Thistle-Tomes

The following are my 2024 short takes on all things content in life and work:

1. No one is an expert on AI yet. Take everything with a grain of salt.
2. Sustainability should be part of every content strategy and content project.
3. Lack of specificity on websites can be both a friend and an enemy. Vagueness can leave room for negotiation but also misinterpretation.
4. Jargon in customer-facing content can be a significant barrier to understanding and engagement.
5. Something I like to call “name theory” says that what you call something matters. And it doesn’t have to rhyme with “oom.”

1. No one is an expert on AI yet. Take everything with a grain of salt.
2. Sustainability should be part of every content strategy and content project.
3. Lack of specificity on websites can be both a friend and an enemy. Vagueness can leave room for negotiation but also misinterpretation.
4. Jargon in customer-facing content can be a significant barrier to understanding and engagement.
5. Something I like to call “name theory” says that what you call something matters. And it doesn’t have to rhyme with “oom.”
6. Keep using your voice (virtually and physically). It stays well-tuned that way.
7. While you might find a host of angels and demons in the details, they still matter.
8. You are not your worst content result. Learn something and then move on.
9. If you don’t want to put your name on something, it’s probably not worth your time.
10.  Ask questions. If you don’t get an answer, ask more questions.
11.  Well-executed content cannot compensate for a poorly designed product.
12.  Compassion, empathy, and forgiveness are hard. Of the three, forgiveness is the hardest. Work on it anyway. Use your words.
13.  If you can only see part of the forest, describe what you see. If others do the same, we all benefit.
14.  Rework is still work.
15.  Content reuse should be a desired outcome of any content audit and analysis effort. You can reuse the analysis and strategy, too.
16.  Resist the temptation to tweak content infinitely.
17.  We are primed from childhood to learn lessons from stories. Write down your memorable experiences and, when appropriate, let them help you help others.
18.  Always have backup. Back up your computer files. Back up your assertions with data and/or source material. Back up your critical content with supporting material in alternative media.
19.  Effective writing encompasses clarity, consistency, accuracy, perspective, and efficiency, but above all, effective writing is useful to and impactful on its audience.
20.  Avoid making assumptions, especially about your audience. Move forward in good faith, but keep your eyes open.

Happy 2025!

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash.