Presented at Blend Conference, Charlotte, NC, September 13, 2014. You're starting to incorporate content strategy into your organization, building up (or elbowing your way into) a process that shepherds content from concept to implementation. And yet: there are bottlenecks and broken tools, slowdowns and workarounds. Despite the big ideas and deliverables, the process of producing and publishing content is still awfully messy. Luckily, you've got the skills to improve it. The content strategy work you're already doing can help identify and untangle the knots in your team and workflow, and lead to a more sustainable content production process.

1. Polishing Your
Content Publishing
Process
Blend Conference
September 13, 2014
Lisa Maria Martin | @redsesame

2. Who likes coloring?

3. Process?

4. The Writing Process
h"p://phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1732

5. Famous Writers’ Sleep Habits
& Literary Productivity
h"p://www.brainpickings.org/wp-­‐content/uploads/2013/11/sleepproducBvitywriters_1500_1.jpg

6. The Daily Routines of
Famous Creative People
h"ps://podio.com/site/creaBve-­‐rouBnes

7. h"ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ_MEFVx5jM

8. Who *doesn’t* like coloring?

9. h"ps://twi"er.com/deathbearbrown/status/494649174928142336/photo/1

10. We want a
repeatable,
sustainable
process

11. because we want
repeatable,
sustainable
results.

12. h"ps://twi"er.com/lucidplot/Bmelines/491607028209811456

13. h"ps://twi"er.com/lucidplot/Bmelines/491607028209811456

14. h"ps://twi"er.com/lucidplot/Bmelines/491607028209811456

15. The Process™

16. If only publishing content
were this easy.

17. Content strategy was supposed
to make everything perfect.

18. Our workflow still
has challenges.

19. Slowdowns
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/magical-­‐world

20. Unexpected gaps
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/leecraven/4667899925

21. Workarounds

22. Broken tools
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/kryshen/3860353364

23. h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/vivekjena/2992102316
Crayons, man.

24. Spend time on content,
not firefighting.

25. h"ps://twi"er.com/lucidplot/Bmelines/491607028209811456

26. Use your skills.

27. You’re already thinking about:
Pro d u ct i o n
Communication
goals

28. You’re already thinking about:
User needs
Author

29. You’re already thinking about:
Inventories &
audits Proce ss

30. You’re already thinking about:
Writing & editing
Tools &
channels

31. You’re already thinking about:
Sustainable
pages
workflo ws

32. Strategist,
strategize
thyself.
h"p://explodingdog.com/Btle/whywhatshouldibedoing.html

33. The Process™

34. Real talk o’clock
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/68397968@N07/14118666380

35. The (Actual)
Process™

36. The (Actual)
Process™

37. The (Actual)
Process™

38. The (Actual)
Process™

39. The (Actual)
Process™

40. Map
your
reality.
h"ps://medium.com/i-­‐love-­‐charts/a-­‐map-­‐of-­‐the-­‐introverts-­‐heart-­‐4db2d8c9cf48

41. Pay attention to:
• Roles &
responsibilities
• People
• Timing
• Tools
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/calsidyrose/4925267732

42. Make it visible:
• Write it.
• Draw it.
• Share it.
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/7886707854

44. What do we
learn?

45. Is there a disconnect?

46. Is your team out of order?

47. Are your resources scarce?

48. Are you using the wrong tools?

49. Blame the CMS!

50. Don’t
Blame the CMS!

51. Now what?

52. h"ps://twi"er.com/lucidplot/Bmelines/491607028209811456

53. Mind the gaps.
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/bvi4092/14253264351

54. Advocate for a better process.
• Approach
• People
• Resources
• Tools
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/48685334@N00/4564784920

55. Iterate and change.
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/8658017263

56. Be patient.
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/amagill/7798874692

57. Fix your process
now.

58. Do better work
later.

59. Enjoy coloring.

60. Thank you.
Lisa Maria Martin | @redsesame