Content Strategy for Everything
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Kristina Halvorson defines content strategy as planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content. She discusses how content strategy has evolved since she first wrote about it in 2009. Content strategy involves considering substance, structure, workflow, and governance of content. It defines what efforts will be focused on and sets boundaries for what will and will not be done. A content strategy is the path to meeting goals and priorities what content initiatives will and will not be pursued. The content strategy process involves assessment, analysis, architecture, implementation, and maintenance.
Content Strategy for Everything
- 1. CONTENT STRATEGY FOR THE WEB Everything Kristina @Halvorson Coauthor, Content Strategy for the Web CEO, Brain Traffic and Founder, Confab Events
- 2. I wrote the first version of Content Strategy for the Web in 2009.
- 3. In it, I defined content strategy as “the practice of planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content.”
- 5. But … • What • Why • How • When • For whom • By whom • With what • Where • How often • What next
- 6. In 2012, I coauthored the 2nd edition with Melissa Rach.
- 7. This time, defining “content strategy” was a bit trickier. (Read: there were several caveats.)
- 8. At exactly this time, there was another trend on the rise.
- 9. 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 “
- 11. This is big trouble for companies who still can’t manage the content they had in the first place. Content strategy is more important than ever.
- 13. 2015
- 14. © Brain Traffic 2015 Here’s how we talk about it at Brain Traffic.
- 15. Core strategy: This defines where you will focus your efforts to improve content substance, structure, workflow, and/or governance. It must provide clear boundaries for what you will do … and what you won’t. © Brain Traffic 2015
- 16. Substance: Story, topic, brand elements, voice and tone Structure: Organization, categorization, component elements CONTENT
- 17. Substance… …fulfills business objectives by meeting audience needs. Structure… …makes content findable and usable for users, and manageable for technology. CONTENT
- 18. PEOPLE Workflow: Roles, processes, tools Governance: Policies, standards, guidelines
- 19. Workflow... ...creates efficiencies across content properties. Governance… ...empowers, facilitates, and aligns. PEOPLE
- 20. 20 Lots More To Learn About 10 Definitions of Content Strategy by Monica Bussolati Point of View: Content Strategy by Kevin Nichols What Is Content Strategy? by Aha Media Group
- 21. What kinds of content strategy are there?
- 22. Content Strategy for User Experience Infographic published by IBM Customer-Facing Solutions.
- 24. Enterprise Content Strategy Adapted from http://www.gollner.ca/2015/03/defining-intelligent-content.html Workflow and Governance
- 25. What does a content strategist do?
- 26. Point of View: Content Strategy by Kevin Nichols
- 27. What is the content strategy process?
- 28. 28 What is “a content strategy”? • A content strategy—any 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 content strategy helps define what you WILL do and what you WON’T do. • All tactical content initiatives must map back to your strategy. • Your content strategy should force you to prioritize and to say “no.”
- 29. 29 How To Get There 1 : Assessment, Analysis, and Strategy 2 : Architecture and Editorial 3 : Implementation 4 : Maintenance
- 30. 1 : Assessment, Analysis, and Strategy 2 : Architecture and Editorial 3 : Implementation 4 : Maintenance
- 31. 31 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
- 32. 32 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 Content Strategy Checklist
- 33. 33 After the Assessment: Your Analysis Report EXAMPLE ONLY
- 34. 34 EXAMPLE ONLY EXAMPLE ONLY EXAMPLE ONLY
- 35. 35 Example: Content Strategy Framework CORE STRATEGY Evolve our print production model to deliver single-source, omnichannel content. We communicate effortlessly with priority audiences everywhere.
- 36. 36 Example: CS document intro
- 37. 37 Example: CS Guiding Principles
- 38. 1 : Assessment, Analysis, and Strategy 2 : Architecture and Editorial 3 : Implementation 4 : Maintenance
- 39. 39 “Define and Design” Project plan High level architecture Success metrics Content requirements Dependencies Features definition Branding elements Development plan Design mock-ups User testing/QA SEO guidelines Launch plan
- 40. 40 Messaging Content models Topic maps Content types Style guide Taxonomy Page tables Editorial calendar Architecture and Editorial
- 41. You can find all sorts of tools and templates here.
- 42. 1 : Assessment, Analysis, and Strategy 2 : Architecture and Editorial 3 : Implementation 4 : Maintenance
- 43. Example: Content Strategy Roadmap 43
- 47. How do you make the case for content strategy?
- 48. 48 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.”
- 50. 50 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
- 51. How can you make content strategy a part of your world?
- 52. 52 Smart Next Steps* Read: Attend: Work with: * I am biased. Content Strategy for the Web The Content Strategy Toolkit Any Confab content strategy conference Brain Traffic
- 53. CONTENT STRATEGY FOR THE WEB You! Kristina @Halvorson Coauthor, Content Strategy for the Web CEO, Brain Traffic Founder, Confab Events
- 54. 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?