the MYTH of the perfect
METHODOLOGY

hashtag:
#methmyth

hi
I’m corey
@mrvilhauer

Blend Interactive
Sioux Falls, SD

METHODOLOGY? “Formal documentation of a
set of processes.”

SCIENTIFIC METHOD ASK A QUESTION
Research a problem Form a Hypothesis Test the Hypothesis Communicate/Change

METHODOLOGIES
ALLOW FOR
REPLICATION

hooray web!

The LIst

METHODOLOGY ≠ A List of
tasks

In the beginning...

define the
damn thing

THESE ARE GUIDES
NOT METHODOLOGIES

“Content strategy is suf8iciently diverse
that nearly all content workers must specialize to some extent, and our methodologies tend to re8lect on that specialization.” -­‐Erin Kissane

It’s more
complicated
than that

We Think
we’re this

But really,
we’re this

Each
project
is different

Each
deliverable
is different

Each
client
is different

Each one of us is
different

WE’RE ALL
SNOWFLAKES

So.
Why bother?

CommunicatioN

MAKE IT OFFICIAL guidance Consistency
integrity

The Methodology for creating a
methodology

find a trail guide

Content Strategy Deliverables* What Are
You Trying to Achieve? Summary of company goals What Do You Own? Content inventory or audit Content assessment (quality and quantity) Whatʼs Missing? Content gap analysis Comparative content analysis Competitive analysis How Do You Present the Words? User personas User scenarios (think believable stories) Editorial strategy Core messaging strategy Content templates Sample content Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy Metadata strategy Brand strategy Style guide CREATE A MASTER LIST Glossary Where Does It Go? Copy deck Content conversion/migration strategy Content flow schematic Channel strategy

break
and
recreate

You are never
finished

“With iteration, instead of driving
an idea blindly into the world, hoping to get lucky, you tip-­‐toe, feeling as you go. And you are guided by the feedback you get. ... There are no beginnings or endings -­‐ just small steps forward.” -­‐Robin Sloan

steal like an artist

“...A result of 4-­‐5 years
of pilfering the Internet.” -­‐Jeffrey MacIntyre, Arc90

“This one’s mine. Let’s take
another.” -­‐Fugazi (kind of)

give a little dap, yo

With special
thanks to...

MAKE IT personal

“Experience is a brutal
teacher, but you learn. My God, do you learn.” -­‐C.S. Lewis

An Example:
Audiences and Outcomes

tl;dr

YOU CAN’T BREAK the RULES
IF YOU DON’T MAKE the RULES.

THE SOAPBOX

OUR WORK IS
PERSONAL

OUR WORK IS
fluid

“Strategy is a frontier
sport.” -­‐Melissa Rach, CS Forum 2011

OUR WORK is
worth sharing

"We have to be okay
with sharing what we know. Everyone gets credit for showing their work. There’s no reason to protect how we do things. Every client is different; every project presents new information to learn from." -­‐Nicole Jones

So.
Go forth and
METHODOLOGIZE

( thank you ) For
notes and resources, visit: eatingelephant.com/2012/05/confab2012

COREY VILHAUER @mrvilhauer www.eatingelephant.com www.blendinteractive.com
www.blackmarks.net