What are some effective strategies for providing feedback on web content outside your area of expertise?

Providing feedback on web content is an essential skill for content creators, especially when working in a team or with clients. But how do you give constructive and helpful feedback on content that is outside your area of expertise? Here are some effective strategies to help you improve your feedback skills and avoid common pitfalls.

1 Focus on the goal

Before you start reviewing web content, you need to understand the goal of the content and the audience it is intended for. Ask yourself: What is the main message or action that the content wants to convey or inspire? Who are the ideal readers or users of the content? How does the content fit into the overall strategy or project? Having a clear idea of the goal will help you evaluate the content from a relevant and consistent perspective.

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Debolina Chattopadhyay

Modern day Storyteller🤓 || Featured on LinkedIn News😄|| 7 M impressions|| Content Manager || Content Editor & Content Writer
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It is essential to understand the goal of the content and the target audience it's aiming for. Having a clear idea of your readers helps you in providing a better feedback for more clarity you can research a few similar content for having a better understanding.

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Bhawna Sharma

20M+ Client Impressions| 40+ Happy Clients | Helping Founders, and Coaches build a Personal Brand in 90 Days | Personal Branding Strategist | Content Marketing | Instagram Management | Social Media Management
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The first step is user experience- Assess the overall user experience, navigation, and accessibility of the website. Comment on the clarity of content, ease of finding information, and the overall layout. the content should be clear about the target audience and the intent the content is solving.

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Atif Iqbal 🇵🇰

Writer | PR | Content Strategist | Researcher | Journalist
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This is on point, I will also try to see if the content is having complete originality or not. For example, even great content if used repetitively can lose its value. Identifying the purpose, target audience, and bringing in innovation will keep the content evergreen and conversion focused.

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2 Use a feedback framework

A feedback framework is a tool that helps you structure and organize your feedback in a logical and coherent way. There are different types of feedback frameworks, such as the sandwich method, the SBI model, or the 4Cs model. The key is to choose a framework that suits your style and the content you are reviewing, and stick to it throughout your feedback process. A feedback framework will help you balance positive and negative feedback, provide specific and actionable suggestions, and communicate clearly and respectfully.

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3 Ask questions

Asking questions is a powerful way to provide feedback on web content outside your area of expertise. Questions can help you clarify your understanding of the content, challenge assumptions, explore alternatives, and stimulate creativity. For example, you can ask questions like: How does this content address the needs or pain points of the audience? What evidence or data supports the claims or arguments in the content? How can this content be improved to make it more engaging or persuasive? Asking questions will also encourage dialogue and collaboration between you and the content creator.

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Emma Villani

Web Development Manager
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In my experience, questions are the best form of feedback for writers. Questions help you better understand what you're reviewing while signaling to the writer that something caught you up while reading. Additionally, the questions you ask then guide the writer toward solutions. They can take your questions and answer them directly, weave answers into the drafted piece, or rephrase entirely for clarity. In everything that I work on, whether it's writing or reviewing, I rely on questions to help me nail down exactly what I want to say/read.

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4 Avoid jargon and bias

One of the challenges of providing feedback on web content outside your area of expertise is that you may not be familiar with the terminology or conventions of the field or industry. To avoid confusion or misunderstanding, you should avoid using jargon or acronyms that you are not sure about, and explain any technical terms that you use in simple language. You should also be aware of your own biases or preferences, and avoid imposing them on the content. For example, you may prefer a certain tone, style, or format, but that may not be appropriate or effective for the content goal or audience.

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5 Seek feedback on your feedback

Finally, one of the best ways to improve your feedback skills is to seek feedback on your feedback. You can ask the content creator or a peer to give you their opinion on the quality and usefulness of your feedback. You can also ask yourself: How did the content creator respond to your feedback? Did they implement any of your suggestions? Did they ask for more clarification or examples? Did they disagree or challenge any of your points? By reflecting on your feedback performance, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses, and learn from your mistakes and successes.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Prakruti Singh Choudhary

Founder @thecreatorsjunction | Delivered the 'Content' with Quality for 50+ startups & SMBs | Mentored 40+ Medical writing interns | Exploring the F&B industry | Chasing the Life & Dreams
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When providing feedback outside the expertise, it is mandate not to merge the conventional ways of sharing feedback. One must thoroughly understand the brand voice and their end goals as well as the Content Manager's perspective - what, why, how? Question and clarify the concept! It's then you can judge the content, right! Make sure to specify, what fits well and what not. Keep it simple and never complicate. Additional tip - Try to provide feedback section wise/page wise so it'd easier to grasp and make ammendments accordingly. 😇

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Emma Villani

Web Development Manager
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As my college English professor once told me, "All good writing is rewriting." And sometimes, rewriting requires teamwork and different viewpoints. Ask for review, provide considerate feedback, and help the writing team determine exactly what should be written. Even questioning something you don't quite understand is useful information to have!

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What are some effective strategies for providing feedback on web content outside your area of expertise?

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1 Focus on the goal

2 Use a feedback framework

3 Ask questions

4 Avoid jargon and bias

5 Seek feedback on your feedback

6 Here’s what else to consider

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