Moving From Oga-Centred Content To User-Centred Content: How To Buy Stakeholders In

Photo by David Travis on Unsplash

Hi there,

I’m Teejay. People know me on Twitter as a UX writer who is always talking about user-centred content. It’s in my bio, my portfolio, my resume and I tweet about it a lot.

This is because I’m a user and my frustration with company focused content started my path to learning user experience and user experience (UX) writing in particular.

I’ve read a lot of books, and articles and listened to podcasts on creating user-centred content, but I still find myself in the whirlwind of oga-centred content. Two of my projects this year had me fighting for my life as adequate research wasn’t done and I had to work from a limited knowledge of things.

Moving forward I have decided that every project I will take on in 2024 will come with a brand strategy workshop and a user research exercise.

Oga Centred Vs User-Centred Content

If you’re not Nigerian, oga means boss and oga-centred content is content that is centred around what the ‘oga’ wants. The writer can explore but not too much as oga can tell her to rewrite the copy. You are supposed to show the company more so what the user wants is not considered. The goal here is to make oga happy and not to solve the user’s problems.

User-centred content on the other hand is content that is focused on the user. It explores the goals, needs and preferences of the user and inadvertently solves the user’s problem.

Why Oga-Centred Content Won’t Give You Long-Term Results

Your users do not care about you. When they pick up their phone to make a search query on the internet they are looking to solve their problems, answer their questions and improve the quality of their life. And if your content doesn’t do any of this, they’ll move on to the next person who cares about them and gives them answers to their questions. This means loss of customers, revenue and in the long run could lead to loss of credibility as you’ll be seen as the brand that is never concerned with helping their customers.

Importance of user-centred content

User-centred content is important for several reasons:

Audience Engagement:
Content that focuses on users’ needs, preferences, and pain points tends to be more engaging. When users feel that content speaks directly to their concerns or interests, they are more likely to engage with it, spend time on the website, and potentially convert.

Enhanced User Experience (UX):
User-centered content aligns with a better user experience. By providing valuable, relevant, and easily digestible information, content can significantly contribute to a positive user experience. This, in turn, can improve user satisfaction and retention rates.

Higher Conversion Rates:
When content resonates with users, it can lead to higher conversion rates. Whether the goal is to make a sale, gather leads, or encourage a specific action, content that is tailored to the user’s needs can be more persuasive and effective.

Building Trust and Credibility:
User-centred content demonstrates that a brand or entity understands its audience. By addressing users’ questions, concerns, and interests, it establishes credibility and builds trust. Users are more likely to trust and engage with content that seems tailored to their needs.

SEO Benefits:
Search engines aim to provide the best user experience by ranking content that is relevant and valuable to users. User-centred content that answers specific questions or provides solutions tends to perform better in search engine rankings.

Long-term Relationships:
By consistently delivering user-centred content, brands and businesses can cultivate long-term relationships with their audience. This ongoing engagement can lead to brand loyalty and advocacy.

Related: How to Write User-centered Content

The Case for Stakeholder Buy-in

While writing this piece, I was simultaneously talking to someone on Twitter (I’m sorry Elon, it’s still Twitter for me) and made him understand that stakeholders will only buy into user-centred content when they are convinced of the advantage it brings. And how can we do that?

I am going to be picking Jeo Pullizi’s brain as I share his two foolproof methods for this.

Pilot Project and Testing
Pilot project and testing is used by software engineers as a way to test a project with a few number of users before the main version is realised. This helps them collect feedback which is then used to build on the main product. But we are not software engineers.

For us writers, pilot testing is a sample of what is to come. It is a project to highlight the effectiveness of user-centred content and based on the feedback from it, you will decide if you want to continue or stop.

Your pilot test should include:

• A time frame. Maybe three to six months.
• A goal and how this goal will improve the business.
• Agreed upon metrics to measure this goal.

Remember that your pilot testing period is going to give you a lot of opportunities to test and iterate. Embrace this opportunity as it is only through doing this that you will achieve the set goal.

Fear
Fear of missing out (FOMO). Fear as a service (FASA) can be used to your advantage here. The business world is highly competitive and if you can show stakeholders that your competitors are using user-centred content to their advantage and to your disadvantage, trust me they will come around. Here is where you put your storytelling skills into display. Tell the story, show with facts and they will buy in quicker than you thought.

For your plan to work, your story should include comparisons between the business and its top competitor.

• How many subscribers do they have versus yours?
• What’s their social media following and sharing compared to yours?
• How do you compare to them in terms of feedback and social media sharing?

The Furrow, 128 years of content excellence

The Furrow is the first known example of user-centred content in the world. Created in 1895 by John Deere, this magazine was aimed at educating farmers on new technology and how they can be successful business owners. Though John Deere had a line of tractors to sell, he chose to educate and 128 years later, this magazine is the most read by farmers in the United States and beyond.

Final thoughts

Identifying your users is the cornerstone of creating content that truly connects. Assumptions do not live here; it’s about diving in and discovering who your users are. This means getting hands-on, doing the groundwork, and finding out what makes your audience tick.

Remember, your stakeholders are key players in this journey. They’re not just colleagues; they’re your potential allies. Convincing them of the importance of user-centred content is crucial. It’s about showing them why putting users first matters — how it leads to happier customers, better results, and ultimately, business success.

So, buckle down, get to know your users, and get your stakeholders on board. It’s a collaborative effort that lays the groundwork for content that resonates and drives your business forward.

PS:

Other companies adopting the user-centred content approach include:

• Coca-cola
• Red Bull
• Openview Venture
• JYSKE Bank
• Content Marketing Institute
• Hubspot
• Fullgap
• Copy Blogger
• SEMRush