Content Strategy: The Key to Effective Web Content
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The document discusses the importance of a strong content strategy for effective web publishing, emphasizing that organizations should act as publishers and prioritize quality content. It outlines key elements of content strategy, including planning, maintaining brand messaging, and prioritizing user needs, while warning signs of a lack of strategy are also highlighted. The document concludes with a call to make content strategy a priority by continuously analyzing and adapting content to enhance effectiveness.
Content Strategy: The Key to Effective Web Content
- 1. Content Strategy: The Key to Effective Web Content Rick Allen Babson College F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Canadian Post-Secondary Web Conference May 26, 2010 @epublishmedia Rick Allen • @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 2. Hi, I’m Rick. Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 3. Hi, I’m Rick. Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 4. What I’m talking about @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 5. What I’m talking about 1. Why quality web content and strategy are so important @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 6. What I’m talking about 1. Why quality web content and strategy are so important 2. Elements that comprise a content strategy @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 7. What I’m talking about 1. Why quality web content and strategy are so important 2. Elements that comprise a content strategy 3. What’s needed to maintain quality content @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 8. What I’m talking about 1. Why quality web content and strategy is so important Elements that comprise a content strategy What’s needed to maintain quality content @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 9. Why am I focusing on content? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 10. Because I’m a publisher. Just like you! @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 11. “ The moment you launch a website, an email campaign, a mobile application, or content of any kind, you’re a publisher. Shouldn’t you start acting like one? Kristina Halvorson Author, Content Strategy for the Web @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 12. Yes. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 13. “ View yourself more like a publisher delivering valuable editorial products than as a marketer selling products and services. Joe Pulizzi Co-Author, Get Content Get Customers @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 14. Content is why people visit your website. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 15. Period. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 16. “ Without content, the web would be a search box and a check out cart. Ian Alexander Eat Media @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 17. Quality content Users @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 18. Quality content Users @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 19. Quality content Attracts Users @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 20. Quality content Attracts Informs Users @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 21. Quality content Attracts Informs Users Engages @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 22. Quality content Attracts Informs Users Engages Retains @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 23. Would you risk meeting any of these goals? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 24. Warning signs that you need content strategy. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 25. Warning signs that you need content strategy. Welcome & Overview pages Contain redundant, trivial content FAQs pages Compensate for ineffective site content PDFs Sidestep editorial process, compromising quality “Related links” List orphan pages or irrelevant content Points of distinction pages Lack points of distinction or effective brand messaging @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 26. Warning signs that you need content strategy. Welcome & Overview pages Contain redundant, trivial content FAQs pages Compensate for ineffective site content PDFs Sidestep editorial process, compromising quality “Related links” List orphan pages or irrelevant content Points of distinction pages Lack points of distinction or effective brand messaging @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 27. Warning signs that you need content strategy. Welcome & Overview pages Contain redundant, trivial content FAQs pages Compensate for ineffective site content PDFs Sidestep editorial process, compromising quality “Related links” List orphan pages or irrelevant content Points of distinction pages Lack points of distinction or effective brand messaging @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 28. Warning signs that you need content strategy. Welcome & Overview pages Contain redundant, trivial content FAQs pages Compensate for ineffective site content PDFs Sidestep editorial process, compromising quality “Related links” List orphan pages or irrelevant content Points of distinction pages Lack points of distinction or effective brand messaging @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 29. Warning signs that you need content strategy. Welcome & Overview pages Contain redundant, trivial content FAQs pages Compensate for ineffective site content PDFs Sidestep editorial process, compromising quality “Related links” List orphan pages or irrelevant content Points of distinction pages Lack points of distinction or effective brand messaging @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 30. Content strategy, anyone? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 31. “ Content strategy is the practice of planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content. Kristina Halvorson Author, Content Strategy for the Web @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 32. “ Content strategy is the practice of planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content. Kristina Halvorson Author, Content Strategy for the Web @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 33. Content strategy answers critical questions. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 34. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 35. How do we decide what to communicate? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 36. How do we decide what to communicate? How do we decide what content to create and update? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 37. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 38. How do we prioritize content requirements? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 39. How do we prioritize content requirements? How do we determine our users’ needs? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 40. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 41. How do we align analytics, usability and SEO/SEM with content creation? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 42. How do we align analytics, usability and SEO/SEM with content creation? How do we maintain voice, tone, and branding with content across multiple channels? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 43. Some good questions to answer, right? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 44. Why is content often neglected? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 45. Content is massive @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 46. Content is political @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 47. Content is time- consuming @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 48. Real challenges @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 49. Poor excuses: @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 50. “ It's the content contributors' responsibility. They need to own their content. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 51. “ But, I did make it better! @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 52. “ We can't accommodate everyone. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 53. “ Best practices aren't real-world. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 54. Customers don’t forgive businesses for bad websites. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 55. No more excuses. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 56. Make content work http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomsaint/ / CC BY 2.0 @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 57. Understand your content ecosystem http://www.flickr.com/photos/rofanator/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 58. “ The ecosystem often reveals the ‘underlying principle’ of the content problem. Colleen Jones Content Science @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 59. Web publishing is a collaborative process. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 60. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 61. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 62. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 63. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 64. “ Design without content is decoration. Jeffrey Zeldman Author, Designing With Web Standards @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 65. A CMS is not enough. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 66. ‘Nuff said. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 67. What I’m talking about 1. Why quality web content and strategy are so important 2. Elements that comprise a content strategy 3. What’s needed to maintain quality content @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 68. What I’m talking about Why quality web content and strategy are so important 2. Elements that comprise a content strategy What’s needed to maintain quality content @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 69. Have a plan: @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 70. Plan ‣ Prioritize message hierarchy Audit Analyze Strategize @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 71. Message architecture @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 72. Message architecture ‣ Ensures a consistent, clear brand message @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 73. Message architecture ‣ Ensures a consistent, clear brand message ‣ Identifies what your organization wants to convey and how it wants to be perceived @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 74. Message architecture ‣ Ensures a consistent, clear brand message ‣ Identifies what your organization wants to convey and how it wants to be perceived ‣ Ensures clear, concise descriptions of organization concepts @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 75. Message architecture ‣ Ensures a consistent, clear brand message ‣ Identifies what your organization wants to convey and how it wants to be perceived ‣ Ensures clear, concise descriptions of organization concepts ‣ Aligns sub-site messaging with organization- wide messaging @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 76. Message architecture ‣ Ensures a consistent, clear brand message ‣ Identifies what your organization wants to convey and how it wants to be perceived ‣ Ensures clear, concise descriptions of organization concepts ‣ Aligns sub-site messaging with organization- wide messaging ‣ Aligns messaging across all communication channels @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 77. Message architecture ‣ Ensures a consistent, clear brand message ‣ Identifies what your organization wants to convey and how it wants to be perceived ‣ Ensures clear, concise descriptions of organization concepts ‣ Aligns sub-site messaging with organization- wide messaging ‣ Aligns messaging across all communication channels ‣ Determines if content is appropriate for your users @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 78. “ How can you measure if content is appropriate if you don’t have a metric against which to measure it? Margot Bloomstein Appropriate, Inc @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 79. Plan ‣ Prioritize message hierarchy ‣ Audit ‣ Analyze ‣ Strategize @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 80. Plan Prioritize message hierarchy ‣ Audit Analyze Strategize @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 81. “ If you don't understand where you are now, you can't create a plan to get you where you need to be. Kristina Halvorson Author, Content Strategy for the Web @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 82. Content audit @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 83. Content audit ‣ Content inventory @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 84. Content audit ‣ Content inventory ‣ Quantitative audit @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 85. Content audit ‣ Content inventory ‣ Quantitative audit ‣ Qualitative audit @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 86. Plan ‣ Prioritize message hierarchy ‣ Audit ‣ Analyze ‣ Strategize @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 87. Plan Prioritize message hierarchy Audit ‣ Analyze Strategize @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 88. Content analysis @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 89. Content analysis ‣ What is the purpose of each piece of web content? Does it meet our business objectives and users’ needs? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 90. Content analysis ‣ What is the purpose of each piece of web content? Does it meet our business objectives and users’ needs? ‣ How do we want our users to respond to our content? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 91. Content analysis ‣ What is the purpose of each piece of web content? Does it meet our business objectives and users’ needs? ‣ How do we want our users to respond to our content? ‣ What content do users need, but not know to look for? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 92. Content analysis ‣ What is the purpose of each piece of web content? Does it meet our business objectives and users’ needs? ‣ How do we want our users to respond to our content? ‣ What content do users need, but not know to look for? ‣ What resources are needed to complete the project and maintain it post-launch? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 93. Content analysis ‣ What is the purpose of each piece of web content? Does it meet our business objectives and users’ needs? ‣ How do we want our users to respond to our content? ‣ What content do users need, but not know to look for? ‣ What resources are needed to complete the project and maintain it post-launch? ‣ How will we measure the effectiveness of our content? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 94. Plan ‣ Prioritize message hierarchy ‣ Audit ‣ Analyze ‣ Strategize @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 95. Plan Prioritize message hierarchy Audit Analyze ‣ Strategize @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 96. Results @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 97. Results ‣ Defined target keywords and content topics relating to our brand message @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 98. Results ‣ Defined target keywords and content topics relating to our brand message ‣ Web editorial style guide that provides consistent voice, tone, and word usage, catering to our audience and brand @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 99. Results ‣ Defined target keywords and content topics relating to our brand message ‣ Web editorial style guide that provides consistent voice, tone, and word usage, catering to our audience and brand ‣ Editorial process: roles, source content, content types, and interaction with marketing, design, developers @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 100. Results ‣ Defined target keywords and content topics relating to our brand message ‣ Web editorial style guide that provides consistent voice, tone, and word usage, catering to our audience and brand ‣ Editorial process: roles, source content, content types, and interaction with marketing, design, developers ‣ Editorial calendar, considering content channels, types, and themes • @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 101. Results @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 102. Results ‣ Page-level content structure @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 103. Results ‣ Page-level content structure ‣ Linking strategy @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 104. Results ‣ Page-level content structure ‣ Linking strategy ‣ Defined content channels @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 105. Results ‣ Page-level content structure ‣ Linking strategy ‣ Defined content channels ‣ Content maintenance requirements @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 106. Define your publishing process: @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 107. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 108. Publishing roles ‣ Requesters ‣ Providers ‣ Creators ‣ Editors ‣ Approvers ‣ Publishers @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 109. What I’m talking about 1. Why quality web content and strategy are so important 2. Elements that comprise a content strategy 3. What’s needed to maintain quality content @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 110. What I’m talking about Why quality web content and strategy are so important Elements that comprise a content strategy 3. What’s needed to maintain quality content @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 111. Keep it going http://www.flickr.com/photos/dasqfamily/ / CC BY 2.0 @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 112. Have a plan. @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 113. Measure content effectiveness http://www.flickr.com/photos/chandramarsono/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 114. Web analytics Business Effective Key goals analysis metrics @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 115. (More) content analysis: @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 116. Is content redundant, outdated, trivial? http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 117. Are links still functional? Is content still findable? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 118. Is content still useful, relevant, and accurate? @epublishmedia #pseweb
- 119. Key points Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 120. Key points ‣ Make content strategy a priority Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 121. Key points ‣ Make content strategy a priority ‣ Be a publisher—focus on content Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 122. Key points ‣ Make content strategy a priority ‣ Be a publisher—focus on content ‣ Know what content you have before determining what you need Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 123. Key points ‣ Make content strategy a priority ‣ Be a publisher—focus on content ‣ Know what content you have before determining what you need ‣ Analyze: determine if content is useful, relevant, and effective Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 124. Key points ‣ Make content strategy a priority ‣ Be a publisher—focus on content ‣ Know what content you have before determining what you need ‣ Analyze: determine if content is useful, relevant, and effective ‣ Strategize: create an achievable, actionable, and sustainable plan Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 125. Key points ‣ Make content strategy a priority ‣ Be a publisher—focus on content ‣ Know what content you have before determining what you need ‣ Analyze: determine if content is useful, relevant, and effective ‣ Strategize: create an achievable, actionable, and sustainable plan ‣ Measure content constantly—adapt to change, make smart decisions Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 126. Questions? Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 127. Thanks. Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb
- 128. Rick Allen @epublishmedia http://www.epublishmedia.com Rick Allen • @epublishmedia @epublishmedia #pseweb • #ContentStrategy #pseweb