Editing should be a key component of your content strategy.
Why?
I see so many good brochures, websites and blogs that have great content, but they lose me after two lengthy paragraphs.
The best marketing starts with the best content strategy – and a key component of any strategy should be the willingness to EDIT!
Married to Your Words? Not Great for Your Content Strategy
Unlike a lot of writers, I’m not. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE words – truly, I do. However, if someone wants to change something, whether it’s the editor of a publication or a corporate client, it doesn’t matter. I’m ready to say goodbye.
Fickle? No. I fight for my words when it makes sense. If a key concept is on the chopping block and the proposed edit will confuse the reader, then I morph into Johnnie Cochran, defending with the phrase, “if the words fit, you must remit.”
Sometimes, a client is blinded by the love they have for their brand – they want to add too many really wonderful and amazingly fantastic adjectives. That’s when I become the judge, banging the gavel and demanding the offensive material be stricken from the record.
Content strategy isn’t always easy. When it fails you wind up like the guy above, shell-shocked and wondering what went wrong. But, when done well, it rewards with the ultimate goal: connecting people through good communication.
