A content strategist plays an important role in managing content through the entire lifecycle from planning to publishing. They establish processes and standards to ensure content is useful, usable, and consistently delivered. An effective editorial process involves strategic planning, content creation, design, and distribution with ongoing maintenance. Content strategy is about developing repeatable workflows to manage content as a process rather than a single product.

1. Why Workflows Rock
And How Content Strategists Roll
University of Washington’s iSchool
INFO 498 | February 27, 2012
Vanessa Casavant (@vancasavant)

2. What role does a content strategist play?
―Useful, usable content is a
process, not a product. It needs
people who are responsible for
ongoing, editorial oversight. Set
standards to inform changes and
inspire growth.‖
– From Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina
Halvorson

3. Why role does a content strategist play?
―Useful, usable content is a
process, not a product. It needs
people who are responsible for
ongoing, editorial oversight. Set
standards to inform changesand
inspire growth.‖
– From Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina
Halvorson

5. What is content strategy?
―Content strategy is the development of a repeatable process that
manages content throughout the entire content lifecycle. That
means from planning to creation to management to publishing to post-
publishing activities, and back through the next iteration of planning.‖
– Rahel Anne Bailie, Principal of Intentional Design, Inc.

6. Well, it’s not as easy as it sounds
"A brand is a living entity — and it is enriched or undermined
cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures." —
Michael Eisner, CEO Disney

7. Why is content political?

8. Useful, usable content is a process
How does the editorial process work in a newsroom?

9. Useful, usable content is a process
How does the editorial process work in a newsroom?
EDITORIAL
PROCESS
PUBLISHER
&
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
MANAGING EDITORS
&
ART DIRECTORS
DESK EDITORS
&
COPY EDITORS.
REPORTERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS,
FACT CHECKERS, LIBRARIANS, RESEARCHERS

10. Content strategy is change management

11. Content strategy is change management
• Direct the rational rider
• Motivate the emotional elephant
• Shape the path
– From Switch: How to Change Things When
Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath

12. Shape the path, direct the way
Develop an editorial process for each piece of content
1. Strategic Planning
Phase (creative brief)
2. Creation and
Composition
3. Design and Production
4. Distribution and
Maintenance

16. Strategic Planning Phase
Prior to Creation and Composition

17. Strategic Planning Phase
Prior to Creation and Composition

18. Strategic Planning Phase
Prior to Creation and Composition

19. Strategic Planning Phase
Prior to Creation and Composition

20. Strategic Planning Phase
Prior to Creation and Composition

21. Strategic Planning Phase
Prior to Creation and Composition

22. Strategic Planning Phase
Prior to Creation and Composition

23. Strategic Planning Phase
Prior to Creation and Composition

24. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Creation and Composition

25. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Creation and Composition

26. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Creation and Composition

27. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Creation and Composition

28. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Creation and Composition

29. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Creation and Composition

30. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Design and Production

31. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Design and Production

32. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Design and Production

33. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Design and Production

34. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Distribution and Maintenance

35. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Distribution and Maintenance

36. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Distribution and Maintenance

37. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Distribution and Maintenance

38. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Distribution and Maintenance

39. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Distribution and Maintenance

40. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Distribution and Maintenance

41. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Distribution and Maintenance

42. New Info Pages and Sections (website)
Distribution and Maintenance

49. Content Strategy
It’s all about the process.
Any questions?