So, as first principles go, comprehension first tends to be my buoy. It may seem like a simple concept, but one that often escapes strategists and creative creators alike.
The problem, unfortunately, comes from the processes we use. Content strategy and many of its allied fields are analytical, logical, and detail oriented. At times, what we do is downright clinical. We audit, we analyze, and we recommend. That sterility often rubs off on the content we create. This is when our work gets a serious case of the “whats.â€
What should this copy be to achieve optimal SEO value? What features should we highlight to promote this product? What chart should we add to give users more data? What? What? What?
Don’t get me wrong, there is value in “whats,†but I find it more helpful to focus the bulk of my effort on the emotional side of content (the “whys†and “howsâ€) for the simple reason that doing so results in stronger comprehension and retention for the end user.
While the “whats†(detail oriented content, stories, messages, etc.) are important to a user, content they can connect with on an emotional/behavioral level (“hows†and “whysâ€) is what drives deeper comprehension because it connects to the area of the brain that defines our behavioral context. When we have content that addresses these behavioral factors, we stimulate the parts of the brain that create memory and ultimately make us able to truly comprehend something. When we have that, we have the potential to influence things like favorability, consideration, satisfaction, and even loyalty.
What that should tell you, my fellow lovers of content, is that the most effective strategy leads to work that speaks bi-directionally—to both the rational and emotional parts of our brain. If we only believe that retention happens when we present our case for a product, service, organization, etc., we’re assuming that the spatial/language-based portion of our brain governs our decision making process. Fact is, it just doesn’t have the final say.
So, next time you’re working on a content strategy project, don’t get too mired in the details and remember to focus on user comprehension. We all say we think about our users and that we want to create content that’s useful for them, but how often are we thinking of their emotions, pain points, and what drives behaviors when we make our recommendations?
You can rest assured that my first principles will be the connective tissue bringing my thoughts to life with each issue. Please join the conversation. This will be so much more fun if it’s a dialogue.
