girl develop it: introduction to content strategy 2016
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Content Strategy
Introductions
David Dylan Thomas
Senior Content Strategist,EPAM
@movie_pundit
Who am I?
• Filmmaker at heart• 2000 – 2004: Online Education• 2005 – 2012: A content strategist by any other
name• 2013 – Present: A business card!
Ask Early. Ask Often.
What We’ll Learn Overall
• What Content Strategy Is• Why It’s Important• The kinds of problems a content strategist
solves• How a content strategist solves those
problems• How you might become a content strategist
Why should you learn about content strategy?
Because LinkedIn
Right now Facebook has over 40 content strategists
And they’re hiring more
Freelance > Full Time
Because Meetup
Demand Is High,Supply Is Low
Content strategy is gaining ground on traditional marketing and SEO
Traditional marketing says, “You know what’s awesome?
Our shoes!”Content strategy says, “You
know what’s awesome? Running!”
Good content strategy = Good SEO
Also, it’s fun!
Most content strategists don’t know they’re content strategists
(Many are ex-journalists)
A content strategist’s job is to help a company think like a newspaper.
A content strategist’s job is to help you make decisions about content.
Exercise: What is content?
• Split up into groups• Come up with a working definition• Include 3 examples of what IS content and
why• Include 3 examples of what is NOT content
and why• 10 minutes
Discussion
What Is Content Strategy?
significant objects dot com
Instead of a product description…
…they told a story
Original Price: $0.33
Final Price: $71.00
Original Price: $2.99
Final Price: $101.00
Original Price: $3.00
Final Price: $193.50
Content Strategy is the planned use of content to achieve a goal.
• With Significant Objects, the goal was to increase the value of ordinary items.
• The strategy was to replace bland descriptions with colorful stories (by good writers).
• The creators used content (stories) to achieve a goal (added value).
Casey Kasem
Turned Financial Reports into Entertainment
“In this hour at #32 in the countdown, a song that’s been a hit 4 different times in 19 years! And we’re just one tune away from the singer with the $10,000 gold
hubcaps on his car! Now, on with the countdown!”
What Is Content Strategy?
• Example: Weird Al – Business Goal: Weird Al wanted his new album to
be successful– Challenge: He’s been out of the public eye for
decades– Content: Music– Content Strategy: #8days8videos
Result: #1 on iTunes
Nonprofit Goals
This Is Content
This Is Content Strategy
Exercise: Examples of Content Strategy
• In your group, based on the definition, come up with three examples of content strategy.
• Two should show content strategy done well.• One should show content strategy done
poorly.• 5 minutes
Discussion
All content strategies require two things:
• Goal• AudienceThe more you know about both, the better the strategy will be
Most content strategies try to answer three questions:
• What are the client’s goals?• What are the user’s goals?• How can content help the two
intersect?
The Two Most Common Content Strategy Problems
• Help, I’ve got too much content!• Help, Amazon is killing me!
What is the most important skill a content strategist should have?
The ability to listen.
The Content Strategy Process
1. Investigate• Learn about the organization• Learn about the audience• Learn about the content
The Content Strategy Process
2. Come up with ideas• Collaborate/Workshop • Think for yourself
The Content Strategy Process
3. Create a Plan• What are we going to do?• How are we going to do it?• Who is going to do what? (Governance)• Assign Goals to Content
The Content Strategy Process4. Execute the Plan5. Measure the Results6. Learn from the Results7. Wash, Rinse, Repeat
Build, Measure, Learn
Case Study #1
Legal Software Producer
The Challenge
• Lots of content• No strategy
Contextual Inquiry
LAWYERS HAVE NO TIME!What we learned:
Why are you showing them all of this?
Content Workshop
The Solution
• Deliver the right content at the right time
• Simplify and make content more findable
Old vs New
• More sales from fewer visitors
• 200% increase in orders for this product
• 100% increase in related product
• 160% increase in sales across the entire site
Case Study #2
A big sports retailer
“We have a great experience in-store but that’s not translating to online.”
The oldest content strategy in the world
• Use content to make it clear you know a lot about something.
• When people need that something, they’ll think of you.
You’re there to help your customer achieve a goal. Selling them shoes is just one part of that.
Governance• Assignment: Read “Responsive
Design Won’t Fix Your Content Problem” by Karen McGrane
• http://alistapart.com/column/responsive-design-wont-fix-your-content-problem
Result: Sales up 70%
(In the best-cast scenario) you are part of a team.
Building a Content Strategy for Your Client
• Learn about the client and their goals• Learn about the audience and their goals• Explore how content can align those goals
Interview Techniques
• Content Deep Dive– Why is your client creating content?– What is their capacity to produce content?– What is their culture?• Distributed vs. hierarchical• Open vs. closed (regulated)
• Stakeholder Interviews
Exercise: Establishing Business Goals
• One person will represent GDI.• One person will interview.• One will take notes• Answer:
– Is GDI creating content? What kind? How?– Why does GDI Create Content?
• GDI creates content in order to __________.• If GDI Content doesn’t achieve __________ , it isn’t worth creating• GDI members should arrive feeling ________ and leave feeling __________
.– Describe the culture of GDI.
• 10 minutes
Discussion
Audience Interview Techniques
• What are you looking for?– Consumption habits• Devices• Media (video, blogs)• How are they finding content?
– Social component– Search component
• Triggers for content– What do they value? – What do they want?
Exercise: Learn About the Audience• One person will represent audience.• One person will interview.• One will take notes• Answer:
– Why do they come to GDI? – What do they hope to get out of it? – What role did content play in them finding out about it (look for triggers)?– What types of content do they consume/share?
• How? • On what devices? • When?
• 10 minutes
Discussion
Content Strategy Format
• Describe the current state• Describe your idea• Describe your tactics• Describe what the client needs to do to get
there• Bonus: Describe how the client will know if
the strategy is working
Exercise: Build a Strategy
• Given what you now know about the client, their content, and their audience, come up with a plan that uses content to align business and user goals.
• Come up with one user story that describes an example of this plan in action.
• 20 min
Presentation of Strategies
How to Get a Job
Questions?
