Delivering content users need, when they need it, and in the right way, is a cornerstone of content design. But it’s difficult to achieve if user data is muddled.

That is often the case when you need to communicate changes to a service that already has a massive user base.

“It’s OK,” someone on the team says at the start of a project. “We have email addresses for all our users so we can just send out a set of comms when the new service goes live. That way, they’ll know what is happening and what they’ll need to do differently.” They then smile and add: “We know our users.”

For content designers that have been around the block a few times, statements like that don’t allay our fears. They set off alarm bells.

“OK, but how well do you actually know your users?” we ask politely. “How confident are you that those email addresses are up to date? And, secondly, can those addresses be split into smaller user groups so we can target messages to specific users?”

At this point, it’s not unusual for their smile to level out, and that’s when we know what’s going to happen next:

  1. A proportion of the content that goes out will bounce-back as undeliverable.
  2. We’re going to be asked to create some ‘capture all’ email content.

What is ‘capture all’ content?

‘Capture all’ content is designed for the entire user base. It must work for everyone... which means it probably won’t really work for anyone.

For content designers ‘capture all’ is a nightmare because we know the principles of content design, and our work, are going to be compromised.

The email will be long because it has to cover everything. So people will skip it, skim it, or miss vital details.

The messaging hierarchy will be messy – which information is most important? Well, it depends on which user is reading it. However you structure it, it won't work for someone.

And we’ll be telling some users stuff they don’t need to know or won’t care about. Again, prompting skip/skim behaviour, as well as damaging engagement in the longer term.

It’s like a waiter taking everyone’s orders at the table – vegetarian, pescatarian, allergies, intolerances, and so on – and then coming back 30 minutes later with all the starters and main courses mixed together in a big bucket saying, “There you go, pick your way through that lot.”

Comms should create clarity, not confusion

Audience segmentation is one area where all organisations – big or small, private or public – can learn a thing or two from the retail sector.

In that industry, mass personalisation tactics are employed by marketing specialists to great effect.

It’s rare, now, for retail firms to use mass marketing at all, instead opting to leverage the first-party data of their users for hyper-targeted communications.

By maintaining accurate first-party data (with the user’s permission, of course) retailers can create dozens of personas and user groups.

This gives them the data they need to target those buckets of customers through different mediums, and in a more personalised way.

For example, have you ever been watching YouTube and seen those adverts for sunscreen that reference current high temperatures in your postcode area? That’s a great example.

In theory, the more personalised and targeted you can get with your content (it has to be good content, mind) the better the rate of conversion. (Clicks into sales.) And that can lead to a massive increase in profit – kerching!

For content designers, having that kind of specific data at our disposal is priceless.

It gives us the opportunity to make a real step forward in the way we communicate with users.

It might mean having to create content for five emails instead of one, but those emails will be right for the user.

They’ll be shorter, clearer, more likely to be read, and more likely to get the important message across.

Does your project need content design?

If you want to know more about content design, or how SPARCK’s team of content design consultants could support you in meeting user needs, get in touch.

You can also give our Content Design Lead, Emma Baker, a shout on LinkedIn.

Written by Antonio Labbate - Content Design Consultant, Nottingham