#howto do a content strategy
TRANSCRIPT
HOW TO DO CONTENT STRATEGY Kristina @Halvorson
Coauthor, Content Strategy for the Web
CEO, Brain Traffic and Founder, Confab Events
Content strategy is the practice of planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content.
Content strategy guides planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of content…
…plus a whoooole lot of caveats.
@halvorson
Content marketing is the approach of
creating and distributing valuable and
consistent content to a targeted audience,
with the objective of driving some profitable
action…
– “The Evolution of Content Marketing
Will Include Intelligent Content”
Joe Pulizzi, 1/12/2015
“
Core strategy: States where you will focus your efforts to improve content substance, structure, workflow, and/or governance.
Substance: Story, topic, brand elements, voice and tone
Structure: Organization, categorization, component elements
CONTENT
Substance… …fulfills business objectives by meeting audience needs.
Structure… …makes content findable and usable for users, and manageable for technology.
CONTENT
Workflow... ...creates efficiencies across content properties.
Governance… ...empowers, facilitates, and aligns.
PEOPLE
@halvorson
Content Strategy for UX
Guides planning for the creation, management, and oversight of useful, usable content.
Infographic published by IBM Customer-Facing Solutions.
@halvorson
http://blog.braintraffic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/structured-content.png
Adaptive Content Strategy
@halvorson
Enterprise Content Strategy
• Governance policies and standards
• Content management ecosystem design
• Organizational structure and content roles
@halvorson
Content Strategy Process
1 : Assessment and Analysis
2 : Strategy
3 : Architecture and Design
4 : Implementation
5: Maintenance
@halvorson
Set the Stage
PROJECT GOAL: What are the concrete outcomes?
What are success metrics?
PROJECT TEAM: Who lives where on your DACI chart?
TIMELINE: When will activities, deliverables, and sign-offs happen?
@halvorson
Project Goals: Example
Our goals for this project are to:
• Align stakeholders on a content strategy for our website
content that’s based on defined institutional goals and known
user needs.
• Determine the appropriate messaging and content organization
frameworks to support the strategy.
• Assess current content and identify content gaps to develop a
roadmap for creating or revising content.
• Develop content standards for creating and maintaining
content.
@halvorson
Project DACI team: Example
WORKSTREAM DRIVER APPROVER CONTRIBUTOR INFORMED
ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY
EDITORIAL PLANNING AND
WRITING
IA AND MODELS
CONTENT ENTRY AND LAUNCH
1 : Assessment and Analysis
2 : Strategy
3 : Editorial and Structure
4 : Implementation
5: Maintenance
@halvorson
Business objectives Current technology
Project objectives Functional requirements
User research Cross-platform initiatives
Stakeholder interviews Industry trends
Usability testing Competitors
Design research Content inventory
Typical Discovery Checklist
@halvorson
Content Inventory: Uses
• Find content ROT (redundant, outdated, trivial)
• Identify orphan pages
• Get a ground-level look at your site’s structure
• Clean up or add metadata
• Assign content ownership
• Scope a project
• Build a business case (“here’s how much of a mess things REALLY are”)
@halvorson
Content Inventory
Easy to automate. Here are a few tools to get started.
• Content Analysis Tool [Kristina’s favorite] • Blaze • Clarity Grader • …check with your friendly CMS administrator
@halvorson
User Research: Why We Need It
• We create content that’s for ourselves, not for our users.
• We organize content the way we’re set up internally, not the way people think about what they need from us.
• We want to tell everyone everything, just in case.
• We can’t prioritize content because we haven’t prioritized our audiences, so people are fighting for real estate on the home page.
• We make decisions based on our own assumptions.
@halvorson
User Research: It’s not that hard.
• Do an online poll.
• Create an online survey and invite people via email, social media, website banners.
• Try a Top Tasks workshop.
• Do some online user testing.
• Interview your customer support people.
• Interview your sales people.
@halvorson
Content ROT √ Stakeholder agenda
Current style guide Content owners
Content readability Workflow and timelines
Search analytics Metadata integrity
Legal requirements Translation requirements
Channel requirements Accessibility requirements
Stakeholders (Hopefully) Know This Stuff
@halvorson
Finding Your Stakeholders
WORKSTREAM DRIVER APPROVER CONTRIBUTOR INFORMED
ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY
EDITORIAL PLANNING AND
WRITING
IA AND MODELS
CONTENT ENTRY AND LAUNCH
@halvorson
Some Good Content Questions • Substance: Who are you trying to reach? Why? What do they want to
know? Is your current content accurate, relevant, up-to-date?
• Structure: Where is your content? How is it organized? What does your
metadata look like? How do people find your content? Are you
delivering content on multiple channels and platforms?
• Workflow: How does content happen (from creation to deletion)? Who
is involved?
• Governance: What are your policies, guidelines, and standards? Who
owns that?
@halvorson
Stakeholder Interviews: How To Listen
• Don’t complete their sentences.
• Don’t try to solve the problem right there.
• If you feel yourself getting defensive, take a breath. This time is not about you or your needs.
• Don’t try to earn trust by talking about your experience.
• Learn how to take notes while mostly maintaining eye contact.
• Get full clarification. (“Let me just repeat that back to you so I’m sure I understand correctly.”)
• Get comfortable with silence.
1 : Assessment and Analysis
2 : Strategy
3 : Editorial and Structure
4 : Implementation
5: Maintenance
@halvorson
What is a content strategy?
• A strategy is the path you’ll take towards meeting your goals and fulfilling your vision. It may be one of a few parallel paths towards the same goals.
• A strategy helps define what you WILL do and what you WON’T do.
• All tactical initiatives must map back to your strategy.
• Your strategy should force you to prioritize and to say “no.”
@halvorson
“We will become the industry leader in the pet frog supplies arena by providing everyone with informative content, real-time opinions, multiple touchpoint engagement opportunities, and our ever-increasing commitment to defining the pet frog lifestyle.”
• Rewrite “About Us” copy
• Curate articles about dart frogs
• Create interactive company history timeline
• Restructure home page around top tasks vs. top interests
• Do Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
• Start a daily blog
65
Our website delivers limited, laser-focused content that
educates newbies, excites enthusiasts, and motivates purchases.
Content strategy statement
66
This year’s plans and resources will specifically prioritize website content.
We’ll be highly conservative about the content we plan for and create.
The content we feature will be exclusively about dart frogs.
We’ll create “Dart Frog 101” content for people who are curious about what it’s like to raise and breed our frogs.
We’ll keep topics timely and fresh for the advanced dart frog keeper.
Our content is never “nice to have.” Everything we share on our website can be tied directly to a product we sell.
Our website delivers limited, laser-focused content that
educates newbies, excites enthusiasts, and motivates purchases.
Content strategy statement
• Rewrite “About Us” copy
• Curate articles about dart frogs
• Create interactive company history timeline
• Restructure home page around top tasks
• Do Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
• Start a daily blog
1 : Assessment and Analysis
2 : Strategy
3 : Editorial and Structure
4 : Implementation
5: Maintenance
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
PROOF POINTS
“Is this what I want?”
“How can I be sure it’s what I want?”
“Why should I choose you?”
MESSAGING PYRAMID
@halvorson
Junglebox Primary Message
We make it possible for you to experience the joy of owning, breeding and raising exotic frogs.
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
PROOF POINTS
“We make it possible for you to experience the joy of owning, breeding and raising exotic frogs.”
• You love frogs. So do we. • You might not know
everything about frogs, but we can help out.
• You have found your frog people.
• Our owner has been studying and caring for frogs since forever
• Testimonials tell the story
• All product descriptions are written and edited by our own experts
• We offer 360º service
JUNGLEBOX
@halvorson
Voice and Tone
The voice of your content embodies who you are as
a company: not just products, not just brand, but the
mind and heart of your story.
Your tone will vary depending on audience and
circumstance.
SmartThese tiny springtails float on the
water’s surface, which makes it easier to remove them for feedings.
Due to their tiny size, springtails float on the surface of water. This trait can
be exploited when attempting to remove the springs from their culture
for feedings.
Helpful Have questions? I’m happy to help out however I can.
Should you have questions or concerns regarding our live
specimens, products, shipping or other subject, please contact us so
we may be of assistance.
Enthusiastic Our new vivariums have us hopping up and down with excitement.
OMG! Check out our awesome new crop of Dendrobates Tinctorius!! Seriously, you’ll freak out over these. FREAK. OUT.
Junglebox is… Like this. Not this.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodclothingshelter/3697096198/sizes/l/in/photostream/
@halvorson
• What
• Why
• How
• When
• For whom
• By whom
• With what
• Where
• How often
• What next
Step on in, content strategist.
@halvorson
Content Requirements: IMPORTANT
Content requirements are more than labels on the site
map.
Content requirements commit us to living, breathing text,
images, sound, video, and all other content … content
that must be consistent, compelling, and cared for over
time.
82
This year’s plans and resources will specifically prioritize website content.
We’ll be highly conservative about the content we plan for and create.
The content we feature will be exclusively about dart frogs.
We’ll create “Dart Frog 101” content for people who are curious about what it’s like to raise and breed our frogs.
We’ll keep topics timely and fresh for the advanced dart frog keeper.
Our content is never “nice to have.” Everything we share on our website can be tied directly to a product we sell.
Our website delivers limited, laser-focused content that
educates newbies, excites enthusiasts, and motivates purchases.
Junglebox.net content strategy statement
FEATURED FROGS
Buy Dart Frogs
Buy Supplies Our Gallery
Watch & Learn
Jasper’s Frog Blog
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum non massa accumsan odio consectetur
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum non massa accumsan odio consectetur
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum non massa accumsan odio consectetur
Contact Jasper
Herpetology the way you like it.
Flexible space #1
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum non massa accumsan odio consectetur
Flexible space #2
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum non massa accumsan odio consectetur
Flexible space #3
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum non massa accumsan odio consectetur
FROG 1 FROG 2 FROG 3
Our Story
Login | CheckoutJUNGLEBOX
Page: Products Objective: Help customers understand we are experts who sell the same high quality products we use ourselves, so they will have the confidence to buy.
Source Material: Current site, product box copy, current campaign materials Maintenance: Monthly
Key Messages: After 10+ years of raising frogs, these are the products we recommend. You don’t have to shop around, because everything you need is right here.
Priority 1: Highlight product categories
Only three bullet points (10-15 words each) for each category. - What is it? - What is it for? - Why will it help you?
Priority 2: Intro text One sentence about how Junglebox only offers the products we use ourselves.
Page Table
@halvorson
Content Audit
A qualitative process. Determine if what you already have is what you need, and if it’s any good.
• On brand • Readable • Maps to user journey/needs • Legal requirements • Appropriate voice and tone • etc.
Useful for gap analysis, rewrites, and content migration.
@halvorson
Content Models A content type is a kind of content used repeatedly that has a
standardized (agreed-on) structure.
• They give content creators patterns of organization (maybe even
templates) to work with, simplifying their job and ensuring that they
include all necessary content elements.
• They provide a common communication tool for content creators, UI
developers, stylesheet creators, and print and publishing people.
• They give consumers a consistent – and, therefore, more pleasant
and helpful – experience.
• They create opportunities for content reuse that don’t exist when
content is left unstructured.
• They prepare content for automation.
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/intelligent-content/blog/content-types-noz-urbina/
1 : Assessment and Analysis
2 : Strategy
3 : Editorial and Structure
4 : Implementation
5: Maintenance
@halvorson
Workflow
Workflow means understanding not only what
processes and tools you’ll use to create, deliver,
and care for content throughout its lifecycle.
Workflow also means ensuring clarity of roles and
responsibilities.
Types of Governance Models
https://www.whitehouse.gov/digitalgov/digital-services-governance-recommendations
WORKFLOW TECHNICALEDITORIAL STRUCTURE
INFORMING STRATEGIES
PRODUCT DIGITAL
CONTENT STRATEGY
BRAND
• What is the Voice of Junglebox?
• What tones do we use, and when?
• What is our messaging architecture?
• How is it applied across audiences?
• What are the roles and responsibilities of people across the content lifecycle?
• What system(s) do we use to support the content lifecycle?
• Where do we host our content?
• Who has publishing rights?
• What is the metadata schema that will organize our information and data?
METRICS
• What are KPIs for our content properties and channels?
• What are our benchmarks for content quality?
• What are the tools and processes that move content through its lifecycle?
LEGAL
• What are our legal and regulatory requirements?
• What are accessibility requirements?
• How is the content structured for front-‐ and back-‐end findability?
OVERSIGHT
• Who gets to say “no”?
• Who sits on the content governance council?
• How often do they meet?
UX
• What are the content requirements cross-‐channel?
• What are the primary “buckets” of information, internally-‐ and externally-‐facing?
ORG STRUCTURE
• What are the primary functions and drivers of each team?
• What does the RACI structure look like?
Adapted from website-‐governance.com
108
Sample Governance Model
@halvorson
Pain points.
• “We’re struggling with too much content across our digital properties,
with more being produced every day.”
• “We don’t know who owns the content.”
• “Our content is inconsistent, off-brand, outdated, even incorrect in
places.”
• “We’re partway through a website redesign and suddenly have major
content problems.”
• “We’re duplicating work efforts in digital and print content.”
• “People in our company all talk about content and content strategy in
totally different ways.”
• “There are lots of politics and opinions that make progress very difficult.”
@halvorson
Opportunities
DIGITAL SERVICES IMPROVEMENT • Reduced content operations cost
• Reduced content approval cycle time
• Decreased content redundancy
• Increased flexibility of content production and distribution
CUSTOMER VALUE IMPROVEMENT • Higher content quality, lower error rates
• Increased customer satisfaction
• New customer interactions
• Increased direct bookings
You can find all sorts of tools and templates in here.
More Ideas: Books and Articles
- How To Create a Clear Project Plan
- Auditing Big Sites Doesn’t Have To Be Taxing
- Audit Sampling: It’s a Numbers Game
- Good Kickoff Meetings, by Kevin Hoffman
- Moments of Impact: How To Design Strategic Conversations that Accelerate Change
- “Interviewing Humans”
- Just Enough Research
- Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
- What Is Strategy and Does It Matter?
Kristina @Halvorson
GET IN TOUCH!
Coauthor, Content Strategy for the Web
CEO, Brain Traffic and
Founder, Confab Events