Know thyself: Your school's message-driven content strategy

@mbloomstein | #ConfabEDU 1

Margot Bloomstein

Confab EDU

November 12, 2013

@mbloomstein

#ConfabEDU

KNOW THYSELF:

YOUR SCHOOL’S

MESSAGE-DRIVEN

CONTENT STRATEGY

COMMUNICATION 101

Democratized communication

is an opportunity.

But tools merely empower a

message.

Sorry, Marshall

McLuhan.

Medium transmits

message—but

demands it, too.

Our brand is a promise.

How can we ensure our news

lives up to it?

Georgy Cohen (@radiofreegeorgy)

CC Sam Korn, via Wikipedia

Gnothi sauton

Know thyself.

We invest in knowing our users,

but how well do we know our

own brands?

If you don’t know what

you need to communicate,

how will you know if you

succeed?

How do you know where to put

resources, time, and talent?

First things first.

blog, audit the content, consolidate

site architecture, add video testimonials,

add student reviews, develop new brand

guidelines, switch to a new CMS, or go

“mobile first”…

Tools enable how

we conceive ideas,

perceive our world,

and see ourselves

You cannot not

communicate.

Paul Watzlawick

OH SNAP!

What is content strategy?

Planning for the creation, aggregation,

delivery, and governance of useful,

usable, and appropriate content in an

experience.

Why content strategy?

Because we all want the same things,

but content keeps getting in the way.

Content demands attention

Because we all want the same thing,

but content keeps getting in the way.

(CC) http://www.flickr.com/photos/slworking

Content requires time

Content dredges up politics

This is your job now.

©Skillset.org

Titles < Roles < Skills

Steps along the way…

Message architecture

Content audit/inventory

Prescriptive content matrix

Content model

Editorial style guidelines

Metadata guidelines

Governance guidelines

Deliverables are merely

punctuation in the

conversation.

Don’t let them replace

the conversation.

What’s a message architecture?

A hierarchy of communication goals

that reflects a common vocabulary.

Concrete, shared terminology,

not abstract concepts.

Elevating the distinct and whole person

• Appreciative of the journey, supportive

Rigorous, passionate, intense

• Practical; research & problem-solving

Welcoming

• Approachable, accessible; inclusive, not

entitled

• Fair and egalitarian

Engaged

• Progressive

• Community-minded

Relevant insider

• Smart stuff you’d never hear otherwise

• Specific details—not just general history

Accurate yet accessible

• Informal, casual voice

• Credible facts

Unexpectedly fun

• Offbeat and quirky takes on history

A little thing with big impact.

Message architecture drives

platform selection, tone, and

content types

• Quick tips

• Local/location-based

• Checkins

• Themed

• Deals and badges

• Robust user

community

• Quick tips

• Local/location-based

• Checkins

• Themed

• Deals and badges

• Robust user

community

Explore the world

around you and learn

interesting things.

Find great local

businesses with the

help of real people.

Message architecture drives

editorial content choices too: • Style

• Tone

• Diction

• Sentence structure

• Calls to action

Welcoming,

but elite.

Selective?

Accessible,

open, and

premiere.

Traditional,

but with an

Words are valuable,

but meaningless without

context and priority.

Do I contradict

myself? Very well.

Then I contradict

myself.

I am large,

I contain multitudes.

Words are

cheaper than

comps.

“Is this what you meant?”

“Is this what we need to

communicate?”

Why do this?

Let creative colleagues refine the concept,

rather than confirm the purpose.

• Engage in a tangible, hands-on way

• Encourage debate and conversation

• Identify points of disagreement

• Prevent seagulling

• Force prioritization

• Encourage ownership & investment

Why do this?

Promote new content types to manifest

the message architecture—not just

because they’re trendy or feasible.

Why do this?

Gain standards by which to conduct

a qualitative audit.

(What is “good” anyway?)

The organization

Established and premiere

• Founded in 1896

• International reputation for depth in several areas

• Not really a “destination” for tourists—but definitely for

academics and researchers

Trusted

• Known for research among competitors, but not local audience

• Target audience is loyal, but places greater appreciation in its

tradition and history than modern updates

Kid-friendly

• Seen as ideal for family visits, school field trips, but relatively

unknown for adult applicability within the local target audience

Message architecture Engaged and curious

• Creating knowledge by supporting rigorous scientific research and

disseminating information

• Driving the public discussion to promote stewardship

• Comprehensive in questions, open-minded in answers

Welcoming

• Accessible “for ages 5 – 95”

• Relevant, tailored

Applicable and relevant

• Practical; engaged & empathizing with the community

• Immediate, cutting-edge, and “in touch”

Innovative

• Ends > means in research, development, and engagement

Audit to understand what you

have and what you need.

Before you can start, know why.

What are you trying to learn

about your content—and your

school?

Auditing within constraints

• Choose strategic samples

• Variety of content types or elements

• Representative of the rest of the site

• Core sample a section or subsection

(e.g., an upcoming event series or permanent

exhibit)

• Limit depth (e.g., just the top four levels)

What will you learn?

• What do we have?

• What are the patterns, elements, & types?

• Is it any good?

• What do we need to update?

• What do we need to “translate” for tone or

audience?

• Where do we need more?

Where can you go?

• Apply a rubric to existing content, separate from

politics and history

• Prescribe new content—and reallocate budget

and resources—to address specific

communication goals

• Promote a new editorial calendar

• Consider CMS modifications to support new

content types

Steps along the way…

Content audit/inventory

Prescriptive content matrix

Content model

Editorial style guidelines

Metadata guidelines

Governance guidelines

But first things first:

Know thyself. What are you

trying to communicate?

Thank you!

Margot Bloomstein

@mbloomstein

margot@appropriateinc.com

slideshare.net/mbloomstein

amzn.to/CSatWork

All photography © Margot Bloomstein unless otherwise noted. Screen grabs property of their respective owners at time of capture.

Know thyself: Your school's message-driven content strategy

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