More Related Content Similar to Faster, easier, better, GIMME! Use content strategy to your advantage (20) More from Margot Bloomstein (20) Faster, easier, better, GIMME! Use content strategy to your advantage1. 1
Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Faster! Easier! Better!
GIMME!
Use content strategy
to your advantage
Margot Bloomstein
@mbloomstein #W2E
September 29, 2010
6. 6
Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Use content strategy
to get what you want.
Designers
Information architects
Interaction designers
Project managers
SEO/SEM specialists
Social media consultants
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Deliver
on time
Stay in budget
Give users
what they need
Please our clients
(and ourselves)
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Deliver
on time
Stay in budget
Give users
what they need
Please our clients
(and ourselves)
Minimize revisions
Rally everyone
around a vision
Build a cohesive
experience
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
What is content strategy?
Planning for the creation,
aggregation, delivery, and
governance of useful,
usable, and appropriate
content in an experience.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Designers…
How do you visualize
abstract concepts
without concrete terms?
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Designers…
How do you visualize
abstract concepts
without concrete terms?
Make us look hip!
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Designers…
How do you visualize
abstract concepts
without concrete terms?
We’re traditional,
but not conservative.
Make us look hip!
18. 18
Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Designers…
How do you visualize
abstract concepts
without concrete terms?
We’re traditional,
but not conservative.
Make us look hip!
More
19. 19
Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Designers…
How do you visualize
abstract concepts
without concrete terms?
We’re traditional,
but not conservative.
Make us look hip!
More like
20. 20
Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Designers…
How do you visualize
abstract concepts
without concrete terms?
We’re traditional,
but not conservative.
Make us look hip!
More like Apple
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Confident but approachable;
an accessible market leader
Simple
Minimal detail with clean,
streamlined, unfussy ID
Inviting, friendly, supportive
but not fawning
More like Apple’s “message architecture”
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Content strategy
can help you
communicate—
in less time, money,
and stress.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Question:
How do you visualize
abstract concepts
without concrete terms?
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Answer:
Use a message architecture:
prioritized brand attributes
that stem from a shared
vocabulary.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Result?
Invest in content strategy
now to preserve time and
budget for design later.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Fewer rounds of creative
revision easily pay for
content strategy-driven
concepting… especially if
your client uses words to
communicate.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Content strategy
helps you sell your clients
on predictability.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Predictability helps them
• Plan for photo shoots
• Anticipate content types
• Gather testimonials
• Write to exact specs for
keywords & character
counts
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Predictability helps you
• Design for specific content
types and character counts
• Anticipate UGC structure
• Create more interesting
templates
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Design supports content
types and lengths!
Layout offers context!
Templates accommodate—
not fight—user-generated
content!
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Content and design that
share a message architecture
drive a more cohesive and
consistent user experience.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
IAs & PMs…
How do you plan for the
future if you don’t know
what you currently have—
or what you need?
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Vision
© http://www.flickr.com/photos/constructiondeal_marketing/4101803690/
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Strategy? Tactics?
© http://www.flickr.com/photos/constructiondeal_marketing/4101803690/
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
And how do you budget by
page count if you don’t know
how many pages you need to
express the main points,
capture a user’s profile, or
complete interactions?
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
• Conduct a head count
• Check parity of length and
consistency in structure
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
• Conduct a head count
• Check parity of length and
consistency in structure
• Evaluate quality against
the message architecture
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Result?
Content strategy drives
more comprehensive
sitemaps, wireframes, and
gap analysis.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Result?
Content strategy informs
brand-appropriate calls to
action & site-wide
nomenclature.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Result part 2: opportunity
• ID new content types
• prep the client for them
• upsell case studies
• gather testimonials
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Budget?
Sell your client on not
wasting their money.
They invested in a new look
because they needed to say
something new, right?
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
But wait!
They already have
writers in the marketing
department!
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Writing is only one tactical
part of content strategy.
It doesn’t ask strategic
questions.
Internal resources lack an
outside perspective.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Search engine marketers…
How do you write meta
and ad copy when the copy
for fulfillment pages keeps
changing?
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Content strategy
can help search engine
marketing “hook” users more
quickly to deliver higher
conversions.
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
• Map ad copy to the
message architecture
• Translate meta content
for tone, not just keywords
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Social media consultants…
How do you get your client
to stop talking about
themselves and genuinely
engage?
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Good conversation demands
good content strategy.
(Hi, inbound marketing?)
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
message architecture
editorial style guidelines
editorial calendar
a consistent multichannel
presence
+
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
From: Little MOO | Print Robot <noreply@moo.com>
Subject: MOO | Order 0629312615 | Confirmed
Hello
I'm Little MOO - the bit of software that will be managing your order with
moo.com. It will shortly be sent to Big MOO, our print machine who will
print it for you in the next few days. I'll let you know when it's done and
on its way to you.
Remember, I'm just a bit of software. So, if you have any questions
regarding your order please first read our Frequently Asked Questions or
contact customer services (who are real people!)
Thanks,
Little MOO, Print Robot
87. 87
Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Result?
• Prepare for seasonal
themes
• Instill a workflow in
organizational culture
• Maintain fresh, search
engine-friendly content
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
• More air-tight solutions
• Save time, budget, and
energy on iteration
• Cohesive, consistent UX
• Higher conversions
What do you get out of this?
90. 90
Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
No peanut butter,
just happiness.
(For you, users, & clients)
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Appropriate, Inc. © 2010 #W2E @mbloomstein
Thank you!
Margot Bloomstein
@mbloomstein
margot@appropriateinc.com
www.slideshare.net/mbloomstein
Twitter: #contentstrategy
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