Speaking Your Users' Language

At #brightonSEO 2012, I shared a few approaches about how to create a focused brand voice.

Transcript

1. BrightonSEO 2012
   Stephanie Troeth
   Speaking
   Your Users’
   Language
   “The Tower of Babel” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:The_Tower_of_Babel_by_Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder
   

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2. Hi! I’m Steph.
   @sniffles
   #brightonSEO
   

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3. Sorry for the funny accent.
   Born here
   Grew up here
   Lived here
   Living here
   

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6. “But I am already online...”
   

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7. Language is essential to
   user experience.
   

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8. What is user experience?
   

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9. What is user experience?
   What makes a unique, great product?
   

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10. user
    technology
    business
    

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11. user
    brand
    business
    Hat tip: David Rollert
    

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12. user
    brand
    business
    Hat tip: David Rollert
    fun!
    adventurous!
    exotic!
    

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13. user
    brand
    business
    Hat tip: David Rollert
    fun!
    adventurous!
    exotic!
    useful
    serious
    reliable
    

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14. user
    brand
    business
    unique
    Hat tip: David Rollert
    fun!
    adventurous!
    exotic!
    useful
    serious
    reliable
    

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15. brand
    Think or feel?
    

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17. Key value
    proposition:
    customisation
    

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18. Key value
    proposition:
    customisation
    

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19. Key value
    proposition:
    customisation
    or so they presume...
    

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20. Bullet points
    

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21. Bullet points
    

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22. Bullet points
    = geek factor
    = rational quality
    = think of all the
    things we can do
    with it!
    

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23. Akoha is a fun way to spice up your life.
    logo
    Already a member? Sign in.
    Earn rewards for completing “missions” — exciting
    and simple activities that turn the ordinary into
    something extraordinary!
    • Get access to hundreds of real-world missions
    • Capture those experiences and share them
    • Earn rewards for trying out new things!
    Sign up now
    Signing up is free and
    takes less than 2
    minutes.
    What’s this all about?
    Akoha: the world’s first social reality game
    

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24. Akoha is a fun way to spice up your life.
    logo
    Already a member? Sign in.
    Earn rewards for completing “missions” — exciting
    and simple activities that turn the ordinary into
    something extraordinary!
    • Get access to hundreds of real-world missions
    • Capture those experiences and share them
    • Earn rewards for trying out new things!
    Sign up now
    Signing up is free and
    takes less than 2
    minutes.
    What’s this all about?
    Akoha: the world’s first social reality game
    rational!
    

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25. Hat tip: David Rollert, whose original method I adapted
    

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26. rational
    emotional
    Hat tip: David Rollert, whose original method I adapted
    

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27. rational
    emotional
    fun
    psychic
    (knows exactly what I was looking for)
    motivating
    entertaining
    magical
    encouraging
    surprising
    allow me to influence
    — have an impact
    inspire
    effective
    affective
    (people's choice)
    facilitate
    discussion to play missions
    indication of progress
    Hat tip: David Rollert, whose original method I adapted
    

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30. rational
    emotional
    fun
    psychic
    (knows exactly what I was looking for)
    motivating
    entertaining
    magical
    encouraging
    surprising
    allow me to influence
    — have an impact
    inspire
    effective
    affective
    (people's choice)
    facilitate
    discussion to play missions
    indication of progress
    

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31. Aarron Walter’s
    Design Personas
    http://aarronwalter.com/design-personas/
    brand
    

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38. Clarity through storytelling
    brand
    

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43. Skinny
    mobile
    version
    

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44. Stephanie Hay’s
    Message Hierarchy Method
    brand business
    

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45. “Designing for Content: Creating a Message Hierarchy”, Stephanie Hay
    http://webstandardssherpa.com/reviews/designing-for-content-creating-a-message-hierarchy/
    

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46. “Designing for Content: Creating a Message Hierarchy”, Stephanie Hay
    http://webstandardssherpa.com/reviews/designing-for-content-creating-a-message-hierarchy/
    Write as many
    messages as possible
    

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47. “Designing for Content: Creating a Message Hierarchy”, Stephanie Hay
    http://webstandardssherpa.com/reviews/designing-for-content-creating-a-message-hierarchy/
    Write as many
    messages as possible
    Align with business
    objectives
    

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48. “Designing for Content: Creating a Message Hierarchy”, Stephanie Hay
    http://webstandardssherpa.com/reviews/designing-for-content-creating-a-message-hierarchy/
    Edit for redundancy
    Write as many
    messages as possible
    Align with business
    objectives
    

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49. “Designing for Content: Creating a Message Hierarchy”, Stephanie Hay
    http://webstandardssherpa.com/reviews/designing-for-content-creating-a-message-hierarchy/
    Edit for redundancy
    Prioritise &
    validate
    Write as many
    messages as possible
    Align with business
    objectives
    

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50. Ways to listen
    user
    

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51. Common user listening methods
    open-ended
    close-ended
    “listening labs”
    “contextual enquiry”
    interviews
    usability testing
    remote testing tools
    surveys
    focus groups
    card sorting
    heuristic evaluation
    A/B testing
    

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52. Common user listening methods
    open-ended
    close-ended
    “listening labs”
    “contextual enquiry”
    interviews
    usability testing
    remote testing tools
    surveys
    focus groups
    card sorting
    heuristic evaluation
    A/B testing
    validate
    brand
    perception
    

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53. Language is voice, tone,
    placement and context.
    

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54. Decide if you want to evoke an
    emotional reaction or a rational act.
    

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55. To speak is to listen.
    

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56. Thank you!
    My eternal gratitude to great shoulders
    I stand upon: David Rollert, Aarron Walter,
    Stephanie Hay, Olivier Thereaux
    Many thanks to Team MONA:
    Cristina Valsera, Olga Feliu , Lluís Sabadell, Esther Fuldaver, Olga Voskoboinikova,
    Josep Romero, Mark Wong-Van Haren, Pablo Acuña, Alastair Warren,
    Stephanie Troeth
    @sniffles
    http://stephanietroeth.com/
    http://about.me/stephtroeth
    

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