Two Easy Wordle Website Branding Exercises
I’ve been noodling with the delightful Wordle.net application for a few months now. Initially, I used Wordle to create word clouds that I use as art in PowerPoint presentations.
For example, I entered my opening remarks on a presentation about Social Media for Business, and Wordle generated a unique and relevant welcome slide image. The main subject of the presentation “pops” — with supporting words adding meaningful visual subtext.
Two More Reasons Web Marketers Will Love Wordle. Since my initial Wordle experiment, I’ve managed to find two other terrific web marketing uses for this simply delicious product:
- Try the Eye-Popping Web Copy Exercise. On occasion, prospects will call to tell me that they’re all about “enter product / service here“. When I go to visit their websites, however — I often struggle to find any words that support their claims! So, when I enter web page copy into Wordle — and the name of the product doesn’t “pop” — I have a visual demonstration of a potential copy writing problem that may be damaging to web marketing success. Try this exercise with your own website!
- Dig the Most Amazing Brand Exercise Ever. Ah, the pricey “brand brainstorming” mission. Ad agencies generate Scotch-fueled words to present as your new corporate “vision and values statement” or “the cornerstone of brand messaging”. Rubbish. Instead of disconnecting from your customers, use your customers’ very words to discover your REAL brand image, as it exists today. Pump your latest testimonials and product reviews into Wordle. Which words pop? (That’s your real brand, not something made-up and wildly out-of-touch with reality.)
Brand Reality Check. As a personal example, I popped in my LinkedIn recommendations and a few offline testimonials I’ve received for my own, personal “Laura Bergells Brand” reality check. You can see the results below. I’m a smidge dismayed by the hugeness of the word “work”. I always thought my work product appeared playful and effortless.
Turns out, I’m delusional.
I’m also alarmed that the word “creative” is absent — but the words “hand” and “months” are in there — eh? It appears I have some work to do on my image!
Sales psychology 101. If you use your customers’ words in your messaging, you’re more likely to resonate positively with your audience. You’ll be in harmony. You’ll also appear more authentic and credible. Trustworthy.
All these qualities are important for online marketing!
What creative uses have you found for using Wordle? If you have a Wordle brand exercise or other creative use you’d like to share, point me to it!
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Comments
Boyink –
I totally agree with you!
Wordle is a quick & dirty brand exercise — not a complete one! Using it as a “brand eye opener” has value in that it provides copy insight.
If I want to be “fun” — it’s irritating and counterproductive if I write “fun, fun, fun”. You’re correct: playful colors, amusing sound effects — and your pogo stick imagery speak louder than words!
The “web copy” exercise for Search Engine Optimization is more to the point. I’ve actually chatted with folks who want very badly to rank for a search term — but don’t include the search term in their copy. (Really!)
Wordle provides a visual representation of the word density of copy. That can be a helpful aide for explaining the importance of copy to a client who may be overly focused on design elements. (It happens a ton.)
Come to think of it — a formula for prominence of the words would be kind of cool, too.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Laura,
I’m a local freelance writer and I came across your blogs on LinkedIn. You and I seem to turn up in a lot of the same searches together. Or at least I get the “people who viewed your profile also looked at…” and your name is often there.
I have not Wordled yet though many of my friends do. After reading your entry, I shall go try it out on my next assignment. I’m just afraid that if it is too much fun, I will use it as a stalling technique when I’m feeling less than inspired.
Warm regards,
Cindy Foster Grace
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Laura – I’ve been thinking about Wordle a bit since we looked at it @ BarCamp…something was bugging me about it but it took awhile to put my finger on it.
After reflecting on Wordle, I’m not sure I’d be comfortable calling it a “brand exercise”. At least, not a complete one.
I think it’s more of a “content exercise” — and sure, content is certainly part of your brand.
But Wordle provides content sucked out of the context, and that context provides such a large part of the brand experience.
For example – what Wordle returns for my home page is probably similar (minus the big “Boyink”)to many of my competitors. But what it strips away is the playfulness / casualness / fun aspect I’ve tried to communicate via the design, imagery and copy.
A handy tool…sure…but just don’t forget to look at the whole picture.
Actually what it might be useful for is finding out what the possible search engine profile of a given site might be.