Post on 11-Aug-2014
description
Getting Started with Content StrategyMichele Ann JenkinsDovecot StudioABQLA 2014
Agenda• How did we get here and where are we going?• What is Content Strategy and how can it help?• Understanding where you are with a Content Audit• Finding out where you need to go with Content Strategy• Where to learn more
All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Public domain
Creative Commons Share Alike
Once Upon a Time
robert kelly
The Rise of the Webmaster
Yay?
Quickly, everyone, put content in the CMS!
Exactly what our users need!
Art Car Central
Strategy to the Rescue "Content strategy plans for the creation, publication, and governance of useful, usable content” – Kristina HalvorsonContent Strategy for the Web
Content Strategy
IA
Content Model Taxonomy
Governance
ContentCreation
Maintenance
Editorial
Tone & Voice Style
The Harmonic Balance
Content
Strategy
business goals
user expectatio
ns
editorial mission
design vision
content productio
n
tech capabiliti
es
Adapted from “Tinker, Tailor, Content Strategist”
When do you need Content Strategy?• During redesigns• Before migrating to a new system• When you’re planning for the future
• Mobile• Tablets• Phablets• Glass• Content APIs• Holographic Implants
• Days ending in -y
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CONTEXT & CONTENT
Getting Started with Content Strategy
Content Strategy Lifecycle
Strategize
AdaptAudit
Adapted from http://www.dopedata.com/
Questions that Need Answers:• Why are we putting content online? • How do we define “success”?• How is the website linked to those metrics? • How is that measured?• What is our decision-making process for the web? • Do we have any standards and policies? Are they
working?
What is a content audit?
InventoryWhat do we have?
AssessmentIs it any good?
Dovecotstudio.com
Audit Goals• Evaluate quality of content• Identify ROT*• Identify gaps & opportunities
• Discover hidden resources• Identify opportunities for cross-channel syndication
(mobile, social, newsletter, even print)• Identify patterns in content structure• Identify key organizing principals • Identify content owners and workflows to prepare
for governance• Assess future-readiness
AuditingCan occur at 3 levels
1. Repository level• What? Where? How much? Useful in migrations
2. Collection level• Structure, metadata, relationships• Audience & Business Goals Especially important for taxonomy
3. Document level• Content quality assessment (ROT)• Editorial (tone, style, message) evaluation Benchmark for content strategy
Dovecotstudio.com
Example Audit
DEVELOPING A STRATEGY
ROT (a)• R = redundant• O = out-dated• T = trivial• A = needs more granular
assessment
• Essentially:• Is it worth keeping?• Does it need updating?• Does it require more
evaluation?
What is your criteria?Dovecotstudio.com
Structure• What content types do you
have?• Does each one serve a
clear purpose?• Do you need to combine or
create new ones?• Too general limits reuse• Too granular burdens
content creators • Do you have the right
building blocks?
Message, Voice & Tone“Style guides are interchangeable but voice and tone are
unique.” –Martin Belam
• Voice captures the personality of an organization• Tone is how you express that voice in different situations• Discover your organizations voice by speaking with the
people in it.• Read content from your website out loud.
• Do you convey the same values as you do in person?• Even newsletters, press releases, and (even!) forms and error
messages?
Example: GOV.UK
https://www.gov.uk/design-principles/style-guide
Example: MailChimp
http://voiceandtone.com/
Content GapsCustomer Journey
Content & Functionality
Opinion Formin
gConsideration Intent Selection Purchase Support Loyalty
About Us
Blog Services
Product Cate-gories
Product Catalog
Contact Us
Shopping Cart
Manuals/ Specs. Referrals
Case Studies
Suppliers
Comments
Social Sharing
Product Search
Product Bundles
Contact Us
Live Chat
Reviews
Test-imonial
s
Contact Us
Now Back to the Audit• What content needs to be pruned (ROTa)?• What new content should be created?• What needs a tone / voice / style update?• What content will need to be moved to a new template or
restructured?
You don’t have to do it all at once… but now you know what you need to do.
http://www.dopedata.com/
Bringing It All Together:The Content Strategy Brief• Messaging
• Style guide• Voice & Tone guides
• Content Planning• Page templates• Channel strategy
• Governance• RACI• Editorial calendars• Content workflows
Content Strategy isn’t about
content
It’s aboutChange Management
WHERE TO LEARN MORE
Resources• Books
• Halvorson, Kristina; Rach, Melissa. Content Strategy for the Web.
• Wachter-Boettcher, Sara. Content Everywhere: Strategy and Structure for Future-Ready Content.
• Bloomstein, Margot. Content Strategy at Work: Real-world Stories to Strengthen Every Interactive Project.
• Websites• A List Apart <http://alistapart.com/>• Boxes and Arrows <http://boxesandarrows.com/>• Brain Traffic (Kristina Halvorson) <http://blog.braintraffic.com/>
• Podcast• Insert Content Here
<https://www.lullabot.com/blog/podcasts/insert-content-here>