Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content

Results. Everyone wants them, whether to sell more products, spread good ideas, or win more funding. In our busy digital world, the way to results is influencing people on the web. But how? An ad campaign won't cut it. A Twitter account doesn't guarantee it. Manipulative tricks will backfire. Instead, you need quality, compelling web content that attracts people and engages them for the long haul. Clout explains the key principles of influence and how to apply them to web content. Along the way, those principles come to life with practical examples from HowStuffWorks. com, Newell Rubbermaid, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and many more brands. With this book, you'll: ▪ Discover why a technology feature, marketing campaign, SEO effort, or redesign aren't enough to influence online. ▪ Understand the business value of compelling web content. ▪ Learn 8 principles for influence from the art of rhetoric and the science of psychology. ▪ Find out what context is and why it's so important to influence. ▪ Jump start your planning for content with a content brief. ▪ Learn how to evaluate your web content and determine whether it's making a difference. Foreword by Karen McGrane, managing partner of Bond Art + Science From the Author More people than ever are using websites to help them make decisions. That means your web content is a huge opportunity to influence people. My goal with this book is to help you make the most of that opportunity. I wrote this book with interactive, content, and creative strategists top of mind. But, anyone who touches web content will benefit from it. I explain principles of influence without jargon so that marketers, public relations specialists, user experience designers, web writers, technical communicators, product managers, developers, and other interactive professionals can understand. To bring the principles to life, I included hundreds of examples and many case studies. Our websites are undergoing huge changes. They're becoming mashups of media, marketing, data, and more. To help you adapt, I explain how to plan, evaluate, and adjust your web content. I also give a glimpse into the future that is quickly becoming now. I can't wait to hear how you apply these principles and transform your web content into a source of Clout.