This Initial content strategy report includes a summary, and methodology to our findings. We conducted user research, did a message architecture exercise with key members of the organization, created a core strategy statement, analyzed the competition, conducted a content audit, and channel assessment. Initial recommendations provided. This is the first of two reports.

1. Rauner Family YMCA
Initial Content Strategy Report
Date: 2/16/2016
Submitted to: AnndreaMiller,JulietaRosado,Aileen Tormon
Prepared by:
DePaul University | MA in Writing,Rhetoric, and Discourse/ MA in New Media Studies
Antonio Guerrero,NicoleHack,Ekram Othman,
Kelsey Peters,KaylaWomack

2. Table of Contents
3 Summary
4 Introduction
5 Core strategy
6 Content audience
7 Review of current content
8 Review of competitors
9 Initial recommendations
10 Linksto supplemental materials
11 Appendix A: Personas
- Persona: Parent
- Persona: Prospective member
- Persona: Youth

3. Summary
Thisreport wasproduced in spring2016 aspart of theDigital Content Partnership through
DePaul University'sNMS510/WRD 525 WritingDigital Content course.It isthefirst of two
reports,and itsaim isto outlinekey audiencesfor Rauner Family YMCA and develop acore
strategy for buildingcontent for thesespecificusers.Included isan assessment of current content
practicesand initial recommendationsfor improvement.A second report will beadetailed
resourcefor organization-specificcontent initiatives.
Methodology
Therecommendationspresented herearebased on user research,messagingexercises,
competitor analysis,audiencedevelopment and review of current digital and print content and
channels.Learn moreabout our methodology in Introduction.
Key Findings
Our findingsshow that thereisaneed to build aRauner Family YMCA-specificblogand social
mediacontent that can help Rauner develop an onlineidentity.Doingso will help communicate
Rauner'smission of inclusion,empowerment and community collaboration.
Recommendations
Werecommend implementingthefollowing:
- Circulation of Rauner Family YMCA-specificphotos,eventsand articles
- Promotion of bilingual staff/services
- Engagement through social mediawith members,partners,community,etc.
Exploremorerecommendationsin Initial recommendations.
Course of Action
In our second report,wewill proposearecommended courseof action,focused on content
creation and structure,which might include:
- Editorial calendar(s),
- Channel and velocity plans,
- Content guidelines,
- Samplecontent,and/or
- Analyticsobjectives
Feedback from Rauner Family YMCA stakeholdersiskey to decidingwhich of theseelementswill
providethemost benefit toward fulfillingthegoalsof thebusinessand theconsumer.
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4. Introduction
Defining the scope of thisreport
Thepurposeof thisreport isto understand Rauner Family YMCA'scontent audiencesand
review thecontent that iscurrently beingproduced specifically by Rauner staff members.
Movingforward,thisdatawill help inform content creation specificto theRauner Family YMCA.
Explaining the methodology
- Weconducted user research with threemembersof theRauner Family YMCA on
February 1,2016.Thetestingincluded an interview (12 questions),afirst-click test (two
scenarios) and asemanticdifferential survey.Theresultsof thistesting can befound in
User Research.
- Weorganized acard sortingexercisewith employeesof theRauner Family YMCA to
determineamessage architecture.It involved theteam sortingwordsinto three
categories: "Who weare," "Who wewant to be" and "Who wearenot." Wethen focused
solely on the"Who wewant to be" words,and theteam discussed how to group words
together,why and in what priority order.Theresultswerethreecategories: "Think,"
"Feel," and "Act." To seethefull list of wordschosen,view Message architecture. This
exerciseassisted in developingthecore strategy statement.
- Weanalyzed competitorsand peersand created achart outliningtheir web and social
mediapractices.Pleaseseeresultsin Competitor analysis.
- Wedid afull content audit of all theRauner-produced onlinematerials,includingthe
blog/Newsand Eventsarticlesand Facebook posts.Wealso reviewed someprint
materials.SeeContent audit for details.
- Finally, wecompleted afull channel assessment,encapsulatingall theplatformsRauner
Family YMCA uses,to determineengagement: Rauner Family YMCA channel
assessment. For comparison,wealso created aMetro Chicago channel assessment.
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5. Core strategy
A corestrategy outlinesalong-term direction for all content initiatives.It includeselementsthat
speak to thepeopleand processesbehind creatingcontent.Simply put,acorestrategy
statement captureswhat theorganization wantsitsdigital content to do.
Strategy statement:
Digital content produced by Rauner Family YMCA:
- Servesasasourceof information for membersand non-membersto learn about the
facility,programming,membership and local initiatives.
- Followsconsistent editorial standardsand iswritten and organized in away that makesit
easy for sitevisitorsto find information they seek.
- Increasesawarenessof and engagement with theRauner Family YMCA.
- Issupported by acontent team trained to present information effectively and provided
theresourcesnecessary to sustain quality messaging.
Message architecture:
A messagearchitectureisacollection of wordsthat,together,convey your brand.Rauner Family
YMCA content producersshould usethisstatement to inform thetoneof day-to-day content
work:
Community driven,customer-oriented
Inclusiveand approachable
Empoweringand inspiring
Genuineand reliable
High-quality
When creatingcontent,theproducer should referencethismessagearchitectureand apply it's
valuesto thecontent.DoesthisX(article,video,image,etc.) convey inclusiveness? Doesthe
Rauner Family YMCA sound genuineand reliable?
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6. Content audiences
Summary of key audiencesfor Rauner Family YMCA
Based on conversationswith Metro Chicago YMCA and Rauner Family YMCA staff,parents,
youth and prospectivemembersarethekey audiencesRauner Family YMCA should focuson.
Theseaudiencesarelookingfor:
- Parent
- Safeand local after-school programsfor children
- Educational program opportunities,aswell asphysical/sportsactivities,for
both children and adults
- Affordableprogrammingoptions
- Prospective member
- A friendly,inexpensivegym to workout at in theneighborhood
- Variety in fitnessclassesand programs
- Information about schedules,membership and hours
- Youth
- A placeto go that isnearby
- Room to run and expend energy with friends
- Convenient program times
- A placethat doesn't feel intimidatingfor Spanish-speakingfamily members
- An easy registration process
For personasfor each of theseaudiences,pleaseseetheAppendix.
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7. - Website
- Primarily in English - not much content in Spanish
- Limited number of photosused,especially Rauner Family YMCA specific
- Word count approximately 200 wordsor lessper page
- Key content needsto berevised or retired - or added,in thecaseof the
EventsCalendar
- Blog
- Limited number of Rauner Family YMCA-specificpostsand photosused
- IncludesMetro Chicago YMCA content and initiatives
- Most postslack aclear path for visitorsto takenext
- Social mediabuttonsencourageengagement
- Postsexpireafter acertain period of time
- Facebook
- Mix between Rauner,Metro Chicago and national YMCA content
- Primarily in English - not much content in Spanish
- Limited number of Rauner Family YMCA specificphotosused
- Word count for Facebook postswaslessthan 16 wordsper post
- Multiplepostsper week,but littleengagement
- Very responsiveto messages
Review of current content
Although thescopeof Metro Chicago YMCA content iswidespread,thisreport analyzesRauner Family
YMCA-specificcontent channels: partsof thewebsite,theNewsand Eventsblogand aFacebook page.
7
117 pages
Weekly updates
Metro YMCA branding& nav
Rauner-specific content limited
Weekly updates
Mix of Metro & Rauner content
Inconsistent word count
No archives

8. Review of competitors
Wecompared theRauner Family YMCA to theLittleVillageBoysand GirlsClub,Harrison Park - Park
District and West Cook YMCA in Oak Park.Below aresomeexamplesof content elementsthat
Rauner Family YMCA may benefit from implementing:
8
- Boys& GirlsClub in Little Village
- Embracesthelocal Hispaniccultureand makesit part of theclub'sidentity in the
Our Story section of thehomepage.To appeal to moreprospectivemembersand potential
community partners,Rauner Family YMCA should producecontent that speaksto the
diversity of theneighborhood.
- Harrison Park - Park District
- Harrison Park isunder theumbrellaof theChicago Park District websitemuch in the same
way that Rauner Family YMCA iswithin theMetro Chicago YMCA.However,thePark
District'snavigation isset up moreclearly to differentiateHarrison Park-specificcontent
from all Park District content.
- They haveaclear and concisecalendar of programsbeingoffered.It would beniceto see
Rauner Family YMCA implement an easy to usecalendar of classes/programs.
- West Cook YMCA in Oak Park
- West Cook YMCA hasclear,organized program descriptionsthat Rauner Family YMCA
might want to mirror.
- ThisYMCA postsamonthly CEO message detailingsoon-to-comeattractionsand
programs.Thecontent hereisaimed at their current members,but it can also incentivize
potential members.

9. - Home Page
- Localize slideshow: Swap out provided imageswith imagestaken at Rauner Family YMCA.
- Se hablaespañol: Makeit clear that thefacility staff speaksSpanish.If aviewer can't read
thesite,he/shewill know they can comeinto thefacility and haveany questionsanswered.
- Populate calendar: Createaone-stop shop for visitorslookingfor Rauner Family YMCA
event details.
- Speak to your audience: Useheadersand calls-to-action written in theaudience'svoice.
- Blog
- Write and rewrite content: Usethisasaplatform to tell Rauner Family YMCA'sstory.Too
much Metro Chicago YMCA content makesit look generic- localizeit with images,
descriptionsof related programmingor calls-to-action that areall specificto Rauner
Family.Local content should outweigh regional or national content.
- Name it: Isit ablog,News& Eventsor What'sHappening?Pick anameand stick with it.
- Facebook
- Post for Rauner Family YMCA'saudiencesspecifically: Embracetheculturally traditional
community,and producemessagesthey can relateto.
- Gain awareness: Engagewith community,partners,members,etc.Get thenameout there.
- Alwaysinclude acall-to-action: Givereadersan opportunity to takefurther action.
Initial recommendations
Key recommendationsfor creating, publishing and
managing Rauner Family YMCA content:
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The bottom line
To takeaction on theseitems,Rauner Family YMCA will need to addressinternal resources,
workflow and governance.Wecan discussthat morein thesecond report.
Course of action
Wewant to help theRauner team achievesuccess.With your feedback,wecan createtoolsto
help addresscontent substance,channel performance,long-term content planning,
measuringfor success,allocatingresourcesand more.

10. Linksto supplemental
materials
User research
Theusability testingexamined thewebsiteviathreecomponents: efficiency,comprehensibility
and satisfaction.In thefirst usability test,threeparticipantsfrom theRauner Family YMCA
weregiven two tasksto perform usingthecenter'swebsite.In thesecond usability test,
participantswereasked to expresstheir viewsregardingthewebsitewith oppositetermsand to
placethetermson ascale.Theuser research wefound suggeststhat therewassomedifficulty
in certain tasks,and thosetasksthat wereableto becompleted took many clicksto get to. One
participant could not completethetask,and wethereforeadvisecreatingamoreuser-friendly,
easily navigablewebsite.
Channel assessment
Thechannel assessment providesan overview of content platformsutilized by theRauner
Family YMCA,aswell asacomprehensiveanalysisof Metro Chicago YMCA content.For the
purposeof thisreport,thetwo havebeen analyzed individually.Content included in thechannel
assessment closely relatesto theReview of Current Content,aswell astheContent Audit.
Content audit
Thecontent audit isaspreadsheet listingthetypesof content Rauner Family YMCA produces
and givesfeedback on whether thiscontent should bereviewed,edited,deleted or kept.It also
providesinformation on broken links.
Competitor analysis
Thecompetitor analysisgivesan overview of what your competitorsareproducingin termsof
digital content.Somecontent elements,such asWest Cook YMCA'sprogram descriptions,Boys
and GirlsClub'sstory,and Harrison Park - Park District'sinformation architecturework well for
that organization and may besomethingfor Rauner Family YMCA to consider implementingto
better servetheir membersand prospectivemembers.
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11. Celia Hernandez
"I live a busy life - balancing a full-time
job and mom dutiestakesa lot of time
and effort. I want my children to be
engaged in meaningful out-of-school
programswhen I am not with them, and
I want to be able to find it easily."
Age: 36
Work: Nurse
Family: Married, 2 kids
Location: Chicago, IL (Little Village)
Bio
A life-longresident of LittleVillage,Celiaisamarried
mother of two youngboys.WorkingasanurseleavesCelia
with limited timeto plan or coordinateactivitiesfor her
sons.Sheoften findsherself worryingabout thewell-being
of her family,and would liketo find aconvenient location for
her boysto play and learn.Celiawould liketo bemoreactive
herself- an ideal organization would offer programming
opportunitiesfor her aswell.
Goals
- Find safe, affordable, and convenient out-of-school
programming for her two children
- Find engaging programs that will help them develop into
mature young adults
- Become an active participant/advocate for the programs her
children attend
Looking For
- Safe/nearby after-school programs
for children ages 7-10
- Educational program
opportunities, as well as
physical/sports activities
- Some programming specifically for
parents
Frustrations
- Programs with unaffordable or inconvenient schedules
- Neighborhood dynamics which affect her family's safety
- No convenient way to browse local kids' programs
Favorite Local Spots
- Douglas Park
- La Catedral Cafe & Restaurant
- Manuel Perez Memorial Plaza
Appendix A (Persona: Parent)
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12. Appendix A (Persona: Prospective member)
12
JessWolff
LookingFor
- Treadmillsand other indoor
cardio options
- Indoor sportsand fitnessclass
opportunities
- Friendly atmosphere
Favorite Local Spots
- Belli's
- Comet Vintage
- Jumping Bean Cafe
Goals
- Needsareasonably priced gym to keep up with her
fitnessregimen.
- Trainingfor the marathon and needsaplace to
workout
- Would like the opportunity to play sportsin addition to
havingaplace to run and lift weights
- Isinterested in agym with awelcoming,energetic
atmosphere
Frustrations
- Hasn't been able to find many gym optionsnear her
new apartment
- The gymsin the neighborhood are for seriousgym
regulars
- Enjoysrunningby the lake,but Chicago'swintersare
too cold for runningoutdoorsregularly
Age: 27
Work: Graduate Student
Family: Single
Location: Chicago,IL (Pilsen)
Bio
Jessrecently quit her full-time job asagraphic designer to
pursue amaster'sdegree in screen writing.In addition to
writingand design,Jessenjoysstayingfit,exploringthe
neighborhood and iscurrently trainingfor her third
marathon.She'slived in Pilsen for three years,ison a
student budget and islookingfor inexpensive optionsto
workout indoors.
"I just startedgraduateschool,so
I'monastudent'sbudget but
want aneasywaytostayactive
andinshape."

13. Bio
Omar hasalot of energy,and lovesmakingnew friends.
He wantsto play soccer because he dreamsof joiningthe
Chicago Fire one day. He hopeshismom will find him a
great place to play soccer so he can work towardsrealizing
hisdream.
Goals
- Wantsto have fun,make new friendsandplay sports
- Mom wantshim to let off some energy in asafe place
- Learn to be the best soccer player ever
- He dreamsof playingfor the Chicago Fire
Omar Ramirez
"I want aplacetorunaroundand
havefun.Momwantsmetomeet
friendsandreleaseenergy."
Age: 8
Work: Grade School
Family: Mom,Dad,and Grandma
Location: Chicago,IL (Little Village)
Frustrations
- The program timing has to be convenient. Don't make them
choose between activities, homework time and rest.
- Wants to know about opportunities and programs early on.
Visit his school and explain what's available.
- Make sure there are bilingual programs for him and his family.
Appendix A (Persona: Youth)
Favorite Team Ever!
Chicago Fire
LookingFor
- Soccer fields
- Bilingual teachers/coaches
- Good timingfor activities
- Fun
Favorite Local Spots
- Little Village Arch
- All the restaurants!
- National Museum of Mexican
Art
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