How will your project be received? This is a question that haunts copywriters and web developers. These are the two options: commission expensive market researchers or trial the Ghost FAQ.
I have included my new strategy that has:
Sharpened my copy
Reduced writer’s block
Taught me more about my audience
Intro
FAQs, no one reads them.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) are the real or formulated customer concerns or criticisms of a project.
FAQs are casual annoyances for web developers and for technical copywriters they are a peripheral way of making money.
Including FAQs in any project encourages customers to deal with the issue themselves. It creates the impression of an active community that is valued by and listened to by the developers or writers.
Customers only ever turn to FAQs when they have a problem. A problem that is not being answered or anticipated by your product. This means that FAQs are a goldmine for feedback.
But you don’t have to go live with your product or service to get this feedback.
I have been using a strategy that I may or may not have invented. This strategy works equally well for web development, business strategy or copywriting. I call this the Ghost FAQ.
Recently I have started writing FAQs at the end of all of my copy or presentations. Now it would be a bold move for me to submit my pitch for a brief, refuse to take any questions and just hand my potential client an FAQ.
I don’t publish this FAQ.
Why bother writing it then?
I write it for me.
The Ghost FAQ helps me to better critique my work. Redrafting a piece of copy, editing a piece of code; they both require reviewing your work with a level of critical dispassion. This is a skill that is hard to cultivate and one that even experienced creatives struggle with.
There are many similar strategies.
You can ask your family and friends to trial your service or read your copy.
Cyber security firms use the concept of Red Team and Blue Team - a department splits into two teams. One team tries to break the system while the opposing team tries their best to defend it. The goal is not for one of them to win but for them both to learn.
The Wright brothers would allegedly argue over every important decision. Not out of fraternal anger but to fully critique the best way to build the airplane.
All of the above examples are great for creating a better website or product. But they do not help you to understand your audience. They do not place you behind your client or audience's eyes. The aim of the Ghost FAQ strategy is not just redrafting - it is a shift in your perspective.
The Ghost FAQ
Step 1 - Write the content
Four drafts, five drafts. Complete your copy or compile your code as per usual. Keep notes of any questions you keep asking yourself throughout the project.
Step 2 - Write the FAQ
Make sure that you are asking the questions that the end users of the product or the immediate audience of your content will ask. Do not ask the questions that are easy to answer. Do not ask the questions that you want the customer to ask. This strategy is about getting behind the eyes of your audience. What will their first impression be? What will their first obstacle be? What will be the first part to break? How long will your copy hold their attention? Is your product worth their money?
Just ask the first questions that come to your mind. The first question the user will ask.
I have included a list of possible questions to ask of your project. I have broken them down into web development, marketing and copywriting but these questions can apply across all three fields:
Web Development:
Why does it cost so much?
How long will this take?
Where do I turn when I want to update the website myself?
Marketing:
Why shouldn’t I buy the cheaper option?
What value does this bring me?
Is this even for me?
Copywriting:
Why isn’t this piece shorter?
Where can I digest a version of this article?
What action should I take with this information?
Step 3 - Answer the FAQs
Now here is the magic part:
Answer the questions!
Answer them in short form in this ghost FAQ. Don’t worry about the quality of your answer or the copy. The trick is to answer them in your project. Do not explain why your website is slow - speed up your website. Do not explain that this is a complex product so needs time to explain - give them the benefits in the first paragraph.
Answer these questions before your audience has to ask these questions.
This works particularly well for marketing or social media managers when trying to create marketing personalities. What better way to create this personality than to analyse their bugbears and the obstacles to conversion.
A Sample FAQ
Here is the FAQ that I wrote for this article. I have kept this ghost FAQ rough intentionally. The only alterations I have made are my rampant spelling mistakes.
FAQ:
Why should I care? This strategy will make you a better critical thinker and improve the user experience. Specifically, this method will give you a more natural understanding of your audience’s needs. This leads to better content and more sales.
Can’t I just get feedback from my family and friends? That is a great idea. Yes you can. The more feedback the better, imagine how much better you will understand the user experience after consulting the FAQ strategy and your family.
What makes this strategy any different from other similar stratagems? You are correct. Many marketing gurus or business personalities advocate for the red and blue team strategy. A practice that comes from the Wright brothers who would take turns critiquing the other’s designs or theories. These strategies just involved general criticism for criticisms sake. It is not targeted and can cover anything from branding to distribution. The FAQ strategy focuses on how your audience will interact with your product, service or content.
Isn’t this just redrafting? In a sense yes. But this is redrafting with a specific aim. It is an opportunity to challenge your assumptions. It is an opportunity to reconnect with your audience and their experience.
Can I get some examples of this? Of course.
Isn’t including an FAQ pretentious? Yes, but I believe the benefits for your audience outweigh any criticism I would receive.
Conclusion
And then I answered them in the copy of this blog post.
If I did not I can just repeat the ghost FAQ strategy. I ask the first questions that the audience would ask. I review the first obstacle they would encounter and then remove it.
Thank you for reading. We would love to hear your experiences about using the Ghost FAQ.
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