quite rightly) the recipient might feel that he or she doesn’t have time to read the guide, nor time to adhere to its many rules and suggestions. Some may not make sense to those not from an editing/teaching background. After all, it’s the editor’s job to beat material into shiny, presentable copy.
An alternative is to provide a simple list of dos and don’ts for submitting material. Leave the capitalisation and formating to the editor.
The 5 (possible) dos and don’ts of submitting content
Here’s a set of rules I’m currently playing with:
Don’t describe procedure
If you’re telling the me about an event, omit details of start times, breakout sessions, number of attendees. No-one, apart from the event organiser, is interested.
Do tell me the basic facts
Make sure you tell me what, where, when, who and why. All these serve to provide the reader with a context in which to understand the story.
Do provide photos
Photos of people. One group photo is fine, smaller group and individual photos are even better. Provide photos of people involved in the content, rather than images of random office people.
Some business people. Yesterday.
Do provide quotes
Direct speech adds a sense of immediacy to an account, while bringing the dramatis personae to life. If you’ve provided quotes, make sure there are photos of the people who have spoken
Don’t over-generalise
If someone at an event states that they want to increase their company’s profits, it’s hardly news: every company wants to increase its profits. If that person goes on to describe how they intend to increase profits, it’s interesting. As good copywriters we know that if we state the bleeding obvious, or describe ourselves or our products in terms that everyone else would use, it’s just marketing flannel. Concrete, unique features are what make copy interesting.
So it doesn’t really matter if the material we receive amounts to 40 pages, includes all the presentation slides from an event, 10 photos and is scrawled in idiosynchratic English: as long as there’s something to work with we should be able to produce exciting, lively copy that our visitors want to read.