Content straContent Strategy: What is it and why is it Importanttegy
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03/24/2022 Footer 1 CONTENT STRATEGY: WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT By Denise Kadilak Information Architect/Team Manager
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Transcript of Content straContent Strategy: What is it and why is it Importanttegy
04/15/2023 Footer 1
CONTENT STRATEGY: WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANTBy Denise Kadilak
Information Architect/Team Manager
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ABOUT ME
• 18 years experience• Creating and maintaining 1000s of pages of user-end documentation• Technical-project lead investigating new tools, best practices, and
workflows for a 25-member documentation team• Led team’s move four years ago to MadCap Flare
Part-time instructor at John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH• Teach the Technical Writing course included in the school’s Professional Writing program
Past presentations:• MadWorld, 2015 • WritersUA, 2015 • CMS/DITA North America, 2013
Information Architect/Team Manager
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ABOUT ME
Webinars:
• Moving from Adobe FrameMaker to Flare• Panel Discussion: Migrating from Frame to
Flare• A Hands-on Look at Migrating from
FrameMaker to FlareWebsite:
• Writing with a Flare
More stuff
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AGENDA
• What is a Content Strategy• Why is it important• How do you create a plan• What is a Content Audit
What we’ll cover…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
Kristina Halvorson of Brain Traffic offers the most used definition:• It “plans for the creation, publication, and
governance of useful, usable content.”
In very board terms
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WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
It includes a number of moving pieces• Content• Users• Deliverables• Philosophy
In very specific terms
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WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Simply figuring out how you plan to manage thousands of content-carrying topics or hundreds of chapter-bearing files.
It is not…
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WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• A series of neatly defined steps• Because, it’s also not a neat process
It is not…
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WHY IS A STRATEGY IMPORTANT?
That is an element in the strategy equation, but because documentation teams nowadays do so much more than traditional “documentation” and work with so many departments outside of their own, a successful content strategy involves orchestrating a number of related elements.
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WHY IS A STRATEGY IMPORTANT?
• Content is easily translatable• Satisfies a variety of output needs/product
iterations• Is manageable in the short dev cycles• Meets legal regulations• Takes advantage of advanced technologies
to simplify/streamline the publishing process
You need to make sure…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
1. Content needs:• External Users
• Discovery• Work with UX team?• Pinpoint testing
Understanding…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Organization Users• Documentation• Training• Marketing• Support
2. Cross-departmental relationships
3. Cross-departmental outputs
4. Your department’s outputs
Understanding…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
4. All current deliverables• Tools used• Departments• Effectiveness (Discovery)• Rational
5. Future needs• Content• Deliverables
Understanding…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
6. Organization’s short- and long-term biz goals
7. Talent pool
8. State of current content….
Understanding…
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WHAT IS A CONTENT AUDIT?
• Tracking of all content you currently publish• Foundation of a successful content
strategy
In very broad terms
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WHAT IS A CONTENT AUDIT?
• Analysis that answers 5 basic questions about your content:• What’s there?• Who’s responsible for the content?• How are users locating what they need?• Is it satisfying the users’ needs?• Is it up-to-date?
A bit more specific
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WHERE TO START?
• Full audit: • Every piece of content currently in your
system• Partial audit:
• Varies, but usually focuses on the top few levels in your information hierarchy
• Or, content created during a specific time period (past three months, oldest-to-newest)
Determine the size of your audit
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WHERE TO START?
• Sample content• Least detailed• A random collection of content
Determine the size of your audit
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
And you make a planYou take all of this…
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HOW DO YOU CREATE A PLAN?
• Content architecture• Topic based, book metaphor, other• Identify the content pieces
• Concept, Task, Reference• Book, Chapter, Section• Something else?
• Define each piece
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Content architecture• Reuse/sharing strategies• Best practices/workflows• Formatting• Tone• Style guide
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Content architecture• List all stakeholders
• Internal• External
• How it will satisfy the needs of each stakeholder
• Potential stumbling blocks – and suggested solutions
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Relationships with other department• Content they deliver• Content goal • Where are they getting this• Tools used
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Output plans for help(pdf, epub, web-based help)• For all departments including yours
• List all output options• List those you plan to use• Associate each output with the
department need• Address those you cannot satisfy - why
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Deliverables plan (video, visual walk through, full help systems, tip sheets, getting started)• For all departments including yours
• List all deliverable options• List those you plan to use• Associate each with the department
need• Address those you cannot satisfy - why
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Future needs• Make sure your plan anticipates these
• List known shortcomings• Industry/market research• Staying current with trends
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Biz goals• Know current and future goals
• Moving to the cloud?• SAAS?• Product diversification?• Market positioning?
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Current/anticipated talent needs• Current talents• Missing talents• Anticipated talent needs - justifications
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Governance• Relates primarily to architecture
• Who?• What are their powers/responsibilities?• How strictly do they enforce?• Define reporting workflow/process
In this plan, include details about…
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SO WHAT IS A CONTENT STRATEGY?
• Plan for reassessments • Be prepared to revisit elements
This is a living document
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RESOURCES
- Content Strategy 101: Transform Technical Content into a Business Asset.
- Content Strategy Failure in 10 Easy Steps- Reuse is a Good Tactic but a Poor Strategy
