Why do venture-backed startups with millions in the bank flame out? One reason: they don’t establish a strategy for organic growth, which starts with finding your brand voice.

Evolving or finding your brand voice can feel like an existential journey. It’s an examination of the most essential elements of your company and its message. What are your values? Who are you speaking to? How do you want people to feel when interacting with your product, and what do you want them to understand about your brand?

It’s a process that not only strengthens your content and brand but your business strategy as well. That’s why it’s called content strategy—and why finding your brand voice is a critical early step.

The momentum of organic growth

Entrepreneurs and startup executives sometimes hold the misconception that voice and content are a luxury during the “growth” phase instead of a necessity. They’re focused on sourcing engineering talent and direct response marketing more so than their content strategy. But that’s an extremely expensive approach that often leads from flame to failure.

Sure, you can build and bring a product to market quickly that way (if you have the funding). Soon, though, these companies find themselves in an exhausting and costly cycle of spend, spend, spend to reach customers instead of self-sustaining, hockey stick growth.

Why? Because they lack the momentum of organic growth. No word of mouth. No SEO. No engaged, loyal customer base who trust their company and keep coming back for more. No one who feels like, “Wow. This product was really built for me.”

People can sniff out an inauthentic brand from a mile away these days, and they will ignore a company if its voice doesn’t resonate.

Paving the path to profitability with content

Imagine instead if these businesses invested in a more holistic strategy — if they entered the market with a clear content strategy and well-defined voice in addition to a functioning product and a bit of direct response spend.

This builds a positive feedback loop that continually reinforces their message to the right audience. And once you start to gain word-of-mouth traction and rank for critical keywords, which often takes up to a year, you begin to see self-sustaining, significant growth without spending millions of dollars on marketing. Boom. You’re profitable.

The myth about content and brand

When people think of a brand, they generally think of an age-old success story like Coca-Cola or a designer clothing label like Louis Vuitton. It’s easy to forget that every business has a brand voice — the difference is whether it’s intentionally shaped or not.

You probably don’t need a Coca-Cola-sized budget and massive brand marketing campaigns. Your brand should start with the most basic interactions with your customers, such as:

• Your website homepage
• Your sign up forms
• Your functional emails, like purchase confirmation
• Your customer service scripts
• All the content that works as the voice of your brand, such as blog articles and newsletters

Companies can build trust at each of these critical interactions with a consistent voice that resonates with their customers. And they can scale with an effective content strategy.

The myth is that executives sometimes think that content and brand are a “bonus” if “you have the budget.” The truth is that every company has some form of brand and content, but if not cultivated strategically, it’s probably harming the business when it could be a powerful growth accelerant.

You’re building the product. You’re building the company. And if you don’t start building the brand and a foundation of content to support it, it’ll cost a lot more to try to “fix” perceptions of your company down the line.

Every business has a brand voice — the difference is whether it’s intentionally shaped or not.

The first steps

Developing voice and content can follow a similar approach to developing products. You can start lean with minimal investment then test, optimize, and scale. A few easy steps can get you started down the right path:

1. Define your audience — Be specific in who exactly you’re trying to reach.
2. Find your core message — What do you need these people to know about your company?
3. Set clear goals — Take both a qualitative and quantitative approach to create targets for your content and brand efforts.
4. List aspirational brands and publications — What brands do you want to be like? What publications do you want your company to appear in?
5. Create guardrails for a consistent voice — Is your brand playful or serious? What words should be used to describe your company?
6. Bring voice into the UX — Make content part of the product design and development process, so every touchpoint hits the mark.

You can also take our style guide quiz to generate answers to many of these questions. It’s a simplified — yet effective — way to find a 1.0 version of your voice and start iterating from there.

A bit of (excellent) content goes a long way

It can feel intimidating to tackle something like brand voice. And it does require some vulnerability (i.e., soul searching) and hard work (i.e., creating really great content). But it doesn’t need to be a huge undertaking — start lean and put your best brand foot forward with a couple of key elements, then commit to an achievable long-term strategy.

A little bit of patience, a defined brand voice, and a well-crafted content strategy will pay off. So if we can leave you with a few final words of advice, it’s these:

• A combined strategy of direct response and organic growth is the best recipe
• Start early and evolve (optimize) often when it comes to brand voice
• Most importantly, be real and authentic in all your messaging

You don’t need to make a huge investment or become a brand army of one. If you want to start building a foundational content strategy, start with the low-hanging fruit where you can demonstrate quick impact, and then make the case for more resources to scale.

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Real Big Words makes content that works. See more from us on Instagram or follow our blog, The Saurus.

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Originally published at https://realbigwords.com.

Finding your brand voice: The content strategy growth hack was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

People ask where we live in Washington, D.C. and when I say, “Brightwood,” it is clear from the blank stares that they’ve never heard of our neighborhood. The secret is not out—yet.

Even among those who’ve lived in D.C. for several years, the area remains a mystery, a blank space on the map of the city in their minds. Everyone knows Georgetown and Dupont and Capitol Hill and Chinatown. You might even know Shaw and H Street. But Brightwood? Nah.

We moved to our neighborhood five years ago but, ironically, my husband’s grandparents used to live two blocks down our street in the 1940s. Like the entire city, things have changed since then-though not at the rate of areas closer to downtown. We live in Uptown. Still Northwest, but not the multi-million dollar mansions and luxury condos people picture.

Instead, Brightwood and Brightwood Park, which are adjacent, remain mostly residential and look more like D.C. past. The area has a local, community feel to it-you never see tourists roaming the streets. There are no high rises or fancy hotels. It’s a place people actually live.

How long will this small swath of old D.C. last?

It’s hard to say. Gentrification is sweeping through with no signs of slowing, bringing good, bad, and plenty of debate. The luxury condos are on their way, and the main commercial thoroughfare, Kennedy Street, is bubbling with new businesses.

So, if you want to know what a neighborhood in transition looks like and experience a side of D.C. that few ever see, I recommend a stroll down Kennedy Street. These are some of our favorite places.

Where to stop on your stroll through the Brightwood DC neighborhood

Start at 1st St and Kennedy St and walk West to find each of these Uptown DC gems.

1. Wet Paint Mural

“Do something every day to remind this city why the hell you’re here,” the mural says. “Give it your best every single day and don’t be so hard on yourself come nightfall.” If walls could talk, right?

2. Jackie Lee’s

Historic jazz club turned Art Deco dive bar that serves solid food and drinks. Order the ribs or the chicken and waffles. Friendly staff and free games like a Trivial Pursuit deck from the 90s.

3. Vintage Glam Tea Party & Co.

Visit the boutique for “pre-loved” antiques and housewares from noon to 5 PM on Saturdays, or rent out the event space for a tea party of your own for $75 an hour. “Pinkies up!”

4. The Library Tavern

The Library Tavern serves a mix of Persian and American food along with cocktails, beers, and wine amidst walls of books. They have a lounge downstairs with a pool table and more.

5. Andrene’s Soul Food & Caribbean Cafe

Andrene has been serving up delicious, filling Caribbean-soul fusion on Kennedy Street for 13 years. Try the oxtail, the Jamaican beef patties, and a side of mac n’ cheese.

6. Lighthouse Yoga Center

Find your center with kundalini, hatha yoga, and pilates. It’s not your typical yuppie yoga operation with only power flow classes. Try the Yoga for “Misfits” class if you’re zen-curious.

7. Roots & Blooms

Designing floral arrangements in D.C. for over 30 years, this flower shop cafe has it all: gorgeous blooms, espresso drinks, pastries, and made in D.C. goods for sale.

8. Soup Up

Not just soup! Fancy toasts, grilled cheeses, jerk chicken wings, and more are all on the menu (but also soup). Drink some fresh-squeezed juice filled with loads of fruit and veggies too.

9. ANXO Cidery & Tasting Room

The production arm of ANXO in Shaw, this cidery and tasting room is a community hot spot. Sip your cider with Basque snacks and sandwiches or bagels, lox, coffee, and more for brunch.

10. Cheesemonster Studio

Opened in 2019 and ⅔ women-owned, this cheese catering studio offers cafe hours on Fridays and Saturdays, plus special tasting events. Stellar cheese and wine pairings in an intimate, friendly space.

Note: If you’re into natural wine, check out our post on the Solstice Natural Wine Festival.

11. La Coop Coffee

Founded by the son of a coffee farmer in Guatemala, La Coop is all about fair trade and sustainability-in addition to a delish cuppa joe. Right now, Juan (the owner) is running it as a pop-up shop inside of Cheesemonster on weekday mornings. Stop in for your nitro fix and to say hi!

12. Moreland’s Tavern

A family-friendly bar and restaurant with a cool circular bar upstairs that’s great for watching sports. This restaurant has the same owners as Boundary Stone, which is a Bloomingdale fave.

13. Uptown Farmer’s Market

Shop local produce, baked goods, and more at this small but bustling farmer’s market serving the Brightwood DC neighborhood. Open Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM.

14. Twist and Turns Body Fitness

A warm and welcoming studio that offers a variety of fitness classes for $99 per month, unlimited. It’s owned by a mother-daughter duo who focus on making exercise fun.

15. Rock Creek Park/ Carter Barron Amphitheater

If you reach Rock Creek, you’ve reached the end of this Brightwood DC neighborhood tour-but you should keep walking! Kennedy will turn into Morrow Drive and take you into the park, which is gorgeous. Explore the trails and you might even stumble upon some horses.

Washington, D.C. never ceases to amaze me with the hidden gems it has to offer in just a few square miles. Brightwood is not the only underrated area of the city — there’s so much more to explore. So yes, do all the museums and the famous neighborhoods, but then venture further. The real D.C. is really not that far away.

Images all shot by Melissa M. on an iPhone 8 Plus, except the image of Rock Creek Park, which is courtesy of creative commons.

Originally published at https://www.realbigworld.co on October 2, 2019.

Where to go and what to see in the hidden gem of Brightwood D.C. was originally published in Real Big World on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Nick has banked over $10,000 in free flight vouchers. How? With a handful of simple tricks. Here are his tips for scoring travel vouchers for flights.

Who says you can’t get anything for free? Just ask a broke college student forking out hundreds of dollars for each flight home for the holidays. AKA me. Well, me a few years back. One holiday I scored a free voucher for taking a later departure on an overbooked flight. Over the last 10 years, I’ve banked more than $10,000 in vouchers.

Hold it. What is an overbooked flight?

Airlines often sell more seats than they have inventory available. They know that some amount of travelers will sleep through their alarm, get stuck in traffic, or think their flight isn’t until the next day. It happens. If American Airlines could save $40,000 a year by removing one olive from first-class cabin salads, imagine how much money would be left on the table if they assumed everyone would show for their flight and left seats unused.

But sometimes it backfires and everybody shows. Regulations in the U.S. could force the airline to pay you 400% of the value of a one-way ticket to your destination. That’s a heck of a lot more than they can “bribe” you to get off with a voucher in hand to fly on their airline in the future. Win-Win.

Is this happening more as airline profit margins narrow?

Surprisingly not. Travelers being bumped from flights edged past 1 million in the late 1990s. But that was a rough time for all of us. We thought carrying backpacks on one shoulder looked cool (hello back pain in 2019), proudly danced the “Macarena,” and went everywhere in Dr. Martens. We’ve all moved on.

Ok back to free tix… Here are a few trips and tricks to increase your odds of cashing in on free airplane vouchers.

Tips to score travel vouchers for flights

1. Choose full flights.

You are more likely to get bumped from flights that are more heavily sold. (Thanks captain obvious.) But you are hopefully booking ahead of the curve. If there is no real price difference, book a popular time to travel. Also, don’t pay for the extra legroom. If you get bumped you lose that value.

2. Leave buffer time.

While you’re at the booking game, give yourself a little buffer time, especially during holiday travel. At times you might be booked on a flight that is only minutes behind in arrivals or you might have to fly out the next day. Go ahead take a sick day before your vacation day.

3. Pack lightly.

You are reading a travel blog. So, you probably already know to put everything into a carry on bag and leave checking a bag for the amateurs. This makes rebooking SO much easier for the airline and you will not be separated from your stuff if you have to fly out the next day. (We gave some packing tips that might help here, especially in basic economy.)

4. Be single.

Sometimes it really pays not to have a companion. Traveling solo makes it easier for airlines to rebook you on future flights.

5. Early bird gets the blah blah…

It’s first come/first served for volunteering for travel vouchers for flights. So, get to the gate early. Sit right close to the gate agent. If they call for volunteers. Don’t dawdle. Be the first in line.

6. Be nice.

Your mama (or some cross-stitched pillow) probably told you that you catch more bees with honey. I’m not sure how you catch bees without honey, but this is so true at the airport, especially during peak travel time. Remember that you are actually trying to help them. The easier they can rebook somebody the less hassle and grumpy passengers they will have to handle.

+ Bonus Varsity Level Tip

This is probably a controversial tip. But if the Gate Agents aren’t too busy, I try to suss out the situation before they ask for volunteers. This could backfire if you nag and annoy them. But if you can find a reason to talk to them and throw out a “Flight Looked full. Are ya’ll oversold? Oh ya? Cool. I’m totally game to help out and take a later flight.” It might help you to the front of the line before it’s announced.

This worked for me in my early 20’s (and I probably leaned into my southern accent when flying into/out of Texas) but give it a shot if you think you can pull it off.

Some restrictions apply, especially on international flights. So, don’t bank on this as a sure thing, but it’s a great surprise when you hit the jackpot.

Here is some more info on your rights.

Got more tips on how to score travel vouchers for flights? Share them in the comment section below!

Originally published at https://www.realbigworld.co on August 4, 2019.

How to score a travel voucher on your next flight was originally published in Real Big World on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Each year brings more and more UX design predictions from a variety of sources. I reviewed and summarized the best ones so you don’t have to.

January always offers an onslaught of design guides and reports on the passing year. It makes sense — our industry evolves at lightning speed, and we need help staying on top of trends.

Plus, the competition to create the most innovative, gorgeous guide results in some visually stunning content. Who doesn’t love a custom illustration with a dash of parallax?

As I filtered through all my recent Evernote clippings, I found a few special guides with unique foci on specific aspects of design. Some look at the business of design, others discuss creative trends, and so on. These five reports stood out as the best of each category.

Side note: I was not involved in the development of any of the guides, nor was I asked to write about them. My selections and summaries are based solely on hours of independent scrolling. Enjoy!

Best in Visual Design:

Shutterstock’s 2019 Creative Trends

Few organizations have access to creative data quite like Shutterstock. The visual elements used by designers across disciplines are easily tracked through millions of searches and downloads, feeding into the development of this annual report.

Shutterstock’s guide focuses mostly on aesthetic trends, looking at keywords with the greatest growth in search volume over the previous year. Terms are packaged into overarching themes like “Rococo Romance” and “Kawaii style.” The team does an impressive job of distilling complex analyses into clear patterns.

On top of sound data, the whole report is bright, colorful, and fun to explore. I look forward to its release every year, and this one did not disappoint.

Best in Design as a Business:

The New Design Frontier by InVision

Holy guacamole, this one’s a whopper! I read all 43 pages plus the interactive web version, and it’s clear that InVision put serious resources towards this project.

The report primarily focuses on the ROI (Return on Investment) of design. Designers face this issue at almost every organization. How do we justify our existence and efforts when the business impact is so complicated to quantify?

After surveying 2,200 designers, InVision offers answers.

“We found that those dominating their industries are the ones treating the screen like the most important place on Earth.”

Essentially, the researchers employed rigorous analytical methods to develop a “design maturity model” (i.e., the influence and structure of the design team at an organization). They then compared these results to the relative success of the business.

Unsurprisingly, companies with high design maturity appear to reap great rewards across indicators like cost savings and brand position. But the most helpful takeaways, in my opinion, are the descriptors of “key activities” and “key benefits” at each level of maturity.

The New Design Frontier relies on responses from members’ of InVision’s community, so the information isn’t perfect. Nonetheless, it’s a solid high-level summary of design impact, and the illustrations and charts are lovely.

Best in Life as a Designer:

UX Collective’s The State of UX in 2019

You won’t find any Pantone color predictions here. Instead, UX Collective focuses on life as a UX designer in its 4th annual report. I appreciate this guide for its candor and thoughtful critiques.

Fabricio and Caio curated the common topics among articles written by the UX community and distilled them into nine major themes, ranging from career to mindset. The resulting insights resonate.

In the routine section, they describe how “designers are too busy to design.” I hear this frustration frequently. Mundane tasks and nonstop Slack messages are slowing the actual production of design, and we all need to be more mindful about how we spend our time.

Looking at the industry as a whole, the authors examine the negative impacts on the world caused by design and challenge the idea that “engagement” is always a good thing. We have a responsibility to think beyond business metrics, and this topic remains open to wide debate.

You’ll find excellent food for thought in this report, so put on your thinking cap before you dive in!

Best in UX/UI Design Trends:

UX Planet’s 2019 UX and UI Trends

When I think of a traditional UX/UI trends guide, this piece by Moses Kim is what comes to mind. It covers all the essential components of design through an expert lens.

Unlike other reports, this one does not rely only on internal data. Instead, the author has thoroughly researched the topics using outside sources, which he links to religiously. Every fact, figure, and GIF offers a reference. As a former journalist, this brings joy to my soul!

The insights still derive from his personal experience, but you want that authoritative commentary when discussing potential trends. From variable fonts to Figma, this guide highlights the hottest developments in design with a high degree of confidence.

Best in Design Inspiration:

Behance’s 2019 Design Trends

Microactions, typography, and animated logos…oh my!!

If you need ideas or examples of excellent design, this is your guide. It’s not about data analysis — it’s a massive compilation of quality work across many UX/UI and visual trends. You can browse creations from designers all over the world, which have been curated by the Behance staff.

When I scroll through this report, I feel inspired to go build a fresh product from the group up or learn a new design technique. As a social network for creatives, Behance is all about community…and what an incredible community we have! The talent and skill showcased in this trends guide are astounding.

No matter how the world of design evolves in 2019, we are certain to see amazing ideas and experiences emerge from our field. If you ever get stuck in a creative rut over the coming months, return to these guides and you’re sure to re-ignite your imagination and passion for your craft.

As the designer Neville Brody once said:

“Digital design is like painting, except the paint never dries.”

Keep swiping at that canvas, my friends!

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Real Big Words makes content that works. See more from us on Instagram or follow our blog, The Saurus.

Written by Melissa Mapes, Founder of Real Big Words

Want to see more articles like this? Press the 👏 icon so we know what to write about!

Originally published at realbigwords.com.

A guide to all the 2019 design trend guides was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The world of branding used to revolve around packaging, messaging, and logos. These elements are still essential — after all, where would Nike be without its swoosh and “Just do it.” tagline? — but in today’s reality, we interact with digital products as often as we do our own shoes.

Users hold high expectations for every application and website they encounter. If one fails to meet standards, it is abandoned and easily replaced by a competing app.

Your brand is only as good as your experience, and vice versa. Like it or not, they go together like peanut butter and jelly. The integration of brand and UX often determines which company will crush the competition, and here are a few reasons why.

Bold cross-channel bets

Even companies with physical goods as their flagship offering now rely heavily on digital experiences to promote their brand and sell merchandise. Look at the suite of apps developed by Nike:

• Nike — Your personal Nike shop
• Nike SNKRS — Your ultimate sneaker source
• Nike Training Club — Workouts and fitness guidance
• Nike Run Club — Run tracking and training plans
• NikeConnect — Sports

Nike also operates countless websites and, of course, the in-person experience of their brick and mortar store.

I use this example because it shows how an iconic company has successfully translated its brand into user experiences, both online and offline. Most companies, however, do not approach branding and UX with a unified vision.

Instead, they sequester brand and UX onto two different teams, often with competing goals and interests. Tension ensues and valuable time is squandered by bickering over priorities.

Tradeoffs are always difficult to make when it comes to developing company roadmaps and I’m not suggested that product and marketing teams should be combined into one behemoth org chart, but effective leaders will provide a single, user-centered objective to rally both units around a common vision.

When leaders across teams signal the same values and decision-making framework, discussions become more productive.

This set of brand and UX values allows companies to make bold bets across channels and the product. With everyone swimming in the same direction, organizations can build end-to-end user experiences that are wow-worthy rather than watered-down.

A tale of two tech cultures

In tech, I often encounter two very distinct perspectives on brand:

“Our brand is everything to us. It guides all decisions and is paramount to our success.”

OR

“Brand doesn’t really matter. Users come to us for [insert product or service], not our aesthetics.”

Both are flawed, but both also make valid points.

The first statement describes an organization that really understands the potential impact of a cohesive and well-crafted brand presence. This company is far more likely to have integrated marketing and UX teams that collaborate across touch points. But, it fails to make an important distinction:

User feedback should equally influence decision-making. A brand cannot provide the sole guardrails for strategy — it needs to evolve with customer feedback like everything else.

The second statement provides a near opposite viewpoint. This organization probably has no official brand guidelines and very few creatives on either the marketing or product teams. Leadership likely thinks that a logo and a brand amount to the same thing.

I envision a single UX designer borrowing writing time from a content marketing person — the two poor souls trying to MacGyver a not-awful user experience with duct tape and string.

Although this company clearly conflates “aesthetics” with branding, which is so wrong, it gets one thing right:

Solving problems for users is the ultimate goal. If a product or service performs the necessary function as advertised, users form a positive brand impression and keep coming back.

The catch? It also needs to perform the said function better than all competitors.

The term “better” can stand for many different attributes: price, convenience, customer service, usability, social impact, and much more. All of these traits factor into brand perceptions and help shape the user experience.

Both companies described above will struggle if they don’t build a business that anticipates the needs and wants of their specific customer base. You can’t let brand guidelines dictate everything. And you can’t let users dictate everything either because sometimes they don’t know what they want until they see it.

Distinctive identities

In an increasingly crowded landscape, tech companies can break away from the pack by defining what “better” means for their brand — all with the help of user feedback.

Everyone wants to be a unicorn. Who wouldn’t love to launch a company that’s first to market with a unique and world-changing concept?

The vast majority of successful businesses, however, are just really good horses. No magical powers, no rainbow mane or sparkly horn — they may be a stallion among ponies, but they’re still part of a herd.

Just look at the Fortune 500 list. Health insurance companies hold several top spots, along with retailers, banks, energy companies, phone and internet providers, and even the largest paper company in the world, International Paper. (Thanks to them, now all I can think about is the Michael Scott Paper Company.)

These companies may be number one in their industry, but they are not unique concepts by any stretch of the imagination.

No matter what service or product a company supplies, it has competitors. You have to give users a reason to choose you over the rest. With all else equal, this is where your brand comes in.

Many think of brand identity as a purely visual effort. Yes, the colors and fonts and logos all matter, but it’s so much more than that.

A brand identity, if well-executed and crafted to truly speak to a company’s purpose, can translate into a powerful brand image that inspires loyalty. Great design breeds trust, after all.

The strategy behind a brand identity should align with both user sensibilities and the core functions of a digital product. Key interactions should speak to the spirit of the brand, thereby differentiating it from similar tools or services.

For example, Asana sends delightful creatures shooting across the screen when a user checks an item off their task list. This speaks to the satisfaction one feels when completing a project. It also reinforces the distinct brand identity behind the work management tool.

Can Asana precisely quantify the market share gained through flying narwhals? No. But, it’s memorable moments like these that drive continuous engagement.

And, frankly, it’s a big part of the reason I personally use Asana.

By developing a distinct identity and leveraging key interactions to make a positive impression, companies are finding novel ways to separate themselves from the herd.

Promises, promises

When an identity is managed in a vacuum, it’s obvious. By leaving the UX team out of the process, companies risk making brand promises that their product isn’t built to deliver.

A marketing team may come up with a genius tagline to entice customers but inadvertently come across as misleading, due to competing priorities.

Companies without a cohesive vision for both marketing and UX often end up in the following scenario:

1. Channels advertise messaging points that work for conversion but only highlight select functions of the actual product, leaving out key information.
2. Users sign up for the product with certain expectations of what they’ll receive in return.
3. Frustration and distrust ensue when users discover that the product is misaligned with their exact needs.
4. The company’s brand image is forever tarnished in the eye of said customer and crucial word-of-mouth marketing is lost.

Essentially, the brand promises made to customers — although not overtly dishonest—fail to match the expectations of the user, leading to increased churn rate.

For example, let’s say the marketing team at Company X tests language about the speed of their product’s search function and finds it to work spectacularly for conversion, so they include the messaging in the recommended brand copy. The phrase “Find what you need a flash!” starts proliferating across advertising channels.

The search function works fine but isn’t anything spectacular, and the product team doesn’t have space on their roadmap for major improvements. They likely don’t even know that search has been added to standard messaging…until retention rates start dropping and the customer service team chimes in with feedback.

The product team then broaches the issue with the marketing team, but they reply with data showing the spike in conversion with the newly approved brand copy. The marketing team has cash goals to meet and is feeling serious pressure from leadership, so the argument reaches a stalemate.

Either the product team must scramble to improve search speed or the marketing team must miss another month’s growth targets, potentially jeopardizing their careers.

It’s easy to point the finger in this scenario and many teams do. The true culprit, though, is the lack of a unified vision and brand management process.

Every touchpoint in a user’s journey comprises a portion of the experience, from top funnel advertising to email to in-product activity.

By treating the marketing and UX contributions as mutually exclusive, brands miss the opportunity to craft a consistent story across all interactions.

Jeff Bezos once asserted:

“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

When people talk, it’s about the entirety of their user experience — from the first touch to last. So, it’s time for marketing and UX teams to get real friendly (if they’re not already) and build beautiful things together.

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Real Big Words makes content that works. See more from us on Instagram or follow our blog, The Saurus.

Written by Melissa Mapes, Founder of Real Big Words

Want to see more articles like this? Press the 👏 icon so we know what to write about!

Originally published at realbigwords.com.

Your brand is your user experience. Here’s why. was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Executives are finally realizing that brands need a carefully crafted user experience to thrive. This awakening has led to a new era for microcopy — an age when just the right words can really differentiate a product.

I recently wrote an article about the top UX writing mistakes, but I left out one essential piece of information: what really awesome UX writing looks like.

The decision to exclude positive examples was purposeful, as I wanted to keep the piece focused and digestible. But, I’m now sharing some of the best microcopy in existence — copy that puts the “fun” in functional and the “art” in smart.

These expertly designed buttons, forms, landing pages, and more show off the potential of UX writing at its apex. When you need some inspiring examples to get your content strategy and creativity flowing, I hope the 10 fine specimens below help you get there.

1. Crystal-clear confirmations

Few things freak out users more than processing payment before expected (as described in Part 1 of No Good, Very Bad UX Writing Mistakes). People care a lot about their money. Heck, I sure do!

Good microcopy lets you know exactly where you are in the purchase flow.

Airbnb reassures customers that, “You won’t be charged yet,” which allows them to proceed to the next step without fear. This brief sentence answers the question that every user has when they see a price near a button.

Similarly, Amazon avoids unnecessary refunds with the unambiguous, “Place your order.” Nothing is left open to interpretation. If you click, you pay — that’s it.

Any monetary transaction requires this level of transparency if you want to do right by your customers. Clue them into exactly what will happen when they press that button and they’ll know they can trust your brand.

2. Surprise hover effects

I remember the first time I went to sign-in to my Wufoo account. I laughed audibly and waved over my coworker to share the clever interaction. With a dinosaur mascot, this microcopy truly makes their website roar.

This tiny effect is genius for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it doesn’t sacrifice any clarity in exchange for brand expression. The “Login” text is still the first thing an existing user would click.

Secondly, it makes excellent use of such limited space — creating an opportunity for voice that’s normally overlooked.

And, finally, the “Rawrr!” is a delightful surprise designed specifically for existing customers. It’s not about increasing conversion and new cash; it’s about creating a fun moment that makes people want to come back.

3. Brutally honest filters

Hipmunk, you get me. I would love to buy a drink for whomever came up with this idea.

As all avid travelers know, the cheapest fare is rarely the fastest one. No one wants to spend 12 hours and 3 layovers flying from Milwaukee to Omaha. But, until now, no filter has truly captured the biggest pain points of air travel. I’ve always had to sort flights by price and then scroll down to a tolerable level of agony.

This “sort by” default shows a high degree of empathy and solves a significant problem in a single word. It’s smart and funny and functional and everything we aspire to attain as UX writers. More, please!

4. Page not found errors that make you want to get lost

Error pages are the UX writer’s playground. You have nothing to lose, since your users are already lost, and everything to gain.

The ideal content is fabulously entertaining and helps assuage the frustration of disoriented customers.

This Github 404 page plays right into the hands of its nerdy audience. (You know I love you, nerds.) The Star Wars reference is relevant and charming — how could anyone feel grumpy about landing on a missing page?

As if I needed more reasons to adore NPR.

In addition to journalistic integrity in trying times, this 404 page is the user experience equivalent of Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

At first glance, it’s a pretty boring Web 1.0 design. Read a little further, though, and discover a list of famously lost icons — all welcome company for a page that seems to have vanished without a trace. It’s the stuff legends are made of.

5. Simple questions (instead of commands)

No one likes a bossy interface.

Generally, UX writers are trained to guide users by telling them exactly what to do. “Choose one of these!” or “Start that!”

In many cases, this is fine, but sometimes a question works better than a command. If you have a list of options to present, you have an opportunity to ask nicely for a selection.

Netflix says, “Who’s watching?” each time a user logs in, which feels less aggressive than “Pick a viewer” or something along those lines.

I’d also like to note the use of a contraction in this instance. I frequently hear the voice of my grade school English teacher in my head saying, “Contractions are too informal and should never be used in professional writing of any kind!”

Just like in grade school, I completely ignore her and you probably should too. Sure, if you’re writing an academic paper, avoid contractions. If you’re writing an interface, however, keep it casual.

Go for the most natural and concise wording possible. The more approachable your microcopy sounds, the better.

6. Landing pages that show and don’t just tell

This landing page for the notification silencing app Muzzle is simple, yet genius. It’s also quite risqué — readers with a sensitive constitution may wish to avert their eyes from the sordid microcopy below.

The use of fake alerts perfectly demonstrates the value of the product: avoiding humiliating notifications at the worst possible moment. While (hopefully) few individuals need to worry about this level of TMI, the concept feels very relatable. The exaggerated indecency makes it all the more effective.

By thinking beyond value prop bullets, this microcopy perfectly demonstrates the age-old writing technique of show don’t tell.

A full story with emotional impact is conveyed in a few brief sentences. At first, one may laugh at the poor rube with his name on the wall in HR. But then, one shall download the app to avoid the same notorious fate.

7. Clever calls-to-action

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the punniest of them all? (Answer: It’s InVision.)

I always get a chuckle out of the CTAs in emails sent by “Clark from InVision.” They know their audience and aren’t trying to convert a broad swath of users with generic buttons. Instead, they’re engaging with designers who stare at CTAs every day and appreciate the creativity.

Emails offer some great real estate for experimental microcopy. You can test fresh ideas quickly with minimal risk — especially if it’s for a newsletter and not an acquisition-oriented direct marketing campaign.

A “call-to-action” does not necessarily need to specify an action when users are intimately acquainted with the next step.

The rules of sign-up flows do not apply here. In certain contexts, a clever pun will drive more engagement than a “Read More” or “View Article.” UX writers are often restricted by best practices for conversion, but when you’re not, have fun with it.

8. Copy that speaks to you

The pros at Medium sure know how to convey a distinctive and authoritative brand — and I promise I’m not getting paid to say this! Think of all the publishing platforms out there…How did Medium burst onto the scene with so much authority in so little time?

This microcopy is aspirational and emotive without a trace of silliness. I adore a humorous interface, but Medium wants to convey expertise and elevated thinking, which rarely comes with LOLs.

Instead, they speak directly to the user.

You’ll notice that the question is asking you, the human on the other side of the screen, if you believe in destiny. Then, the CTA jumps to a first-person perspective and becomes your inner voice with “surprise me…”

It’s a subtle touch of empathy, but it works.

Also, don’t get me started on the graphic collages Medium creates — so editorial! And a lovely complement to the tone of the copy.

9. A balanced touch of brand personality

In other situations, a sense of humor is just what the doctor ordered. Dollar Shave Club is renowned for their brand personality, which shows up at opportune moments along their user journeys.

It’s almost never a good idea to sacrifice clarity for voice. However, if a UX writer gets too stuck in this mindset, they may start missing opportunities to differentiate their brand.

When a page is built with the primary intention of converting new customers, the contention over verbiage tends to become particularly heated. Executives care a lot about what these “front doors” are saying to potential customers.

Dollar Shave Club adeptly balances clarity and brand voice in this example. The Queen reference adds personality without muddying the message.

10. Errors with oomph (and instructions)

Like 404 pages, form errors often cause user frustration. The job of the UX writer becomes not only explaining the issue and how to fix it, but also mitigating the user’s annoyance.

This error message from MailChimp makes it nearly impossible to feel perturbed.

Sure, it took a few extra characters to fit in “evil twin” and “spooky,” but now users are smiling instead of furrowing their brows.

Like I said in the beginning, the gold standard of UX writing puts the “fun” in functional and the “art” in smart. Each word in these examples serves a purpose — either solving a problem for users or eliciting a desired emotional response.

Every UX writer knows that the shorter something is, the harder it is to write.

Despite hours of research, ideation, and testing, the end product needs to feel effortless. The irony of UX design is that when it’s truly great, it often goes unnoticed.

So, if you know of awesome UX writing examples that I missed, please feel free to share them in the comments below. After all, it’s up to the design community to recognize one other for great work!

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Real Big Words makes content that works. See more from us on Instagram or follow our blog, The Saurus.

Written by Melissa Mapes, Founder of Real Big Words

Want to see more articles like this? Press the 👏 icon so we know what to write about!

Originally published at realbigwords.com.

This Is UX Writing at Its Very Best was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

You could accidentally buy 10,000 pairs of old socks or delete an entire database of critical health information!

True, the role of a UX writer is often to help users read as little as possible. But the only thing almost as terrible as no words is really bad UX writing. It misleads, muddies, and creates absurd amounts of friction.

Good microcopy is clear, concise, and useful. The point is to be sparing but you still need some words.

Four score and not that long ago, UX writers did not exist as a job function and, instead, engineers were composing copy as an afterthought.

This is still happening at a lot of early-stage startups that lack the resources for in-house content strategy teams. I’m sure that somewhere out there a programmer exists with the skills and desire to craft both Javascript and microcopy, but I’m yet to meet one.

As a result, many product and design teams inherit piles of well-intended (yet frightful) UX writing when brought aboard. Mistakes with real business impact find their way through years of product iterations. Why? Because the time commitment needed for a copy audit combined with the desire to A/B test every change tends to stall progress, even by the time companies grow large enough to get the job done right.

We are still in the nascent years of writing for UX. Few guidelines exist to help people avoid the biggest mistakes that so many companies make. Thus, here’s a roundup of the top 10 issues that I’ve seen appear most often, much to the detriment of the user experience.

1. Buttons that take your credit card and run

Generally, it takes a few steps to make a purchase or sign up for a subscription. Many apps and websites use the same call-to-action button at each step, like Continue rather than saying Complete Purchase or similar. This may cause higher refund rates because users do not realize the word Continue or Next means that they will be billed as soon as they click the button.

The initial conversion rate may be higher because it’s misleading, but the refund rate and % of angry customers will counteract the cash. This is true for bad CTA buttons at any step of a flow. If the next thing that happens doesn’t match what the call-to-action says, they’ll be confused, and confusion = friction.

Progress bars are another way to ensure users know exactly where they are in the flow.

2. Confirm shaming

Oh, the joys of passive-aggressive pop-ups. It’s not fun when your parents try to guilt you into things, so why suffer the same misery in microcopy? “No thanks, I like to make bad choices” is just one of many examples of confirm shaming out there.

The intent is to push or scare the user into changing their mind. In reality, it just alienates them further. Even if someone does convert out of shame, they probably won’t stick around for long.

3. Achey breaky line breaks

Bad line breaks have been haunting editors for eons. Pithy copy loses its bite when words are sliced and diced. Work with your designers and engineers to make sure text is responsive and will adapt to different screen sizes without awkward breaks.

If for some reason responsive styles cannot be implemented, keep within a character limit that will fit on one line no matter the screen. Annoying, I know. But that’s the life of a UX writer! It’s better to edit and simplify than risk losing oomph.

4. Aggressive % off headlines

So many numbers!! Is it 50%, 30%, 20%, or $10 off? No one knows.

Many eCommerce companies (especially clothing retailers) use their best real estate for massive discount headlines. It’s hard to convince stakeholders to stay away from this behavior when it works well for a quick buck and monthly sales goals are sky high. Ultimately, though, this is toxic for both branding and the long-term health of the business.

Users learn to never buy from these companies unless they’re discounting like crazy. Hence, companies become addicted to big % off banners because there is a dip in conversion anytime they try to remove them. It devalues the product and cheapens the brand. High-value customers view these brands as poor quality and take their business elsewhere.

It’s also incredibly uninspiring for UX writers. If you work at an organization that won’t budge from gigantic discount copy, then my best advice to you is to start seeking new opportunities (i.e., get the heck out of there).

5. Jargon jargon jargon

Can you say jargon three times fast? It sounds more and more like a Klingon word to me every time I try. And IP address conflict with another system on the network might as well be an alien language too.

The average user is not going to know what that means, so it doesn’t help them. There’s also zero information on how to resolve the issue. The result? Frustration!!

UX writing should be so simple that a child can understand it. No big technical words.

Also, avoid slang. It should be easy for users whose native language is not English to comprehend. Additionally, this ensures that the text can be translated into other languages without too much difficulty.

6. Looking out for #1

Even really good products can suffer from sub-par UX writing. The claim of “#1” really isn’t useful, nor is it in any way original. Where is the brand voice? We’re all #1 in our moms’ eyes — it’s better to convey the specific value to the user than rely on generic marketing headlines.

It’s natural for a healthy tension to exist between marketing and product goals when it comes to UX writing. The incentive structure for each team is sometimes at odds because success is measured by different metrics.

To take a very simplistic view, these are the types of data points that each type of team tends to prioritize most:

• Marketing metrics = conversion
• Product metrics = engagement

Both are super important and both fail to tell a complete story. Often, it shows when one is weighted more heavily than the other in decision-making.

The example above, while concise, misses the mark on ‘useful’ and doesn’t clarify the value of the app. It’s purely a marketing headline…and not a very unique one.

7. Lack of context

Each step in a user journey needs to be considered when redesigning one element. A change to the copy usually means a change to the information presented, and that has ripple effects. No feature update happens in a vacuum — they’re all providing context for what comes next.

UX writing is considered one of the “easier” things to test and optimize, largely because it doesn’t require design overhaul and engineering lift (in most cases). As a result, UX writers can get pulled into writing multiple variations for tests at one step of a flow.

The winning variation will be rolled out, but without revisiting the other steps to make sure the new version isn’t losing essential information or compromising the flow in another way.

The “move fast and break things” motto at tech companies is part of the problem. Yes, move quickly and test new ideas — just also do the necessary clean-up work afterward.

Context is also key for concision. By distributing information at each step to match the exact user needs, the pressure to list every bit of required info is alleviated.

8. Generic copy that’s immediately x’ed out

Boooooooring! Missed opportunities like this break my little writer heart. It’s a chance for a brand moment that could really stand out. Instead, this appears to be default filler copy. It doesn’t get more generic.

Of course, not every bit of microcopy is appropriate for brand voice. Clarity always takes first priority. But when it makes sense, voice can differentiate a product and make it sound human. Users are more likely to trust a product that feels human.

Here are some guidelines to using brand voice in microcopy from Bill Beard at Smashing Magazine.

Avoid over-branding copy on:

• Navigation,
• forms and field labels,
• instructional text,
• selection text (drop-downs, radio buttons),buttons.

Consider incorporating your brand’s voice in:

• confirmation messaging,
• rewards (badges, points),
• 404 pages,
• server errors,
• error messaging.

9. Making it too weird

This is the flipside of no brand voice — awkward microcopy. In an effort to sound fun, Turbo instead sounds like they’re trying way too hard.

The pop culture reference has nothing to do with their brand or product. It’s a teensy bit uncomfortable, like a Stage 5 Clinger. We were not dating Turbo, we will never have a romantic relationship with tax software, and comparing us to Brangelina is simply nonsense.

I’d take this over generic copy any day, but it’s crossed the line into too weird.

10. Vague errors

Tell me what the problem is, please! I can’t solve an error if I don’t know what the mistake is. Something has gone wrong could mean literally anything. I could have my shirt on inside-out. Who knows!

Vague and ambiguous error messages cause major drop-off. No one wants to keep filling out the same form over and over, only to keep receiving a message with zero details.

To make things worse, the words on the list above are stark and unfriendly. It’s bad enough to deal with an error — why not lighten the mood with more appealing language?

In sum…

Every interaction with a user is an opportunity.

UX writing has developed into a critical part of designing a product out of necessity — bad copy creates confusion and friction, while great microcopy makes it delightful and easy to complete a desired action.

If you put yourself into the shoes of the user and empathize with their needs, you’re halfway there. At times, you need the copy to be so simple and clear that they don’t even notice it. In other scenarios, you want to elicit a belly laugh.

It’s okay to make mistakes — you need to try whacky ideas to make breakthroughs. As long as you address user needs firstly, you shall find success.

Now go forth and write delightful things!

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Real Big Words makes content that works. See more from us on Instagram or follow our blog, The Saurus.

Written by Melissa Mapes, Founder of Real Big Words

Want to see more articles like this? Press the 👏 icon so we know what to write about!

Originally published at realbigwords.com.

No Good, Very Bad UX Writing Mistakes was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

You’ve probably heard of content strategy and know it’s important, but struggle to explain the exact concept. You’re not alone.

I spend a good bit of time describing everything that content strategy encompasses. The field has existed since the late 90s, but is still emerging as a mainstream category of work or job title. Thus, few professionals have a clear idea of what it really means.

Let’s start with some essential definitions.

First, content.

If you ask ye olde Oxford English Dictionary, content is “the things that are included in something.” Helpful, right?

It’s hardly a wonder that people are deeply confused about the concept of content strategy given the broad definitions of its most basic elements. Ask around and you’ll find very different ideas of what it means, even at Fortune 500 companies full of very smart people.

But content matters…and so does strategy. No one argues against this. It’s simply the combination of the two words that leads to wild conflation.

Here is a helpful way to think about content in this context:

If your product is digital or relies on any digital presence, it needs content in order to be received by the world. The words, images, videos, and graphics used to bring your business into being all qualify as content. You cannot communicate anything without it.

Now onto strategy.

Strategy involves planning, research, and goal definition. It’s the reasoning behind the choices made at your organization. You ensure that precious resources are invested wisely by employing strategy.

Put the two together and you have content strategy: the strategies developed to provide your audience with useful content exactly when and where they need it, and in a way that supports both business and audience goals.

This is how we define content strategy at our company, and it’s also the functional role I’ve seen play out at successful organizations.

What does a content strategist actually do?

Many related responsibilities can be bucketed under content strategy, depending on the organization and team structure. Some content strategists specialize in one or two areas of expertise, while others operate as lone wolves with all-encompassing responsibilities (and I feel for those individuals).

This diagram illustrates responsibilities commonly associated with content strategy, and how they are often distributed across Marketing and UX / Product teams.

Where does content marketing fit in?

You may be looking at the chart above and wondering why content marketing isn’t listed. It’s there — it’s just broken down into more specific responsibilities. Content marketing makes up a lot of the marketing side of the equation. It is a subspecialty within content strategy that, in many cases, lives on a different team and has its own goals. Ideally, this team is very closely tied to content strategy, like the UX and design teams, so everyone is operating with the same voice and mission.

The other part of content strategy that may live on marketing is brand. While also not explicitly listed in the chart, it’s present in copy, style guides, and the overall user experience.

Because it’s so important for all these components to sync tightly, certain tech companies like Spotify are combining content strategy, UX, and design into departments called “Brand and Experience” or similar. Marketing departments then become more strictly focused on acquisition and growth, while these new groups focus on applying the broader vision for the company to the full user experience.

There is no one-size-fits all solution for defining the role of content strategy for your organization. Many factors, like company size, must be considered. But, if you have any sort of digital presence, you have a content strategy — it’s just a question of whether or not it’s being intentionally shaped and leveraged.

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Written by Melissa Mapes, Founder of Real Big Words

Originally published at realbigwords.com.

What is content strategy, exactly? was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Content is not a new concept. Nor is user experience. A billion and one people call themselves #contentcreators or #uxdesigners in hopes of carving off a slice of the pie in these hot careers.

But truly adding value to a brand requires more than just putting stuff out there and hoping something works — that’s how we end up with endless inspirational quotes over mountain pictures and cookie cutter sites that seem eerily similar industry leaders.

I started Real Big Words because I know how difficult it is to develop a unique, well-defined strategy that works. It’s tempting to fall into the trap of “Well, everyone else seems to be doing it, so it must be effective!” And brands do fall into this trap. A lot.

Sure, best practices and industry awareness are essential, but it’s not going to help you stand out. At Real Big Words, we focus on your specific company and audience to customize a strategy that builds trust with customers and helps secure long term success.

Without totally giving up the secret sauce, here are five key things that set us apart.

1. No B.S.

We keep things very real, which is why it’s in our name. You need to be 100% authentic to pass the smell test with today’s content-inundated audiences.

Brands are often hesitant to sound like a human and share a bit of their true selves, which limits their impact. Others try to capitalize on false empathy and find themselves committing major faux paus (ahem, Pepsi).

I say this to clients all the time: you can’t form a strong connection with users unless you cut out corporate B.S. and give your company some heart. Real heart.

2. Bold statements

“Fortune favors the bold.” That’s a Latin proverb, so you know it’s smart. Pliny the Elder (also the name of a delicious beer) said this before taking his army to investigate the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79, and it’s still great advice nearly 2,000 years later.

You can’t be afraid to do something big. Playing it safe all the time is a guaranteed ticket to mediocrity. Not every blog post or tweet needs to be exceptional, but if you never feel uncomfortable, then you’re not pushing your brand to its full potential.

3. K.I.S.S.

This stands for Keep It Stupid Simple — a principle that especially applies to UX. Users have a goal in mind when they visit or use your product. Bells and whistles will rarely help them achieve said goal.

You can make your experience fun, polished, or whatever you’re going for without adding extra steps that are meant to impress (but actually just add friction).

4. All pro

Real Big Words is a collective of pros across a few related disciplines, including content strategy, copywriting, and UX. I help companies outsource projects in these areas to some of the best in the biz. These experts generally have full time gigs and they offer their talents to Real Big Words as a side hustle.

Our model is a win for both our freelancers and our clients. Brands get top-quality work and save time and money on in-house resources. Freelancers make some extra cash and expand their portfolios beyond their day jobs.

5. Guaranteed happiness

If you’re not happy with our work and you aren’t going to use it, you don’t pay for it. It’s that simple.

Any projects produced by Real Big Words are personally guaranteed by me (Melissa). I have great confidence in the quality of our work and believe that any company with integrity should offer the same policy for its services.

So there you have it! These five things are the major ingredients in the Real Big Words recipe. If you want to know more, shoot me an email at gobig@realbigwords.com.

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Real Big Words makes content that works. See more from us on instagram or follow our blog, The Saurus.

You can also apply to join our team or contact us about a project.

Written by Melissa Mapes, Founder of Real Big Words

Originally published at realbigwords.com.