Your Regular Contribution to a Site Glossary Keeps You Creative
Chances are, you have lots of content types on your site but no glossary of terms.
This is normal. Most sites don’t have glossaries. But by adding one to your site you can gain many benefits.
The first benefit is brevity. But first, let’s find out….
What Is a Site Glossary?
A glossary is a small collection of terms, definitions and examples on a specific topic. Your site already focuses on a this topic, but most of your existing posts take longer to read than a short definition.
You can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Plus, you can always reference your longer content. More about that in a minute.
Re-evaluate To See Your Content Anew
The second benefit is for you.
The process of writing a short topic summary can help you remember what’s most important. You benefit by refocusing on the top 20% of the meaning that gets you 80% of the value. (Yes, the good ole Pareto Principle works here, too.) Your new approach to old content can help you see creative connections that you had not seen before.
Tie Your Site Tighter Together with Links.
A good site glossary is full of links to your other content.
This is good. By encouraging site users to follow links and keep reading you stuff, you can deepen engagement. When a reader feels they know you, they are more likely to stick around and take you up on your offers.
Surprise Your Reader By Being Personal
Most readers expect glossary entries to be stuffy, like a dictionary or an encyclopedia. You can surprise them with a more creative, personal approach. Let them know what you think, and say how the topics have influenced you personally.
This is another way to get site users to know, like and trust you. (You know, the KLAT!) And remember that people want to deal with other people, not companies or businesses entities.
My Personal Take on the Site Glossary
And since we are talking about being personal, I will wrap this up by sharing my reason for first starting a glossary.
I was stuck.
The big topics were too big for me to handle. So, I tackled the little ones. Every day for a while, I wrote a short topic instead of a long one. It was easy and it got the wheels greased.
So, if you get in a writing rut, and your content is looking stale, start a glossary challenge. Write and publish for 30 days.
Have fun, link to lots of old content, and see your site anew. Be creative with it, and it will generate some new ideas. And your readers will gain the benefits, too.
You can find that Glossary of New Media Terms, here.
