How to sell the benefits and value of a content strategy to your internal team.

1. How to Sell Content Strategy
Content Strategy Consortium
March 19, 2009
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CONFIDENTIAL

2. Agenda
What is Content Strategy, Take 1
What is Content Strategy, Take 2
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3. What is Content Strategy?: Take 1
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4. Take 1: Our Role & Capabilities…
Previous Conversations went something like this…
“The Content Strategist:
• Analyzes and evaluates …
• Formulates and manages …
• Defines…
• Creates…
So, in a nut shell, we need to inventory the site in order to…then we present our findings
in an audit, blahblahblah. We create a taxonomy t
i dit bl hbl hbl h W tt to…, which takes us to the metadata
hi h t k t th tdt
yadayadayada, brand personality, writing guides, requirements, sourcing,…”
Visuals: Handouts of deliverables, screen shots of sample deliverables, process charts, maps,
rationales, testimonies, etc.
rationales testimonies etc
Result: An incredibly overwhelmed team.
Deduction: Our lingo, while intuitive to us, confuses others—particularly when they just want us to
Deduction: Our lingo while intuitive to us confuses others—particularly when they just want us to
get to the point.
Next Steps:
1. Create an argument that the team can relate to.
Create an argument that the team can relate to.
2. Simplify the role and services.
– Break the services down to a high‐level process that fits the company’s redesign model
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5. What is Content Strategy?: Take 2
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6. Start at the Beginning: Give Them Something to Relate to.
The S
Th Scenario: Our Clients are A ki f O H l
i O Cli Asking for Our Help…Are W Li
A We Listening?
i?
“Content keeps me up at night..”
‐A reoccurring statement we hear from our clients
Clients always ask the following questions:
1. What about content?
2. What existing content should we use? Is our content even good or should we scrap it?
3. Who will create all this new content?
4. How will we map our existing content to the new site?
5. Who will make sure all the content ends up in the right place?
Who will make sure all the content ends up in the right place?
6. Is there a person who will edit all the copy before the site goes live?
7. How will we manage the content after the site launches?
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7. Explain What We Mean When We Say “Content.”
The World of Content is Much More Than
Text on a Page.
A powerful Content Strategy is more than just
making sure copy reads well‐‐it’s about creating a
user experience.
i
Clients need the following content:
Engaging features that take their products to the
E i ft th t t k th i d t t th
next level while pleasantly surprising their
customers:
• Slideshows
• Blogs
• Interactive, user generated content
• Podcasts
• Videos
And lastly, copy that promotes features, sales,
benefits, and has an ongoing conversation with the
customer throughout the site.
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8. Talk to the Sales Team in a Way They Can Get it.
Take 2: The Role and Contributions of a Content Strategist…at a Very High Level
Take 2: The Role and Contributions of a Content Strategist at a Very High Level
Creative
Brainstorm with the project team to create dynamic, engaging content features that will generate
buzz, increase conversion, and make the company’s site stand out from its competitors.
, , py p
Strategists
Create the content strategy mission for the redesign with measurable objectives of what we want
the content to achieve.
Writers
Create the conversation that the company will have with their customers on each page of the site.
Editors
QA copy to make sure it is on brand, coherent in thought, engaging, easy to scan, and is
grammatically correct.
Backend Content Development and Support
Create taxonomies, metadata schemas, and workflows, integrate SEO keywords, and help develop
the content management system.
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9. Talk to the Sales Team in a Way They Can Get it.
The Services Provided by the Content Strategy Team: This is What
We Do (and When We Do it):
1. Perform an analysis
Perform an analysis
2. Create a strategy
3. Define…features, requirements, structure, etc
4. Develop
5. Maintain
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10. Give a Shout Out to ROI: Hey Sales Team—it’s Measurable!!
Content Strategy is a Measurable Return on Investment
Content Strategists have the solutions and expertise to create content that:
• Fully supports the business objectives
• Engages the customer
• Increases conversion
• Is targeted, measurable, and inspires action
Is targeted, measurable, and inspires action
• Communicates the company’s brand promise and the value of doing business
with the company
We should not redesign a site without considering content: what it will be, what it
g g
looks like, who will create it, who will manage it, how often will it be updated? If we
only focus on the visuals and the layout, we’ve created a beautifully engaging candy
wrapper.
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11. Supply Your Leads with Reusable Slides.
Here’s Your Tools. Go Sell Some Work!
You won’t always be at the table, so create slides that your team can include in
presentations.
Some topics can include:
1. Advantages of a Content Strategy
Advantages of a Content Strategy
2. Content Strategy at a Glance
3. Responsibilities at a Glance
4. The Content Strategy Process
5. Who We Work With
Who We Work With
6. Our Methodology: Deliverables within each phase or a redesign
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12. Contact Information:
Stephanie Hale
p
stephanie.hale@rosetta.com
seh312@nyu.edu
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