Samantha Smeraglia
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Like many on this course, my background is marketing & e-Learning. A user focus is key to both - you can only be successful if you are targeting your design around audience (and not the provider's) needs.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Testing the right hypothesis this way is key to whether you get useful results or not.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Page traffic and completion rates have been key indicators in measuring the effect of any changes. Historical or benchmark data is helpful in highlighting differences over time (in the usefulness of data, or user behaviour). User satisfaction is harder to measure but higher drop rates indicate potential gaps. You then need to decide whether to ask for more...
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Using the number of pages visited could be a misleading measure, taken on its own. Users might be having to search around for the answers to their needs, or it could be they like where they land and are engaged enough to spend more time on the website. Think different measures are more useful at different stages of a user journey and may need to include...
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Agree that the best way to convince SMEs it's a good use of time is to share the results. The challenge is getting them to do it in the first place! The best way to sell it to someone as a valuable use of time is that it saves them additional meetings or calls/emails back and forth.
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@VanessaM Making the urls searchable also helps with rankings - both within the website (important for large websites such as Gov.uk) and boosting SEO listings for external browsers.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Like most small teams, it's a case of how much is being paid for. The responsibility for maintenance is returned to the customer unless it's fixing small bugs. More wholesale changes happen when something needs to be updated e.g. because of a change in legislation, or the need to add new info.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Search terms, unique page views & average time on page. It helps to know if you are capturing misspellings too. Agree that more time seems devoted to the metrics and tweaking content, rather than looking at the core user needs. Customers want "bells and whistles" when paying for content design.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Google Analytics is a useful starting point but more detail is available, depending on which type of platform you are using for your content e.g. LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or a company website. If using ads to direct people to your content then you get access to even more metrics.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Like many others, it seems the back end of the life-cycle can be overlooked. Little planning (or resource) goes into content review or archiving, unless the content causes an issue online.
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@MaryCunningham What's wrong with excitement? It's engaging! Am on LinkedIn if you'd like to connect? I've met so many interesting people that way.
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Samantha Smeraglia replied to Mary Cunningham
Lots of takeaway tips, tools and tricks. Think the course offers so much more than the title suggested (was not sure originally if I would get around to starting this course).
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Needs a lot smaller paragraphs, with some clear headings. A timeline of the career history (with the option to click links for more detail), would be visually much clearer. Spell out the acronym and replace words such as 'renumerated'.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
The use of sub-headings (with links), so users can jump directly to the section that is relevant to them. The absence of dense jargon and obscure-sounding numbered forms (a title link could work better). The use of plain, simple language makes the Jury information easier to use, with a clear way to navigate directly to the section needed.
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You have a wonderful way with words, so must be a real asset in your poetry. Useful for Scrabble too! My dyslexic family member has a great breadth of word power but struggles to translate that on to the page. Nothing to do with brain power - it's just the different way minds can work.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Reverting to facts tends to take emotion out of the arguments for using plain English. We can all be 'word blind' to in-house jargon and acronyms, which is why user research and analytics are so important - showing what users actually search for vs what we think they 'should' look for.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
The style guides I've used have tended to be more focused on use of corporate colours and fonts.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Instant visual feedback!
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Samantha Smeraglia replied to Dean Smith
Thanks for sharing - neat little trick!
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Have used paper to help sketch out the levels & progression of a user's website journey. Have used storyboards more for eLearning work - either Powerpoint, or Storyline so functionality can be tested.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Interesting, this version didn't break up the text as much as I did. It also used a couple of links that gives readers the option to click through for more explanation. I'd focused more on the formatting and editing than the functionality.
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Seems they have done their research and chosen the best way to communicate necessary information to all types of users, including those with accessibility issues.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
The first page gives a user an overview of the whole year, while the second gives the next few dates, so it depends what timespan the user is looking for. The layout of the 2nd site is clearer and less cluttered, but there needs to be an option for someone to view all holidays for a particular year.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Found the video & content both very useful. Some specific tips and the acknowledgement that there is often push and pull between the volume that companies/ departments want to publish, with all the bells and whistles, and what users actually need.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Google analytics and SEO research have been useful tools in the past. Not sure they give enough insight to assess accessibility, so it's helpful to learn about some of these other tools.
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Have not done much user research, which was one of the reasons for taking this course. Interesting to see the different approaches you can use in-house or via third-parties, with concrete examples of how that might work in practice at different stages of the content development.
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Think acronyms help if you are having to use repeatedly throughout a piece of information, as long as they are spelt out the first time.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Helps to have had an example to work through & see how your accessibility feedback compares.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Needs:
* clearly marked-up headings (and more of them to separate content)
* consistent format on instruction text 'Click here'
* ways to break up the density of information, to make it clearer and linear
* remove underlining (not helpful for dyslexics and adds to cluttered look)
* use infographics or labelled images for examples of extra equipment
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
The posters demonstrate just how useful infographics are in putting large amounts of information across clearly & memorably.
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Good point about the SEO - a side benefit to ensuring accessibility!
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
One simple check would be to make sure that all navigation/non-text content has a text alternative and does not rely soley on colour or images. That way content can be navigated and read by a screen reader.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Interesting points about building accessibility for those with temporary or situational issues. Had thought of accessibility more in terms of permanent needs prior to reading this.
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Samantha Smeraglia replied to Ian Clare
@IanClare True, you even get contrast issues on videos, where text has been overlaid. Noticed visibility challenges with a few programmes lately.
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Samantha Smeraglia replied to Adi Floyde
Had not thought of that as an accessibility issue but makes sense. Thanks for that.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Dyslexic accessibility would be useful, given the number of people that suffer.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Have used Powerpoint and Storyline storyboards as a way of mapping out eLearning courses and identifying any gaps (visual or narrative), in the training.
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Samantha Smeraglia replied to Chris A
@AgnieszkaMurdoch The cartoon in the linked article also put the idea of breaking into manageable chunks across well, with a simple visual.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
It's done when the water has been added to the kettle and boiled
It's done when the tea leaves or bag have been taken out of the cupboard and placed in the cup or teapot
It's done when the boiling water has been added to the cup or teapot
It's done when (if wanted) sugar or sweetener and/or milk have been added to the cup. -
Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Looking at some examples, it is interesting to see how easy it is to slip into describing the solution...
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Users in need of training, so they could be technical users, or task/policy focused. It could be job-specific technical learning e.g. car mechanisms, or company-level training e.g. mandatory training, how to access a firm's software systems to self-manage their employee or customer records.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Users in need of training. It could be job-specific technical learning e.g. car mechanisms, or company-level training e.g. how to access a firm's software systems to self-manage their employee or customer records.
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Samantha Smeraglia replied to Delphine Marzin
Can see that my definitions might be too narrow. These make more sense in terms of people's journey and likely interactions with the content.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Reporters, Gov ministers (to develop relevant policies/determine resources), planners (forecasting infrastructure, education & housing needs), Local Government, teachers, students and the general public.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Think building and sustaining good relationships is probably key. It helps with understanding and is key to being able to react to fluid timelines/projects. If you don't know the answer then it helps to have contacts who might or who will assist you in getting there quicker.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Content designers need to work closely with SMEs (subject matter experts), proof readers/testers, content owners, technical support (to check that your 'great idea' is not incompatible or slows the user down to the point of abandoning an action/course).
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Infographics, images with captions or numbers (linked to more detail), quizzes (to check learning and/or progress through a course). Hyperlinks (to urls, pdfs, emails).
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Lots of new terms! Would be useful as a course 'takeaway' pdf.
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Easy to get information overload when talking to in-house subject experts. What is important or interesting info to them isn't necessarily what users want to access first.
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Sounds like you have lots of experience already in designing user-focused information & learning!
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
My experience is more content creation and I would really like to learn more about content design and the UX experience.
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Same with me! Seems like UX copywriting would be a useful skill to add to my eLearning content & text copywriting.
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When I worked in the NHS, found it helped to start with the question - what do users want? If the website has to work for different users e.g. patients or staff, then it helps to know that from the start.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Hi, I'm an eLearning Content software user in the UK. I am interested in learning more about the front-end of course design & how to determine the right way to present different information, across different mediums.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Late to the course but have some committed time to help me go through and catch up. Interesting point about research.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
I do question what I read online and check the news source, as well as encouraging my children to do the same. It is not enough to 'Google' things, without questioning the results, given that media platforms have shareholders to reward, and advertisers to placate. Being data driven, many (incl Instagram) will also supply more of what you show an interest in...
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For me, it has to be the IoT. It has already transformed our daily lives - digital assistants, internet/tv screen fridges, video doorbells that can talk to your mobile, smartphones etc. The rise of gene editing seems likely to have more impact moving forward, as scientists work to counter diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's, adapt food supplies so they can...
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@Ann-Marie Boyle Yes definitely, but I hadn't thought to include response time in the campaign so was glad to read someone who had!
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Reviewing someone else's campaign made me realise that I had been long on detail but poor on layout, so I pity whoever had to review my SM campaign! It also highlighted how few postings I'd scheduled for a campaign, so would need to be more ambitious about the level of activity next time. The other campaign had also scheduled daily time for checking comments,...
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@RebeccaTaylorAl-Samaraie Sounds great - very happy to get some real feedback. Am really struggling with the detail of which platforms to post on each day.
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@RebeccaTaylorAl-Samaraie this is the last of the 3 digital content courses that I'm doing, but will definitely connect via LinkedIn. Did you do the assignment? Was so disappointed in the feedback for my last one, in that it basically said 'Great' & no more, so am thinking of skipping this time. We'll see. Good luck with your next course & we'll connect soon ;-)
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
For me, a striking image video clip will capture my attention long enough to look at a SM post, but the heading needs to be to the point if it's to hold my interest. I prefer links to find out more if I want to and am put off by polls (I don't necessarily want to share my opinion for free!).
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Had never heard of Buffer before, but makes sense for people who aren't able to spend all their time online. The resources point seems important - no point in driving traffic back to your website if the content isn't up to date and not going to offer users value and convert visits to sales.
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Think the idea of outdoor festivals & forest events is original. Makes me think that Samir could leverage exposure through local dog shows - as a judge, stallholder, or even running competitions for things like 'cutest dog', 'pet most like it's owner' etc. All could provide content & tie-ins to different SM campaigns.
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Hadn't thought about the demographic of new subscribers, but definitely worth looking at to see if the campaign 'persona' needs tweaking.
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@BernardMalinić just found this definition: WooCommerce is a customizable, open-source eCommerce platform built on WordPress.
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@RebeccaTaylorAl-Samaraie Afraid I am somewhere much less exotic, back in the UK. Have lived abroad but nowhere quite as glamorous (or sunny).
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Samir needs local clients, so he shouldn't restrict himself to timings that only target workers, or he risks missing out on other locals with a need for someone to help out with walks e.g. elderly, or families with pre-school & younger children. There are plenty of pet-related event days he could tie-in with throughout the year, including a "Happy Gotcha" day...
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Great 'call to action'. Would also help him to know if timings make a difference to his campaigns, or if one platform responds better to his content.
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And sales (or donations)!
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Samir's metrics should focus on 1) awareness and 2) sales:
1) Likes, shares, retweets, website visits
2) Bookings for dog walking or pet sitting service, engagement with content (are there comments/feedback that might help form future campaigns)? -
Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Metrics that measure the level of engagement with a campaign would be key e.g. likes, shares, visits, comments, sales. Good that the instant access to the analytics can then be used to make immediate tweaks to the content or activity. Also useful to look at any differences & crossover between platforms, so content can be repurposed as needed.
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@RebeccaTaylorAl-Samaraie That would be great! It's my plan to carry on this week & I've found your insights really helpful :-) Am up to Step 3 at the moment - have you started Wk 2 yet?
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Exactly, think the same metrics would apply to Samir's case, with the most significant related to his local visibility:
* Comments & referrals will all encourage new business, as well as remind repeat visitors to share their experience and build their connection with the business. -
Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
My focus will be on Samir. His main challenge will be how to increase his reach, but keep it at a manageable level? Samir will also need to think about how he can deepen new connections, as well as catering to existing customers. The opportunity and the challenge is how far does he want his business to grow, and how to sustain enough work outside of the holidays?
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
The case studies and examples have been really helpful as a way of seeing the learning used in practice.
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@CynthiaN what examples are you thinking of when you mention a business' interpersonal relationship with its customers? Is there a difference between how they engage on Facebook vs Instagram?
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I've definitely noticed an increase in being targeted by ads tailored to my specific interests. The issue is that what might be a need for items particularly one day e.g. a new suitcase, might get fulfilled and change but I still get targeted for the same interest even after I've moved on.
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Scary but rings true!
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@SatyaPatra Ok, showing my ignorance here - what is woocommerce?
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Also visuals, some platforms are more image or video led. That's why the analytics are so important for understanding how users interact with your content on each platform. Some analytics can be found on the platforms for free, but expect you have to pay or have a business account for deeper insight.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
I've only recently become aware of how important engagement is to get your content seen on a platform. It's not only the number of likes and comments you generate on your posts, but how much you actively engage with others' content and how regularly you make original posts and comments. I've also noticed more targeted ads on platforms, based on different...
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Timings - when are they most likely to be online & able to view the SM content you've created?
Also format - are there some that work better with specific groups or platforms? -
Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Sounds as if really getting to know your audience is key to creating engaging SM. Find out their interests and needs and you can make meeting those needs the heart of any campaigns. If you have experience of the brand (or similar) or need, as a consumer, then you can use that as a strong starting point.
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@RebeccaTaylorAl-Samaraie Joy is so supportive and you will build a great community network of people going through similar challenges. Someone also mentioned Google's digitial classes, but haven't tried yet: https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/
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@RebeccaTaylorAl-Samaraie Have you tried the free 2-weeks TechPixies Social Media course? So many useful pointers for working across Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. They also have a website. The post-course Facebook group has been a wonderful source of free courses, tips & tricks for those starting their first SM campaign.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Samir's target audience would be:
Pet owners (particularly dogs), aged 20+, living within 20 miles of Samir's base. Male or female, professional, or unable to exercise their dog as much as they would like. They are likely to be single or in a couple, with no wider family nearby able to help out with regular dog walking, pet sitting etc.Another target...
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@RebeccaTaylorAl-Samaraie Was thinking that they could try different formats across different platforms to test the response. Trying different timings could also be important e.g. after early morning dog walkers have returned home and started up their pcs or mobiles. Also after dinner, when working people have time to look at the internet.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Samir's target audience would be pet owners (particularly dogs), aged 20+. Male or female, professional, or unable to exercise their dog as much as they would like. They are likely to be single or in a couple, with no wider family nearby able to help out with regular dog walking, pet sitting etc. They could also be a family with working parents & children too...
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Relevance, clarity and often fun are what capture my interest in engaging with SM campaigns. It must be easy to see who they are and what they do, with simple links to find out more if/when wanted. It can be courses (like TechPixies), gifts (such as Boomf or Pact Coffee), or charity petitions (Change.org).
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Agree that knowing the target and what works won't happen straight away, particularly for new start-ups who don't have the benefit of available analytics.
Having a strong objective and idea of who the audience is likely to be, will be the best guide in the beginning. Are there examples of successful campaigns/businesses that can be learnt from, while you test... -
Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
SAMIR:
* Objectives
To increase awareness and take-up of the dog walking and pet sitting services that Samir offers amongst local dog & pet owners. The target would be local householders, male/female, 20yrs + (to 100yrs!), working or need help caring for their pets(for day walks),
* Platforms
Facebook groups would be a natural place for Samir to find his... -
Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
* Talk to existing customers - how did they find you, what platforms do they use, when are they online, and do they belong to or know any relevant online groups?
* What content is of most interest to prospective and existing customers?
* Are there ways to make the content more image-based, videos, & stories?
* Are there any related businesses/networks that... -
Timings will also be important for their campaigns, & different for each. If they learn when their audience is online, they can time their social media campaigns for maximum impact. Agree with Bethan that the different targets are likely to respond better to different ad styles and platforms, so testing is needed (assuming a limited budget).
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The immediacy and showing a different side to the brand, almost an 'insider' view through images, videos and stories.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
I've seen reports of company's social media going viral, but am not on social media enough to see it first hand. I have recently started responding to some Facebook ads. It started with free training (TechPixies), and now I've bought a Boomf exploding card, as a result of their video ads. The sense of fun and surprise (as opposed to feeling sold at) was what...
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Hi, like some of the others below I am taking this course as one of the three courses needed to complete the Digital Content award. Think improving my online skills & understanding will help me to raise my online profile, as well as giving me new qualifications to link to.
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@EvaMilroy Thanks Eva, clear and useful explanations! Am on Facebook & LinkedIn, but haven't tried the other 2 yet. Am encouraged to set up a 'test' account on each & keep them private while I explore, then set them to public once I've got the hang of them.
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
Grateful for some practical pointers on how to plan, update and add to my online presence. I hope to take all 3 of the Digital Content courses & end up with certificates that can be linked to my new & improved online content!
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Samantha Smeraglia made a comment
There weren't any changes suggested to my plan, but can see from looking at the feedback below that I should have included an end goal. My goals were all linked to individual actions on the timeline. My plan was not 'bold' but more in line with what I think is achievable (& sustainable) for someone who is not so social media savvy yet. The plan was very much...