The document discusses strategies for developing an effective online content strategy for rural health organizations. It defines content strategy and discusses identifying target audiences through personas. It also covers analyzing existing content, identifying gaps, and distributing content through various online channels. The goal is to provide useful, up-to-date health information to rural users through an organized content strategy.

1. Kristine SandeAubrey MadlerAlex McEllistrem-EvensonNRHA Annual ConferenceMay 21, 2010Online Content Strategy for Rural Health Organizations

2. Rural Assistance CenterWeb-Based Services http://www.raconline.orgElectronic Updates Subscribe on the websiteCustomized Assistance Phone: 1.800.270.1898 E-mail: info@raconline.orgAll services are free!

3. Online Content Strategy forRural Health Organizations:Understanding Your Audience, Your Message,and How They Connect1) What is Content Strategy?2) Audiences and Personas3) Content You Have, Content You Should Have, and How to Get It4) Getting it Out There

4. Where are Rural Internet Users Now?70% of rural adults use internet (74% for all groups)47% of rural adults have home broadband (60% for all groups)45% of rural adults have accessed the internet wirelessly through a laptop or handheld deviceSource: Internet, Broadband, and Cell Phone Statistics, Pew Internet & American Life Project, January 2010 http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Internet-broadband-and-cell-phone-statistics.aspxPhoto from http://www.mckane.com/blog/2008/10/16/rural-sourcing/

5. What are Rural Users Doing Online?75-80% of Internet users search for health-related informationSource: PEW Internet & American Life Project. (2006, September.) Survey of online activities.http://www.pewinternet.org/Trend-Data/Online-Activites-Total.aspxDifferences in online activities don’t differ by rural/urban, but by type of Internet Access.Source: Horrigan, J (2009). Home Broadband Adoption 2009. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/10-Home-BroadbandAdoption2009.aspx.

6. What is Content Strategy?“Content strategy plans for the creation, publication, and governance ofuseful, usable content.”The Discipline of Content Strategy, A List Apart article by Kristine Halvorson, http://www.alistapart.com/articles/thedisciplineofcontentstrategy

7. Even more hats to wear….Source: Skillset.org

8. Who is Your Audience?Who are you targeting?

9. What are their goals related to your organization?

10. What do they want or need to know?

11. How do they access information?What are Your Business Objectives?What are your goals in providing information to your audiences?What resources do you have or can you afford to develop?

12. Where Do Audiences and Objectives Intersect?Content Sweet Spot

13. The Content Lifecycle

14. Bad Content is Not an OptionCreate great content that meets audience needsUpdate that content over time, to keep it current and relevantRemove stale information

15. Resource AllocationRegardless of which channel you’re using, content requires tending to ensure that current, accurate and relevant information is provided.How will you accomplish this?

16. Planning for the Content LifecycleWho?What?How?When?

17. Identifying YourWeb Audience UsingPersonas

18. What is a Persona?Personas as Stand-Ins for Your Audiences“Fictional characters created to represent the different user types within a targeted demographic, attitude and/or behavior set that might use a site, brand or product in a similar way”-Wikipedia, 4/29/2010

19. Building Blocks of a PersonaDemographicsTop tasks or goalsMotivationsDesign ImplicationsKey attributes

20. Identifying Your Primary Audiences

21. Persona Template

22. Let's Make a Persona!

23. Content You Have, Content You Should Have, and How to Get ItWhat are the top tasks and goals of your key personas? How can your content help each of them achieve those goals?

24. Content You HaveA Content Inventory can help you identify and organize what you already have in place.Click through your website and record what you find in a spreadsheet.

25. Categorize your content not only by topic, but by type (use a controlled vocabulary) and access path (the ways in which users might view each page).http://www.adaptivepath.com/ideas/essays/archives/000040.phphttp://eomag.com/04.04/content_inventory.htmhttp://boxesandarrows.com/view/content-analysis

26. Making Sense of What You HaveExamine the results of your content inventory from the perspectives of your key personas to form an effective strategy.Does your current content satisfy their needs?

27. Is it accessible? Organized in a way that makes sense to each of your key personas?http://boxesandarrows.com/view/content-analysis

28. Filling In The GapsWhat content would help your users with what they need to do?Do you have the knowledge and resources necessary to create and maintain new content? If not, do other sources maintain this same content? Augment your own information with links to reliable, external content where necessary.

29. Tools to Help Stay on TrackThe Web Style Guide (Lynch, Horton) is an excellent resource which “teaches the fundamentals of interface design, information architecture, and usability without unnecessary complexity or jargon.” Much is available online at webstyleguide.comEditorial calendars ensure that your website content is current and accessible – what works well at one time may not work well tomorrow.

31. Getting It Out ThereWhere are your audiences? What do your key personas’ design implications and demographics tell you about how they use and access media?

32. Do You Recognize This?

33. Content In ContextInformation is used and interpreted differently depending on the way it is disseminated.How might each medium influence or shape your content?Your website Social media (Facebook, Twitter)Personal / corporate blogsMultimedia sites (YouTube, Flickr, Podcasting)

34. Effective Content Strategy Varieskludge: (n) an inelegant solution to a problem, usually composed in an improvisational manner from disparate and traditionally unaffiliated component parts. (via thereifixedit.com)