Back to Basics: Getting the Content Essentials Right
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This document discusses the importance of content strategy and outlines six focus areas for organizations to consider. It emphasizes getting clear on the core content strategy and how it feeds into the overall business strategy. Other focus areas include understanding audience needs, managing content assets and structure, conducting user research, improving content workflows and processes, and establishing proper content governance. The document stresses that organizations should not neglect these areas in order to effectively meet user needs and provide a good user experience across channels.
Back to Basics: Getting the Content Essentials Right
- 1. Back to Basics Getting the Content Essentials Right Kerry-Anne Gilowey Independent Content Strategy Consultant @kerry_anne
- 2. Why has content strategy suddenly become so important in the last few years?
- 3. Mostly because of this
- 5. Organisations are feeling the pain. Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/seantubridy/
- 6. Organisations are feeling the pain. “Why hasn’t SEO fixed our problems?” Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/seantubridy/
- 7. Organisations are feeling the pain. “Why hasn’t SEO fixed our problems?” “Why haven’t our users generated all our content for us?” Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/seantubridy/
- 9. “We need a blog!”
- 10. “We need a blog!” “We need a Facebook page!”
- 11. “We need a blog!” “We need a Facebook page!” “We need to write articles!”
- 12. “We need a blog!” “We need a Facebook page!” “We need an iPad app!” “We need to write articles!”
- 13. But what are we neglecting?
- 16. Hi! I’m Elizabeth. I use your product. Uh... hi! Can anyone hear me? IS THIS THING ON?
- 17. ? What information do they need?
- 19. How do you fit into their world?
- 20. Crouching customer, hidden needs.
- 21. 2. Findability
- 22. Site search is broken
- 23. I searched for macbook air ethernet adaptor. On page 1:
- 24. I searched for macbook air ethernet adaptor. On page 5:
- 27. 3. Voice and tone
- 29. What type of language does your audience relate to?
- 30. What type of language does your audience relate to? I like a really comfy, schnuggly-wuggly blankie.
- 31. I have a preference for deep pile microfleece bedding material. What type of language does your audience relate to?
- 32. 4. Basic user experience
- 33. Confirmation screens Oh please don’t make me choose!
- 34. Error messages
- 36. File names
- 37. URL structure
- 38. Digital document design Did they charge me twice? I (actually really) can’t tell.
- 39. So what should we be focusing on first?
- 40. Focus area #1 GETTING CLEAR ABOUT YOUR CORE CONTENT STRATEGY
- 41. Sara Wachter-Boettcher Content Strategy Consultant Editor in Chief at A List Apart
- 42. How does this feed into our overall business and content strategy? Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/tambako
- 43. Messaging
- 44. Focus area #2 THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT AND POSITION CONTENT
- 46. Content used to belong exclusively to the Marketing department.
- 47. (Copywriting, like movies, used to be even worse.)
- 49. CONTENT
- 51. Marketing copy Forms Interface copy Intranet content Terms of service Call centre scripts
- 52. But let’s move out a few paces.
- 53. This is not your grandfather’s website.
- 54. Point of sale Outdoor club Legal contract Customer care platform Financial management portal Advice column Travel agency
- 56. It’s no longer about the structure of your organisation. It’s about your customer’s cross-channel journey. Image credit: www.flickr.com/photos/padday/
- 57. The end product isn’t great content; it’s a great THING. Erika Hall Co-founder of Mule Design Author of “Just Enough Research”
- 58. Focus area #3 USER RESEARCH
- 60. I want a faster horse, please.
- 61. What words do they prefer? blanket vs blankie warm vs snug mail vs post shipping vs delivery
- 62. Make use of... One-on-one interviews Site search logs Call centre logs Web analytics Content testing
- 63. Focus area #4 THE EFFICIENCY OF YOUR CONTENT WORKFLOWS
- 64. The content creation process Someone&has&a& fabulous&crea0ve& idea,&right&on&cue& Magic&dust&is& sprinkled& Words&pop&out&and& form&themselves&into& orderly&sentences& The&unicorns&dance& in&a&circle& CONTENT!!!&
- 67. Paging Trevor...
- 68. Why I didn’t study in 2011
- 69. ?
- 70. Workflow questions What are your processes and tools? What’s working, and what’s not? What does your team look like? What other teams and departments do you work with? Where are the bottlenecks? What are your challenges?
- 71. Authorship Where should the authors sit? ------ A central team? Within departments? Who oversees them?
- 72. Collaboration How can changes best be communicated across departments? ------ How should information be shared?
- 73. Focus area #5 MANAGING AND STRUCTURING YOUR CONTENT ASSETS
- 74. Content management is the systematic planning, development, organisation, distribution, evaluation, and preservation of all information within an organisation. Erik M. Hartman @erikmhartman
- 75. “Nimble content can travel freely, retain context and meaning, and create new products.” – Rachel Lovinger
- 76. A new model COPE = Create Once, Publish Everywhere
- 78. Content models
- 80. Focus area #6 PROPER CONTENT GOVERNANCE
- 82. What’s it about? Who? Content governance What? When? How?
- 83. Who... ...has authoring and editing rights? ...owns this piece of content? ...has to review this document? ...has final sign-off? ...is responsible? ...needs to be notified of changes? ...else needs to be involved? ...measures effectiveness?
- 84. What... ...content lives on the home page? ...types of content do we NOT publish? ...languages do we create content in? ...metadata needs to be captured? ...are our highest priorities? ...resources should authors consult? ...changes can be made without going through the full review cycle?
- 85. When... ...should content be updated? ...should content be archived? ...should content be reviewed? ...should new content be created?
- 86. How... ...do content items get named? ...do we store our content? ...do we speak to various audiences? ...do we talk about ourselves and our industry? ...should content additions or changes be requested?
- 87. Politics Who has the final say when a disagreement or conflict of interests arises?
- 88. Everyone ready for a recap?
- 89. Don’t neglect...
- 90. Don’t neglect... Your core content strategy
- 91. Don’t neglect... Your core content strategy The needs of your audience
- 92. Don’t neglect... Your core content strategy The needs of your audience Voice and tone
- 93. Don’t neglect... Your core content strategy The needs of your audience Voice and tone Proper content structure, both visible and invisible
- 94. Don’t neglect... Your core content strategy The needs of your audience Voice and tone Proper content structure, both visible and invisible All the small things that make for a good user experience
- 95. Don’t neglect... Your core content strategy The needs of your audience Voice and tone Proper content structure, both visible and invisible All the small things that make for a good user experience Workflow and process
- 96. Don’t neglect... Your core content strategy The needs of your audience Voice and tone Proper content structure, both visible and invisible All the small things that make for a good user experience Workflow and process Governance
- 97. Thanks for listening! Kerry-Anne Gilowey Independent Content Strategy Consultant kerryanne@augustsun.co.za http://augustsun.co.za http://about.me/kerryanne @kerry_anne