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Digital Content Guidelines
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Section 1:
About this guide
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for anyone who currently produces, or plans to start producing, content for University web platforms – this includes the University website, related sites or any official social media accounts.
How can this guide help you?
It aims to give a basic understanding of what makes useful, useable digital content and how to ensure that your users find and engage with this content.
Producing great digital content involves three key things:
Understanding your user and creating content that fits their needs Making sure that content can be found
Making your content stand out in a way that engages your user and calls them to action
In order to achieve this we’ll focus on three key areas in this guide: Copywriting for the web
Search Engine Optimisation Creating engaging content Where to go for more help
There are a number of key roles within the University with responsibility for maintaining our web content. Your key point of contact will vary depending on the type of web authoring role you have.
E-Communications Manager and E-Communications Assistant – Department of Marketing and Communications
The E-Communications Manager, assisted by the E-Communications Assistant, has overall editorial responsibility for the external facing corporate website. The
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accounts. The E-Communications Manager should be your first point of contact if you are:
A corporate web author (responsible for content in the Study Here, About Us, Business Services or Research sections of www.canterbury.ac.uk)
A social media account manager for any official account representing the University or its business and need advice relating to objective setting, visual identity or want to be included in the official social media directory for the University. If your account represents an academic department you might also like to speak to your Faculty Web Editor (see below).
Denys Andrianjafy, E-Communications Manager Ext 2821
Kirsty Belchem, E-Communications Assistant Ext 3965
Faculty Web Editors
Faculty Web Editors are based within academic faculties and have editorial responsibility for web and digital content representing the departments and centres within their faculty. They work alongside Marketing Managers and their faculty colleagues to produce, maintain and evaluate web content.
Your Faculty Web Editor should be your first point of contact if you:
Are an academic or professional service staff member within an academic department, or research centre, and want advice about how to develop or contribute to web content
Are responsible for a social media account representing your department, faculty or research centre
Matthew Crockatt, Faculty Web Editor for Arts and Humanities Ext: 3898
Mike Ryder, Faculty Web Editor for Social and Applied Sciences Ext: 2282
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Miranda Vernon, Marketing Manager, Faculty of Education Ext: 3607
Laura Evans, Marketing Manager, Faculty of Health and Social Care Ext: 3555
The Web Team, Department of Marketing and Communications
The Web Team provide design and technical support for main University website. If you are a professional service staff member requiring technical support with using Contensis to edit your web pages you can contact the Web Team.
Content development support for Professional Service Departments Your first point of contact is:
Kate Chesterman, Project Manager (Marketing), Department of Marketing and Communications
Ext: 2995
[email protected] Photography
Ginette Casey, Design and Production Manager Ext: 2283
[email protected] Video
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Section 2:
Writing for the web
Quick overview
Before you sit down to write or create any web content it is important to think through the purpose of the content, the objectives for creating it and who your audience will be.
Users read online content in a very different way to printed content. Your users are searching for specific information, not reading for pleasure. To find this information they will scan and jump between text, rather than reading word for word. We need to help our users by reducing the amount of content they have to wade through.
The rise of tablet and mobile use among web users has made succinct content that is task focussed even more important.
Review and maintenance is just as important as creating your content in the first place. Before you begin, consider the shelf life of your content. Who will be involved in keeping it up to date? How often should it change to avoid becoming stale? It’s important that you are realistic about the resources you have to maintain your web content, and the steps you will need to take to keep your content on track.
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Writing for your user
Good web content needs to be focussed and deliver what your online users need or want in a simple and straight forward way. This can only be achieved if you have a good understanding of the audience you are writing for.
If possible, speak to some of your users before you start to plan your content. Ask them what they would want or need to know about your subject – you may be surprised. Listen carefully to the words they use. The language they use could be very useful for informing the key words and phrases you use in your web copy.
Try to think from an external perspective and replace ‘internal speak’ wherever possible with words and phrases your users understand.
Defining the purpose of your content
What do you want your users to do as a result of viewing your content? There needs to be a very clear purpose to every web page and at least one clear call to action. Your page should be shaped around driving your use to this end.
Structuring the user journey
Understanding what your user needs from a page is closely linked to understanding where they will have arrived from. In this respect it is useful to think of your content as part of a wider user journey. Where are your users likely to have clicked in from (another University web page, an email account, a social media site)? Where will they be going next?
Think about the wider architecture of the website and the types of related content that might exist. It is particularly important when authoring content as part of a large organisation to consider what content already exists on a subject. If there is related content in other areas of the site you may want to find out who this content is owned by and speak to them about ways to take a joined up approach (see Section 1 for an overview of who has responsibility for various sections of web content).
Be cautious about creating duplicate or contradictory information. Please keep in mind that certain types of content should only be hosted on centrally owned web pages and never recreated elsewhere. This includes information relating to fees. It is imperative that fee information that appears online is accurate and definitive. Therefore all fee information relating to courses must be centrally approved and hosted in one of two locations:
On the course listing page or
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Fee information must not be duplicated or hosted on professional service web pages, academic department pages or other University web platforms. If you have an update to make to fee information or a query please contact Loris Clements, Lead Marketing Manager, with responsibility for fees content online.
Writing copy
The general rule for web copy is to keep things as concise and simple as possible. The following principles will help:
Use short words – avoid using jargon, complicated words or specialist
terminology if possible. Use acronyms sparingly and always write them in full where they first appear.
Use everyday language – your web page may be viewed by anyone in the world; this includes people of all ages and level of understanding, and those who may not have English as their first language.
Use friendly language – formal language used in print will look out of place online. Direct language is more engaging: ‘we’ and ‘you’, rather than ‘the student’ and ‘the University’.
EXAMPLE:
Instead of ‘Staff and students are encouraged to engage with the project’ Use ‘Find out how you can get involved with the project’
Use short sentences (max. 20 words) – this doesn’t mean ‘dumbing down’ content but does mean avoid using over-long, compound sentences. Use short paragraphs (1-3 sentences) – make content easy to scan.
Avoid padding out your copy – it isn’t necessary to start a page with ‘Welcome to the Department of xxx.’ Focus on what your users need to know. Be ruthless if you need to be!
Structuring your content on the page
Reading text on screen can be a strain. However, there are some key things we can do to make the experience easier and help users to scan a page. These include:
Avoiding italics.
Never underlining text – this reads online as a hyperlink.
Starting with your main point first so users will instantly gain an understanding of what the page is about.
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Breaking up your copy with sub-headings that divide the content into logical chunks that will allow users to navigate to the section of content they are looking for. Search engines also use headings to determine what your page is about, so keep them clear and user friendly.
Using bulleted lists – these can be preferable to long paragraphs in making information more manageable.
Using key phrases as hyperlinks. Making your call to action prominent. Writing for mobile
The principle of providing clear and concise content is even more important in relation to mobile use. A high proportion of our web users will view our web content on a mobile device. Mobile and tablet use made up 70% of new visits to our website during the first quarter of 2014 (Goole Analytics data Jan-Mar 2014).
These users are likely to be very task-orientated. They will:
Focus on tasks – expect to find what they need quickly and easily. Scan at high speed – they won’t always read everything word-for-word. Get distracted easily – content has lots of competition as mobiles are used
simultaneously with other media such as TV and music, as well as on the go. Struggle to finish – users won’t always get to the bottom of the page. Make sure
the most important information is at the top of the page.
Be easily confused – users get confused by PC-centric instructions that are not functional on mobile devices, such as ‘right click’ and ‘available via the right hand column’ or ‘left hand menu’
Tips for optimising your content for mobile
When typing your copy on screen draw a text box the same width as a smartphone screen and see how your copy looks at that size. Text that looks short on an A4 page can look very different at mobile size.
Consider how the content will re-order itself from a desktop layout to a mobile sized screen. For example items in the right hand column may re-stack
underneath your written content in a mobile. Does this impact your calls to action?
To create truly bite-sized chunks of information approach your copy writing as if you were writing a tweet. Think about how you can you condense your message into something clear and powerful in as few characters as possible.
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Aim for easy calls to action and that involve minimal clicking. Having to tap lots of links and wait for multiple pages to load on a device can be very frustrating for mobile users. Think about how you can streamline the online journey and condense it into its most efficient and user-friendly format.
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Section 3:
Search Engine Optimisation
Quick overview:
Remember that search engines are trying to serve their users with the most relevant content possible. If you focus on providing good, clear, user focused content, SEO benefits will follow.
Understanding your user is the key to SEO. If you were looking for something online what would you put in the search box? For example, as University staff, we might refer to ‘undergraduate programmes in theology’ but your users might be more likely to type ‘ University theology courses’ or ‘study theology BA’ Getting the basic meta data right for your page is the first step to ensuring your
page will be found. Take the time to create unique, tailored meta data for every web page you create – read more about meta data in this section
Shareable content is king in modern SEO. Creating content that people respond to requires careful thought and planning. Read more about how to create engaging content in Section 4.
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Understanding how modern SEO works
Traditional copywriting for search has focussed on including key words and phrases in your content, but recent developments in search engine technology have placed much more emphasis on how people respond to and react to content.
What others think about your content, whether they choose to share it, and the words they use to describe it, are now important factors for search engines in determining the quality and relevance of your web pages.
The rise of social media platforms and blogging are a key part of this change – they have handed your users the opportunity to cast their vote on what they think of your content. The goal of modern SEO is to craft content so compelling that other people want to talk about it, share it and link to it. There is more about this in Section 4. Getting the basics right
Although we know that shareable content is key to SEO it is still important to get the basics right. The following factors may not influence search engine ranking as heavily as they did in the past, but they are still a critical part of creating good, user focussed content that stands any chance of being found and used online.
Like good web writing, good search engine writing relies first and foremost on understanding your user and what they are looking for. Aim to write content that addresses their needs and answers their questions in a straight forward and accessible way, using language that they would use.
Use searched-for terms
Who are you talking to with this web content? What words and terms would they use to talk about your subject? The more closely you can tailor content to your user the more likely you are to create content that matches their search terms.
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Key meta data elements
Meta data is simply the technical term for the crucial bits of content that search engines use to assess your web content. A basic understanding of the principles will help you understand how search engines, and users, view your web content.
Meta title What is it?
The meta title is the title of your web page. It will appear at the top of your page, in the url and in your browser window. This content is seen by both your users and by search engines so it is critical that this content is clear, understandable and gives both users and search engines the best possible chance of anticipating what your page is about. How to write it
Your title should be under 35 characters including spaces. The University’s naming convention will ensure that the full name of the organisation appears after the title. As with any content, you should consider the key terms your users will be using and try to include these in your meta title.
EXAMPLE:
In the case of a page about History courses at the University:
Instead of calling the page ‘Our programmes’ it would be better to use the page title: ‘History courses’
The term ‘our’ is meaningless to a user searching outside the context of the
Department’s web pages. Using the subject name ‘history’ is more likely to match what prospective students are searching for. The word ‘courses’ is a more common search term than ‘programmes’.
Meta title
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Meta description
The meta description is the short descriptive content which appears in a search engine results page, under the title.
This text is key to helping your users understand what a page is about and convincing them to click through and visit.
How to write it
Meta descriptions should be under 155 characters (to avoid Google truncating them). You should aim to do two crucial things when writing your description:
Use key words and phrases that will match the user’s search term and will allow the user to assess content relevance.
Craft the copy in a way that convinces the user that it is worth clicking through to your web page. This can be done by making the copy benefit led and
focussed on a call to action. EXAMPLE:
Meta data for social media
If your page is shared on social media sites, such as Facebook, the meta description content automatically appears alongside the link. This is another important reason to give this content some time and attention. Consider what you would want people to know about your page when others share it.
Headers and sub-headers
Your headers and sub-headers are important on-page SEO factors as they help search engines understand what your web page is about. Search engines recognise the copy in
A benefit led description focussed on what the user wants to do ie find trainers. Covers key search terms such as ‘mens’, ‘womens’ ‘trainers’ but also has other supporting key terms such as ‘clothing’
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your header tags as more important than some other page elements so these titles need to support the overall theme or purpose of your page.
Web users also rely on sub-headers when scanning a page. They help to break the text into more meaningful and manageable chunks and help users assess whether the page matches their expectations and is worth reading.
You may see headers and sub-headers referred to as H1 and H2 tags. These are the technical terms for how this content is embedded in the code of a web page.
On the University website your header (or H1 tag) will always be the title of your page. How to write sub-headers H2 tags
The sub-headers (or H2 tags) can be crafted by you. Sub-headers should ideally be 8 words or less. Clarity is more important than creativity. You want your users to
understand what comes next so word play, puns or anything that requires users to think too hard is best avoided.
A well written sub-header should allow the user to anticipate what comes next and jump to the part of the page that is most relevant to them. Posing questions can be a useful tactic (used sparingly) and can encourage your users to read on.
Links
Links stand out on a page in much the same way as headers and sub-headers do. For a user scanning a page links will automatically draw the eye and links that contain
keywords will therefore confirm to users that it is worth reading further. For search engines links have an equally important role in reinforcing that the content on the page matches the subject matter and themes.
If you are linking to another page within the Canterbury Christ Church University
website make sure the text used for the link matches the page title you are directing the user to. This is good practice, avoids confusion and makes navigation easier.
Example: Use
‘To find out more about life as a student at Canterbury Christ Church University see our study here section’
Not
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Naming images
It is good practice to provide written content describing an image for every picture or graphic that you include on your web page. This is crucial for accessibility and users who rely on assistive technology to navigate web content (such as screen readers). If you are taking the time to write a concise and useful description of what your image conveys then it also provides a good opportunity to consider how the words you use can reinforce your key search terms. This all helps search engines to build up a comprehensive picture of the theme of your content.
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Section 4:
More than words – creating engaging content
Quick overview
When great web writing and great SEO combine to deliver outstanding web content that really impacts your users.
Modern web users are more interested in sharing content that says something about them, rather than something about a product or a company.
Creating successful web content that people want to share requires the time and thought to craft something that really resonates with your user. Forward
planning your content development will help you make the time for creative thinking and resourcing this kind of work.
Striving for better content may involve working in different ways, trying new things and collaborating with others.
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Making your content stand out
We know that the most powerful way to impact your search engine ranking is to create content that people engage with, but how easy is it to achieve this in practice?
The practice of striving to create relevant, valuable and engaging content with the goal of acquiring customers or increasing business is often termed content marketing.
This kind of content creation comes from a starting point that assumes web users don’t have the time or inclination to care about the products and services that people are marketing to them. Instead they care about themselves, their wants and their needs. Therefore successful content relies on creating content your customers are likely to care about so that they pay attention to what you have to say.
This is particularly true if you would like people to discover and share you content via social media. Most users won’t go to Facebook or Twitter to be sold to. They are there to enjoy their leisure time, connect with friends, be entertained and informed. You need to think about how to package your content in such a way that it has relevance and interest to your users. This may mean including different types of content in addition to text, in order to keep the user engaged.
Different types of content
The web is a hugely visual medium and content that creates visual impact can often be more shareable than text alone. For example, you might like to consider re-writing your content as a snappy list, such as ‘Top 5 things you need to know about student
finance’. Users are drawn to content that they sense will be easy and quick to consume. Or perhaps you could summarise your message using a compelling image with reduced text copy to accompany it.
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Appendices
Appendix A: Photographic guidelines
Ensuring a consistent style and quality of photography strengthens the brand across all our different areas of work. We do not expect each image to reflect all elements of our brand, but they should convey some of them and certainly not contradict them. By not illustrating them through our photography we miss a valuable opportunity to
communicate with our audience.
The best way to ensure that your imagery reflects the brand and our photographic style is to use images from the CCCU Image Library. Please contact the Design and
Production Team on 01227 782121 to arrange access. They also hold a licence for a copyright-free image bank, and can guide you on the pros and cons of selecting images and commissioning your own photography.
Situations or scenarios should be authentic and credible. Wherever possible, photographs should feature real students and people in real environments. When commissioning or taking your own photographs, consent for their use should be obtained from the ‘models’: D&P can supply release forms.
It is essential to demonstrate diversity throughout our communications, to appeal to our wide and varied audiences. Try to be inclusive across all your materials. Don’t try and include all ages, ethnicities, disabilities and genders in one image or document as it will look forced. Aim for a true reflection on the University community.
Although much of our imagery focuses on people, abstract and thematic images can also be used in our materials to create a vivid visual story. Avoid images which feature visual clichés. Clip art, which can make materials look amateurish and unprofessional, should never be used.
Approach the use of images sourced on the internet with caution. Don't assume they show what or who they purport to show - verify them to ensure accuracy. The
reproduction quality should be checked: D&P can advise.
For more information and advice, please contact the Design and Production Team on 01227 782121.
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Appendix B: Generating video content
For decades now, the moving image has been a compelling way of getting across a message. There are thousands of examples, every day, of videos and films which convey a powerful message. And with the advent of social media, this type of content lends itself really well to sharing with friends and, potentially, with a global audience (if you strike it lucky with a clip that goes viral).
Successful websites and social media channels successfully combine different types of content depending on the nature and complexity of the message, and its relevance to their audience(s).
For a university, video content can be a great way of reaching out to new and current students, as well as staff.
We have the potential to use and create lots of different types of video, from low budget videos (often on a mobile device) to the more professionally produced videos using video production companies or skilled contractors.
Here is an overview of the types of video we can produce and how they can be used on our website and social media channels:
1. News-based video content
Increasingly, the University’s Corporate Communications team is producing short video clips to illustrate University and departmental news. This is an easy and effective way to attract media interest in what’s happening in the University (and gives the journalist an idea of how well a member of staff can come across in a broadcast interview).
The team uses a tablet to record a one to two minute video which we edit into a short clip and send to local or national news desks. This type of recording lends itself really well to a quick turnaround of content – which is what we need for news. We also post the clip to the news hub on our website.
Here is an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28JE5Jywlfs&list=UUzcop-ez7f3T-Mb6sCQq2Mg
If you think you have a media opportunity, please contact our media relations team – either Jeanette Earl, Media Relations Officer, on 01227 782391 or Holly Finch, Assistant Media Relations Officer, on 01227 863528.
2. Social media video content
Social media channels do not require highly polished content. Social media, by its very nature, demands topical content which is likely to be shared or liked by its audiences. Therefore it often relies on short, non-professional videos which link into trends,
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conversations or news. It is therefore really important to focus on the message rather than the production values.
Again, video produced on a mobile device, such as a tablet or mobile phone is often all that’s needed. For example, the University has been producing short Instagram (15 second videos) and Vine (six second videos - Apple/ Android apps only) on atablet to populate the corporate Facebook and Twitter accounts. They often link into what’s happening that day/ week – for example, Clearing or World Book Day – and can often attract the most likes and retweets.
We welcome these types of video to share on the main CCCU social media channels, which are moderated by Corporate Communications, as they can often illustrate a message – and help to share a message - far more effectively than words. Please tag the main CCCU account or email us if you would like your video to be shared.
Here is an example that was created on a tablet for Clearing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8K14t6HBm8&list=UUzcop-ez7f3T-Mb6sCQq2Mg
For more guidance, please contact Kirsty Belchem, E-Communications Assistant, on extension 3965.
3. User-generated video contributions
Some of the best university social media channels carry content that is generated by followers (as opposed to the organisation itself). This shows a great level of audience engagement and improves our chances of reaching a wider audience.
We would encourage our students and prospective students to post video content to our social media channels whenever we can. However in terms of posting user-generated video content to the University website, we would ask that you check with Corporate Communications, Marketing Managers or your Faculty Web Editor first (see contacts listed elsewhere in this document), as the quality of the content will need to be checked before any decision is taken to upload it.
Here is an example created by a prospective student after being accepted on a Canterbury Christ Church University course:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZLHjI8P9g&lc=O66spVpAei-qr5QfvPuEWwt-Uc1M8FHH4-rJNbCtPs8&feature=em-comment_received&lch=email
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Unlike social media video content, greater quality assurance needs to be applied to videos for Canterbury Christ Church University’s website. In the last few years, we have been investing in videos to support student recruitment and the student experience. Here is an example:
www.canterbury.ac.uk/extranet/changeprogramme/making-a-difference-campaign
These types of videos tend to involve a professional video production company working to a comprehensive brief and to our brand guidelines. They do take considerable time in terms of preparation, briefing the production company, supervising the filming and the editing and approval process.
They can also be costly. Depending on the volume of new footage required, and editing process, a two minute video can cost anywhere between £1,000 and £3,000.
When considering video production to support student recruitment or the student experience on the external web, always make contact with Corporate Communications, Marketing Managers or Faculty Web Editors to discuss your ideas. Separate guidelines are available to help develop a brief and work with a video crew to project manage filming.
The Department of Marketing has worked with a range of video production companies and freelancers, and can help to match the brief with the supplier’s skills and
experience.
However, it’s important to stress that not all videos on our website need to be formal, polished and ‘corporate’ in feel. A dynamic website relies on dynamic content, so we will be increasingly looking for quick turnaround content that has been produced in-house – particularly news based content which helps to promote our research, teaching and student experience.
If you work in a Faculty please contact your Faculty Web Editor or Marketing Manager for advice on producing in-house videos either through the use of a mobile device such as a tablet or with the support of Design and Production.
5. The University YouTube channel
YouTube is second only to Google in terms of search engine power. Having good, relevant YouTube content significantly improves our visibility on the web so we encourage you to submit any relevant video content for inclusion on the University’s YouTube channel.
See www.youtube.com/ChristChurchUni to view all our current videos.
Please contact the E-Communications Assistant in Corporate Communications for more information or to have your video content included here.
