Online content is easy. If you read nothing else know this:
If you know your reader - and what you're trying to communicate - the rest will follow.
Ask: If someone who knew nothing about World Vision came upon this page, would they understand what it's about? Would they understand our approach? What we stand for? How we act?
World Vision's down-to-earth, friendly, compassionate tone of voice is perfectly suited to the website.
Digital content should, as a starting position, be straightforward, succinct and active.
Through our website - and social media channels - we can have a conversation with our supporters.
Therefore, it's important that we chat with our supporters one on one. It's a community of like-minded people who want to make a difference.
To find out more, see our section on World Vision's brand voice.
Some World Vision supporters will be more swayed by facts (the pragmatists), some by a heart-wrenching story (the believers), some by a combination of both (the humanists). Many are parents. A majority are women. Some are tech savvy; some less so.
They're a diverse bunch of people. Fittingly, diverse content - and a range of content types from infographics to video - will be needed to inform and inspire them to take action.
They are united by one thing: they want to make a difference and they want to see the difference they're making.
What's great about being online is that you can get to know your audience better and better by the way in which they respond.
Measure page views, level of engagement (number of comments, time on site), conversion, return visits, shares and more. Is the content working? What do your readers really respond to? What falls flat?
World Vision has some great research for getting to know our readers better. See the below documents (and the many other great resources on on The Hub).
World Vision is lucky. Most websites struggle to get enough content.
We have access to many compelling stories from the field, most commonly in the form of articles, videos and photos.
This means our challenge is less about sourcing content - and more about ensuring that the content we offer online is the best of the best. Choose content of the highest quality that speaks clearly to World Vision's supporters.
Often when we're online, we replicate offline processes. Make full use of the fact that you're online.
For example, offline, a magazine is a great way to read a 20-page report. Online, it might be better to present the content within a microsite.
A newspaper has to provide all of the explanatory text in its articles. Online, you can link to further information instead, so as to not clutter the story.
Online, you can present a story in multiple ways - through videos, infographics, photos and more. Make sure you get the most from what the medium offers!
Users get lost inside PDF files, which are typically big, linear text blobs that are optimized for print and unpleasant to read and navigate online. PDF is good for printing, but that's it. Don't use it for online presentation.
Jakob Nielsen
The same goes for Word documents.
Wherever possible, you should type your information directly into the page, rather than using attachments with the information in it. It's better for readers. And it's much better for search engine optimisation.
If an attachment is essential, there are some rules. You should only use an attachment if:
If you use an attachment, you should show file type and size.
PDFs and documents require specific treatment to ensure they work well on the website, and can be found easily by users.
Before you write, pause for a moment and imagine this:
You are standing on a stage in a room. In the room is your CEO, a journalist from The Australian, several child sponsors, several people who aren't Christian (some of whom are Muslim), several children from communities in which World Vision works, and several of your colleagues who are working on World Vision projects in some of the most dangerous countries in the world.
Would you say to them what you are about to say online? Would you share with them the video or picture that you are about to upload?
You are an ambassador for World Vision. Before you create content, remember that room full of people, and use your power for good.
When people are deciding whether to support World Vision, a key factor is trust. On a website, we can reflect World Vision's trustworthiness by ensuring that our content is up to date, consistent and correct.
Make sure you're across World Vision Australia's language guide (pdf) and watch out for common errors: eg "its purpose in life" not "it's purpose in life", "separate" not "seperate". Sounds silly but you'd be surprised how often these mistakes show up.
The best way to ensure content is free from errors is to follow this simple rule: have someone else proofread your work. You might be the best editor in the world - but you still won't see all the mistakes you make.
Make sure the person is trained to proofread and has an excellent knowledge of this online style guide and also the language guide (pdf). Further, make sure they proofread your work in hard copy (errors are much easier to spot).
People expect content on a website to be fresh. Out-of-date or incorrect information is worse than no information at all.
A comprehensive website is great ... when you first develop it. If, however, you don't have the resources to maintain it, its value will quickly decline. If you're putting up content, make sure you have a plan in place to maintain it.
Before writing or editing any piece of content you should ask a lot of questions:
If you can answer these questions, chances are your story will resonate with readers.
The content that comes from the field is often in raw form. To make the story compelling online, it will often need quite a lot of editing.
The following guidelines will help with transforming content from the field into great content for our online audience. They will also help you make sure it complies with our obligations to communities.
Don't use identifying information about where a sponsored child or community is. For example, instead of saying someone lives in the X village of Zambia, say that they live in a small village in southwest Zambia.
Don't portray someone as a victim. When describing World Vision's field programs and projects, it is important to use language that gives people dignity and does not describe them as victims. You will find examples of the language to use in the general World Vision language guide (pdf).
Don't use acronyms. If you must use them, spell them in full for the first usage on each web page: "Information Services Branch (ISB)". Even then, readers unfamiliar with the acronym may have trouble recalling what it meant as they read through the document, particularly where a number of acronyms are used. "WVA" is not acceptable; always use "World Vision Australia", or just "World Vision" when you don't need to differentiate between World Vision offices.
Do talk about World Vision projects as collaborative efforts with communities. The communities themselves own the outcomes. World Vision is a facilitator, a ‘bridge' between them and our communities of supporters in Australia.
Do use empowering language to describe both the people and the work. Allow your writing to illustrate this. When discussing issues of mental health, it's important to avoid focusing on weaknesses and instead accurately reflect survivors' resilience.
Do use "program" and "project" appropriately, and avoid "product". A program of work in the field may encompass several projects. A product is a funding stream supporting World Vision's work in the field; we talk about "fundraising programs" (child sponsorship) or "fundraising events" (40 Hour Famine).
Do describe the outcomes of products accurately. Child sponsorship does not deliver direct benefits to sponsored children; it funds development work in the community in which the child lives. Child Rescue is not about "rescuing children" in an immediate sense; it refers to a collection of projects that focus on prevention and rehabilitation of children in difficult situations beyond the reach of child sponsorship.
Do use terms that are appropriate to the audience for your publication. It's really important to understand your audience and what they know. Put yourself in their shoes when reading. Some development terms - such as multilaterals, interventions, sectoral strategies, integrated programming - are too technical for public communications, although they may be used in academic writing. Some terms are loaded with unwanted or unintended connotations. Avoid "development speak" with general audiences. ADP doesn't mean anything to anyone outside World Vision.