User-Centred Approach for Search and Social Media

During the planning stages of a website build there is often a process of developing user profiles or 'personas'. Each profile aims to identify a stakeholder and understand how they are likely to interact with the website. User profiles can include a range of information tailored to the project but they tend to include:

• Vital statistics - Name, Age, Gender and Personality details
• Job role and responsibilities
• Web usage - Where, How, Frequency and Ability
• How they are likely to use the website - Motivation
• How you would like them to interact with the website
• Any concerns, issues
• A picture - to put a face to a name

User profiles for decision making

User profiles are pretty simple but also extremely useful as they allow the team to focus on users and their needs. While usability professionals are bred to keep the user at front of mind, us mere mortals sometimes need a reminder to take a user-centered approach.

The user profiles will inform decisions about:

• User journey
• Site structure
• Design elements
• Functionality
• Content

Consider all your user profiles when you make decisions:

Ask  - Would Mr X, our small business owner understand how this website feature works? If the answer is no, then you must refine the website so that he does.

User-Centered search marketing

Search marketers also apply a similar process to the stages of a SEO campaign. Developing a searcher profile or rationale behind your keyphrase research is nothing new. But this approach should apply to all areas of your search marketing. A search marketing user profile will help to:

• Remember there are users behind every keyphrase
• Think about the users stage in the journey - research to conversion
• Get into the mindset of the searcher and write quality content for them
• Develop content or tools and encourage users to share
• Include content and features to help users make a purchase /convert
• Develop a content strategy

When it comes to a content strategy think about your users (the people behind the keyphrases) and ask yourself what content / information would be helpful to them? What could help me to optimise my conversion rate?

Social media profiles

"We have a website with a good structure and amazing content.....We should promote this via social media. I'm glad that we thought about social when we developed our user profiles."

I've seen many companies go at social media with a shotgun. Blasting the same message out across multiple social channels such as Twitter and Facebook, and ultimately losing followers and fans in the process.

Social media is all about building relationships. So having an understanding of your stakeholders is important. Focusing on the user in a social media campaign will help develop an approach to: 

• Use the most appropriate channels – A B2B proposition may favour Linkedin for networking, B2C may favour other channels, such as Twitter and Facebook
• Understand how users like to be communicated with (not at)
• Engage in two way conversation
• Build relationships with your customers and your stakeholders
• Understand trends and hot topics and evolve your content strategy

If your content isn't helpful for users, if your website is difficult to navigate or if your design is unappealing to your audience you are unlikely to gain their interest or trust. If you know your market you can meet or ideally exceed their expectations.