In our work with customers, we spend a lot of time uncovering problems. Customers usually call us because there is a problem to solve. Often, there are multiple problems that need to be solved.
There are many ways to categorize the issues we uncover when we work with a customer. One way that I find to be very helpful is a fairly simple two-sided list:
- Content Problems
- Process and Content Management Problems
Categorizing content problems and process problems independently makes it much easier to think about potential ways to solve the problems. If we conflate the two, or select the wrong category, it is easy to careen off track and the solution becomes much more evasive.
Do you know the difference between content problems and process problems? TAKE THE QUIZ BELOW!
Content Problems
Content problems are issues in the content itself. There are lots of content problems to choose from. I’m sure you’ve seen your share of these:
- Incorrect content. Incorrect content contains inaccurate information.
- Incorrect spelling. Yes, in this day and age of spellcheck, spellcheck while you type, and even autocorrect, I still see spelling issues in content.
- Incorrect grammar. Grammar issues occur when content creators do not follow the rules of the English language. When grammar is incorrect, the content can be hard to read and understand.
- Inconsistent style. Style rules are usually company specific. They reflect a certain tone of voice and way of connecting with the reader. When a style rule is “wrong,” the problem does not necessarily affect readability. However, when style rules are applied inconsistently, the content does not look polished, and the company brand can be negatively impacted.
- Graphic illustration problems. Issues with graphics include poor quality images, slow loading, lack of optimization for different devices, and others. Too few, too many, or inconsistent style graphics are also content problems.
Content problems are addressed by fixing the content itself. At a minimum, you need a style guide and writer training. Optimally, you’ll adopt good editorial practices and implement technology to enable content creators to follow the organization’s standards for structure, style, and terminology.
READ MORE: This content problem could be holding back your AI transition
Process and Content Management Problems
Process and content management problems are issues that affect the content, but are not inherent mistakes in the text, visuals, or media. These types of problems include:
- Outdated content. Outdated content looks like a problem with the content itself. But the root cause of outdated content is the lack of a consistent, repeatable (and repeated) process to continually ensure that content is up to date and relevant.
- Content cannot be found. Search problems are not content problems. The content exists, but finding it is the proverbial needle in a haystack. If content cannot be located, the problem could be in the search tool itself, lack of organization, insufficient metadata, or having too much content, among others.
- Missing content. Content that is missing reflects a process problem. Processes need to be developed and implemented to make sure the right content is created at the right time and published to the correct locations.
- Too much content. Most companies have too much content. Too much content can lead to findability issues, outdated content issues, and more. The more content you have, the bigger the task of managing that content becomes.
READ MORE: Try this approach to help solve your content problems
What’s the Difference?
You might be wondering why the distinction between content problems and process problems matters. The distinction is important because the way content problems are fixed is different than the way process or management problems are fixed.
For example, if you treat missing content as a content problem, the remedy is to create the content that fills the gap. This remedy will, in fact, solve the immediate problem. However, it does not address the underlying issue, which is a lack of repeatable processes that ensure content is always created and available.
The same is true for too much content. You can easily solve the problem of having too much content by deleting some of it. Deleting too much content fixes the immediate problem. But it does nothing to prevent the problem from happening again in the future.
As content professionals, we do our best to provide up to date, accurate content, not too much and not too little, when and where people need it. Achieving these content goals consistently requires vigilance in the content itself and having appropriate processes in place to ensure people can find the right content, at the right time.
Quiz Time!
Categorize the following problems. No cheating.
- Outdated content remains available to the public when it shouldn’t
a. Content
b. Process
2. Current content is inaccurate
a. Content
b. Process
3. People cannot find the content they need
a. Content
b. Process
4. People find too much content when they search for something
a. Content
b. Process
5. People cannot follow the steps to install a product
a. Content
b. Process
6. People cannot find the steps to install a product
a. Content
b. Process
7. We cannot produce content for all of the products we are releasing
a. Content
b. Process
8. We have engineers creating content because we are understaffed
a. Content
b. Process
9. The content created by the engineers is confusing
a. Content
b. Process
10. Our tools are outdated, making it difficult to do our job
a. Content
b. Process
Answers
Here are the answers:
- Outdated content remains available to the public when it shouldn’t
a. Content
b. Process
2. Current content is inaccurate
a. Content
b. Process
3. People cannot find the content they need
a. Content
b. Process
4. People find too much content when they search for something
a. Content
b. Process
5. People cannot follow the steps to install a product
a. Content
b. Process
6. People cannot find the steps to install a product
a. Content
b. Process
7. We cannot produce content for all of the products we are releasing
a. Content
b. Process
8. We have engineers creating content because we are understaffed
a. Content
b. Process
9. The content created by the engineers is confusing
a. Content
b. Process
10. Our tools are outdated, making it difficult to do our job
a. Content
b. Process
How did you do? Tell us in the comments. And be sure to sign up for the Content Rules newsletter to get more expert content tips right in your inbox.
Val is on the Advisory Board for the Technical Communications Program at the University of North Texas. When not working with customers or students, Val can be found sitting behind her sewing machine working on her latest quilt. She also makes a mean hummus.
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