Getting content from clients

Wednesday, 08 July 2009 23:15

An article on A List Apart about Content Templates elicited an "OMG - yes...". Even the most focused and decision-friendly client can present a massive challenge when it comes to getting them to actually provide the content.

Problems range far and wide:

  • Topic experts are generally not writers
  • It's not in their job description and there is no incentive for them to do it
  • They think providing it to you as a scanned copy of some other document is OK
  • They think reusing their brochure content is OK
  • They think having a website launch with content 'to be provided' or blank pages is OK
  • They think plagiarism is OK too.  And so is infringing copyright laws.
  • They want you to write it.  Which is actually OK if they are prepared to pay for a copy writer (which may or may not be you)

I'll be adding content templates to my list of 1001 things-to-do-before Monday. Underneath the item 'write a guide on providing good content'.

Tags:
< Prev