More Related Content Similar to Secrets of Brand-Driven Content Strategy workshop (20) More from Margot Bloomstein (20) Secrets of Brand-Driven Content Strategy workshop1. @mbloomstein | #IAS13 1
© 2013© 2011
The secrets of brand-driven
CONTENT STRATEGY
Margot Bloomstein
IA Summit April 2013
@mbloomstein
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Unless you understand what people are
trying to do with your content you cannot
know if it’s working or not.”
Gerry McGovern
“
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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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Steps along the way…
Message architecture
Content audit/inventory
Prescriptive content matrix
Content model
Editorial style guidelines
Metadata guidelines
Governance guidelines
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Steps along the way…
Message architecture
Content audit/inventory
Prescriptive content matrix
Content model
Editorial style guidelines
Metadata guidelines
Governance guidelines
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Because we all want the same thing,
but content keeps getting in the way.
(CC) http://www.flickr.com/photos/slworking
Content requires time
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Sustainable content is content you can
create—and maintain—without going
broke, without lowering quality in ways
that make the content suck, and without
working employees into nervous
breakdowns.
Erin Kissane,
The Elements of Content Strategy
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to change, empower, support,
advocate, teach, simplify,
consolidate, remind, inform…
You cannot act in passive voice
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to change, empower, support,
advocate, teach, simplify,
consolidate, remind, inform…
Content demands an owner
& ownership.
You cannot act in passive voice
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First things first.
Why even…redesign the website, let the
CEO start blogging, audit the content,
start engaging on Twitter, consolidate the
site architecture, add video testimonials,
incorporate user reviews, develop new
brand guidelines… if you don’t know
what you need to communicate?
20. If you don’t know what
you need to communicate,
how will you know if you
succeed?
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What’s a message architecture?
A hierarchy of communication goals
that reflects a common vocabulary.
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A little thing with big impact.
How could we prove this is a car not like
anything else out there? It’s a small car,
but it’s premium. You get a Porsche 911
ride for a fifth of the cost. It’s got history…
but in Europe.
You need to give people content to give
them history.”
“
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Message architecture
Premium technology
• Assertive; ready to perform as a driver’s car
• Proactive and supportive of spontaneity
Classic design
• Experienced and savvy
Cheekiness
• Smart,“punny,” hip
• Fun, gleeful
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If these emails are boring you
and you don’t mind missing out
on all the lip-smackin’ stuff
we’ll be sending in the future,
simply send a message to owner-
unsubscribe@insiders.miniusa.com
and include “Unsubscribe” and
your favorite fruit in the
subject field.
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Nomenclature
Calls to action
Instructional content
Sentence structure
Diction
…in content
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Photographic angles
Dark backgrounds
Bold headlines
Thick stroke weights
…and in design
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What’s a message architecture?
A hierarchy of communication goals
that reflects a common vocabulary.
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What’s a message architecture?
Concrete, shared terminology,
not abstract concepts.
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Words are valuable,
but meaningless without
context and priority.
(In a few minutes, we’ll
give them context.)
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Why do this?
Let creative colleagues refine the concept,
rather than confirm the purpose.
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How?
• 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
• Groups of ~5
• Pick 2 people to represent the brand
• Everyone else: put on your content
strategy hats!
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Group 1: You’re a nonprofit eldercare provider
in Florida. To attract a broader range of
volunteers and donors, you want to change how
people view senior living in the 21st century.
Group 2: You’re an excellent Midwestern
university known and valued locally—but you
want to grow in relevance and attract more
applicants , faculty, and funding from around
the country and world.
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Cardsorting
Step one:
• Who we are
• Who we’re not
• Who we’d like to be
Go with your gut for about 20 minutes.
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Group 1: You’re a nonprofit eldercare provider
in Florida. To attract a broader range of
volunteers and donors, you want to change how
people view senior living in the 21st century.
Group 2: You’re an excellent Midwestern
university known and valued locally—but you
want to grow in relevance and attract more
applicants , faculty, and funding from around
the country and world.
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Cardsorting
Step two:
• Who we are Who we’d like to be
Think aspirational.
What needs to change?
~15 minutes
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Group 1: You’re a nonprofit eldercare provider
in Florida. To attract a broader range of
volunteers and donors, you want to change how
people view senior living in the 21st century.
Group 2: You’re an excellent Midwestern
university known and valued locally—but you
want to grow in relevance and attract more
applicants , faculty, and funding from around
the country and world.
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Cardsorting
Step three:
• Form groups: what goes together?
• Prioritize the goals or groups
• Tell the story of those aspirations
~15 minutes
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Why do this?
Gain standards by which to conduct
a qualitative audit.
(What is “good” anyway?)
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Why do this?
Promote new content types to manifest
the message architecture—not just
because they’re trendy or feasible.
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So where to from here?
Content audit: measure quality against
the aspirational attributes in the message
architecture.
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So where to from here?
New content types: prioritize features
against the new communication goals.
Experience? Portfolio.
Trust and responsiveness? Testimonials.
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The organization
Established and premiere
• Founded in 1896
• International reputation for depth in several areas
• Not really a “destination” for tourists—but definitely for
academics and researchers
Trusted
• Known for research among competitors, but not local audience
• Target audience is loyal, but places greater appreciation in its
tradition and history than modern updates
Kid-friendly
• Seen as ideal for family visits, school field trips, but relatively
unknown for adult applicability within the local target audience
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Message architecture
Engaged and curious
• Creating knowledge by supporting rigorous scientific research
and disseminating information
• Driving the public discussion to promote stewardship
• Comprehensive in questions, open-minded in answers
Welcoming
• Accessible“for ages 5 – 95”
• Relevant, tailored
Applicable and relevant
• Practical; engaged & empathizing with the community
• Immediate, cutting-edge, and “in touch”
Innovative
• Ends > means in research, development, and engagement
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Audit to understand what you
have and what you need.
Don’t just do it for fun.
Before you can start, you need
to know why.
What are you trying to learn?
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Every tab tracks the same data
Quantitative:
• Head count: what do we have?
• Is it consistent?
• Are similar content types
consistent in size and structure?
• Is there parity of length, level of
detail, and tone?
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Every tab tracks the same data
Qualitative: is it any good?
• ROT analysis: redundant, outdated, trivial
• Current, relevant, and appropriate
to the message architecture
• Does it serve the communication goals?
• Does it speak to the target audience?
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Each piece of content gets a row
Set up dropdowns to constrain data
• Data Data validation List Sources
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Message architecture
Passionate about strategic discovery
• Creative, spirited, inspired
• Visionary, innovative thought leader and industry leader
• Flexible
Tactical and hands-on
• In the trenches, in touch
• Detail-oriented and methodical
Pioneering
• Groundbreaking, trend-setting
• Modern and savvy
People-focused and market-driven
• Trusted by medical professionals, researchers, and media
• Industry news source
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What will you learn?
• What do we have?
• What are the patterns, elements, & types?
• Is it any good?
• Do people even like it? (Check analytics!)
• What do we need to update?
• What do we need to translate?
• Where do we need more?
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Where can you go?
• Prescribe new content types
• Advocate for more frequent content updates
• Promote a new editorial calendar
• Reallocate budget across social media channels
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Steps along the way…
Message architecture
Content audit/inventory
Prescriptive content matrix
Content model
Editorial style guidelines
Metadata guidelines
Governance guidelines
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Steps along the way…
Message architecture
Content audit/inventory
Prescriptive content matrix
Content model
Editorial style guidelines
Metadata guidelines
Governance guidelines
Gap analysis
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Steps along the way…
Message architecture
Content audit/inventory
Prescriptive content matrix
Content model
Editorial style guidelines
Metadata guidelines
Governance guidelines
Gap analysis
How
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Steps along the way…
Message architecture
Content audit/inventory
Prescriptive content matrix
Content model
Editorial style guidelines
Metadata guidelines
Governance guidelines
Gap analysis
How
By whom & when
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But first things first:
What are you trying to
communicate?
What content do you have and
what do you need to do that?
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Thank you!
Margot Bloomstein
@mbloomstein
margot@appropriateinc.com
slideshare.net/mbloomstein
amzn.to/CSatWork
Title image: http://flickr.com/KandyJaxx
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used under a Creative Commons license, or copyright as noted.