Content design and general corporate communications resources
Content design isn’t just aesthetics. Discover how simple content design improvements can yield significant returns on the bottom line.
According to our analysis of 61 independent PR agencies for whom we have actual or estimated retainer rates, a public relations retainer in the UK in 2025 will cost £4,672.55 (approximately $6,397.64 USD and €5,464.63 EUR) on average.
How to select a PR agency – a definitive checklist for finding the right PR agency for your business 25 minute read In this article, we will explain How to give yourself the best chance of finding the right PR agency How to understand what good PR looks like for you How […]
We specialise in financial services copywriting. Some of our work involves project-based content design for financial services companies, and some of it is the more traditional financial brand copywriting, often with a user experience (UX) focus. That means we often do research into what the UK’s financial services providers are saying on their websites, apps […]
Reactive PR is an effective, low effort way to get media coverage. Discover how Essential Content earned millions of impressions through 2 hours work
From a public relations point of view, there’s a lot to say about how Phillip Schofield is handling his current crisis. As of June 2nd 2023, he’s given two high profile interviews and both appear to have done more damage than good to his reputation. His BBC interview with Amol Rajan in particular appears to […]
New apps, products and websites are constantly battling for our attention. As of March 2022, there were 37 billion app downloads worldwide, and the unfortunate reality is that, while some will take off, and generate unbounded attention and interest, others will never attract a strong user base. With so much choice available to the market, there’s a […]
One of the most underrated content resources within organisations is the experience of its employees. As employees leave, or move around an organisation, they often take the knowledge they’ve gained with them, leaving new employees to learn for themselves or change the content standards. This often leads to a lack of consistency in brand tone-of-voice […]
You’ve probably wondered exactly what ‘user experience’ (UX) means, or why you should spend your business’ hard-earned cash on it. Before we delve into some of the many benefits of integrating UX design and UX writing into your business development strategy, it’s helpful to set out a clear definition of what user experience is. In […]
When it comes to UX writing, for most companies, it’s fairly easy to just apply the basic principles like “keeping things simple” and “putting the user at the centre of any content you create”. But what about brands who need to give users a lot of jargon-filled information, or insurers that are mostly concerned with […]
When writing UX copy within industries like finance and tech, accessibility is always a top concern. Your copy is likely littered with industry-specific terms, and there may be regulation governing the type of language you use. The urge to make your copy more user-friendly could take you down the path of using interchangeable terms across […]
Use simple language As one of the holy grail pieces of UX advice, you may have come across this recommendation before. However, it’s an especially vital point to cover when we’re talking about creating accessible content and resources. Oftentimes, when you’re working in a regulated industry, you become accustomed to complex terminology and forget that […]
Since UX writing is a relatively new discipline, most people, and businesses, are still trying to work out exactly what it is. With that in mind, there’s a good chance that what you’ve heard about UX writing isn’t true. Despite its seemingly straightforward name, UX writing blends a unique set of objectives to deliver user-focused copy […]
If you’ve been looking into product or interface design, you’ve more than likely come across the terms user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). There’s been a lot of debate about what each of these concepts brings to the design process. This debate will likely continue as the user-centred design approach continues to mature, but it’s […]
The long-running joke online is that the “I have read and understood the terms and conditions” declaration is the biggest lie ever told. However, a quick glance at most terms and conditions pages, and it’s no surprise why 99% of people skip them. These pages are severely neglected and often don’t meet the same usability […]
Whether you’re a UX designer, UX writer or simply someone interested in improving your users’ experience, understanding the fundamental UX laws is key. Most of these principles are psychological and behavioural theories that have been adopted as UX practises to create impactful designs. We’ll outline five of the most important UX laws, and explain how […]
Whether we’re talking about the importance of creating a tone of voice for your brand, or reciting the holy grail UX writing rules (clarity and conciseness, to name a couple), it’s easy to identify the “do’s” of writing UX copy. What we don’t often talk about is the “absolutely do not’s”, or the things that […]
‘Writing’ was once a catchall term to describe every variation of putting words together. However, as business’ needs have changed and products have become more complex, organisations now need to be much more strategic with the language they use, and where they use it. You may have heard the terms ‘technical writing’ or ‘UX writing’, but […]
The internet was in a frenzy in March after Martin Lewis urged thousands of consumers to submit their energy meter readings ahead of the 1 April 2022 deadline. As customers of the UK’s biggest energy companies clamoured to send their readings in on 31 March 2022, their servers crumbled under the pressure – the websites of Bulb, […]