You’ve seen it before: people who amass tomato sauce because it’s on sale. They bring home jars and jars and jars of the stuff, even though they don’t necessarily have room in the pantry–or family members who even like a lot of sauce on their pasta. In fact, we soon hear, some family members are allergic to it, and others don’t really even like the brand that keeps coming home. Hoarding transcends the pantry. Ever go shopping and bring home another pair of shoes because the price was right–never mind that they don’t fit perfectly, match the rest of your wardrobe, or fill an unmet need? It happens… from the pantry, to the closet, to the blog. Are you hoarding content? Do you post information that may not even appeal to your audience, possibly in formats they don’t like? How do you know when you have enough, or how much budget you should aggregate to aggregating, re-purposing, curating, and creating different content types? Content strategist Margot Bloomstein will lead a discussion on how content strategy can help stop the insanity with a message architecture, content audit, and editorial calendar. It won’t help the tomato sauce problem, but it may just save your blog. Presented at WordCamp Boston #wcbos, July 24, 2011.

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NEXT TIME ON HOARDERS:
BLOGGERS WITHOUT
CONTENT STRATEGY
Margot Bloomstein
WordCamp July 24, 2011
@mbloomstein | #wcbos

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Just because you can,
doesn’t mean you should.

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You may have a problem if your stuff
gets in the way of your life.

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You do have a problem if your content
gets in the way of communication.

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Hoarding has key characteristics:
• Acquisition of and failure to discard
useless things or things of limited value
• Spaces so cluttered they prevent use
• Reluctance to return borrowed items,
sometimes leading to stealing
Frost and Hartl, 1996.

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Don’t let this happen.

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Content strategy can help.

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Content strategy can help.
Planning for the creation, aggregation,
governance, and expiration of content
that is useful, usable, and appropriate to
the experience.

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First things first.

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First things first.
What do you need to communicate?

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First things first.
Why even do this…

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First things first.
Why even do this…redesign this website,

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First things first.
Why even do this…redesign this website,
let the CEO start blogging,

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© 2011
First things first.
Why even do this…redesign this website,
let the CEO start blogging, audit the
content,

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© 2011
First things first.
Why even do this…redesign this website,
let the CEO start blogging, audit the
content, start engaging on Twitter,

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First things first.
Why even do this…redesign this website,
let the CEO start blogging, audit the
content, start engaging on Twitter,
consolidate the current site architecture,

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First things first.
Why even do this…redesign this website,
let the CEO start blogging, audit the
content, start engaging on Twitter,
consolidate the current site architecture,
add video testimonials,

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First things first.
Why even do this…redesign this website,
let the CEO start blogging, audit the
content, start engaging on Twitter,
consolidate the current site architecture,
add video testimonials, incorporate user
reviews,

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© 2011
First things first.
Why even do this…redesign this website,
let the CEO start blogging, audit the
content, start engaging on Twitter,
consolidate the current site architecture,
add video testimonials, incorporate user
reviews, develop new brand guidelines…

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First things first.
Why even do this…redesign this website,
let the CEO start blogging, audit the
content, start engaging on Twitter,
consolidate the current site architecture,
add video testimonials, incorporate user
reviews, develop new brand guidelines…
if you don’t know what you need to
communicate?

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If you don’t know why,
or what you need to communicate,
how will you know if you succeed?

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Content strategy includes
• Message architecture
• Content audit
• Content model
• Editorial calendar
• Editorial style guidelines
• Governance guidelines

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Today includes
• Message architecture
• Content audit
• Content model
• Editorial calendar
• Editorial style guidelines
• Governance guidelines

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What’s a message architecture?
A hierarchy of communication goals that
reflect a common vocabulary.
The qualities you want to convey,
not the points you need to make.

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Trust me,
I’m very
funny.

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vs.

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I am
hilarious!

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What’s a message architecture?
A hierarchy of communication goals that
reflect a common vocabulary.

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What’s a message architecture?
Concrete, shared terminology,
not abstract concepts.

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Make us look
innovative,
but not risky.

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We’re smart,
but savvy…
that’s not us.

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It should say
traditional,
but edgy.

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More
like
Apple.

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What does
a black mock
turtleneck
sound like
anyway?

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Words are valuable,
but meaningless without
context and priority.

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Cardsorting:
• Engage in a tangible, hands-on way
• Encourage debate and conversation
• Identify points of disagreement
• Prevent seagulling
• Force prioritization
• Encourage ownership & investment

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Cardsorting:
Step one:
• Who we are
• Who we’re not
• Who we’d like to be

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Cardsorting:
Step two:
• Who we are  Who we’d like to be

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Cardsorting:
Step three:
• Prioritize the goals
• Tell the story of those aspirations

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Why do this?
• Measure your content
• Assign budget
• Prioritize effort
• Add new features
• Say “no”

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Here’s an example…
Cheeky
• Witty and fun
• Young without being childish
Customer oriented and responsive
• Approachable, friendly
• Championing and empowering
Helpful
• Accessible

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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

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Today includes
• Message architecture
• Content audit
• Content model
• Editorial calendar
• Editorial style guidelines
• Governance guidelines

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What’s a content audit?
A qualitative and quantitative inventory
of all the content in an experience

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Vision

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What do we have?

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Is it still good?

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Do we even need it?

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How will we get more?

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Do folks even like it?

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Conduct a content audit
• Conduct a head count
• Check parity of length and structure
• Evaluate quality—is it good?—against
the message architecture

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Should it stay or should it go?
• Appropriate
• Current
• Relevant

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Should it stay or should it go?
• Redundant
• Outdated
• Trivial

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Hello, gap analysis!
• Where will we get more?
• Who will create, edit, contribute it?
• At what frequency will this happen?

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On your own time…
• Message architecture
• Content audit
• Content model
• Editorial calendar
• Editorial style guidelines
• Governance guidelines

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More?
• #contentstrategy
• Content Strategy for the Web
• The Elements of Content Strategy
• CS Forum this September
• Content Strategy at SXSW

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Thank you!
Margot Bloomstein (@mbloomstein)
margot@appropriateinc.com
slideshare.net/mbloomstein
Feedback? http://spkr8.com/t/8039
Books image http://www.flickr.com/photos/tansengming/2728694064.
Turkey: www.flickr.com/photos/constructiondeal_marketing/4101803690.
Hoarding image © AETV.