Managing Content Projects with Success and Panache by Ahava Leibtag (Now What? Conference 2015)

Managing  Content  Projects  with  Success  and  Panache  

Now  What?  Conference  2015  Ahava  Leibtag,  President  

Aha  Media  Group  

April  30,  2015  

@ahavaL    #NowWhat15  

•  122.4  miles  •  13  rest  stops  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Content  is  like  a  rest  stop.  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

DEFINE  YOUR  TERMS.  

What  is  content?  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Content Formats •  WriRen  arScles  •  Podcasts  •  Video  •  Photographs  •  Infographics  •  Slide  Shows  •  Whitepapers  •  Polls/Survey  data  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

vs. (don’t get confused)

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Content Delivery Tools •  Websites •  Blogs •  Newsletters •  iTunes •  YouTube •  Facebook •  Twitter •  Slideshare

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

TODAY:  Set  up  for  Success  

1.  Treat  content  like  a  product  2.  People  3.  Process  4.  Technology  5.  Checklist  when  things  go  wrong  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

#1  Treat  content  like  a  product  

BRAINSTORM  

WHAT  WILL  IT  LOOK  LIKE?  

ANALYZE  IT!  

HOW  MUCH?  

DEVELOPMENT  

TESTING  

TAKE  IT  LIVE  

BRAINSTORM  

WHAT  WILL  IT  LOOK  LIKE?  

HOW  MUCH?  

DEVELOPMENT  

TESTING  

TAKE  IT  LIVE  

ANALYZE  IT!  

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Step  #1:  Brainstorm  Step  #1:    

Brainstorm  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Step  #2:    

What  will  it  look  like?  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Step  #3:    

Budget  

Step  #4:    

Content    Development  

Step  #5:    

Test  

Step  #6:  Publish  and  Distribute  

Step  #7:    

Analysis  

BRAINSTORM  

WHAT  WILL  IT  LOOK  LIKE?  

ANALYZE  IT!  

HOW  MUCH?  

DEVELOPMENT  

TESTING  

TAKE  IT  LIVE  

BRAINSTORM  

WHAT  WILL  IT  LOOK  LIKE?  

HOW  MUCH?  

DEVELOPMENT  

TESTING  

TAKE  IT  LIVE  

ANALYZE  IT!  

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

People  

#2  Pick  the  right  content  strategist  

or  professional  

What  business  problem  are  you  solving?  

• Messaging  • Delivery  • NavigaSon  • Usability  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Content  Strategists  and  Writers  •  Editorial  &  Brand  Strategy  •  WriCng  •  Style  guides  •  Voice  and  tone  •  Character  limits  •  Brand  strategy  

•  Technical  •  DITA  •  XML  •  Metadata  •  Structured  content  •  AdapCve  content  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

#3  Clarify  Roles  &  ResponsibiliSes  

Who  is  in  charge?  

Define  roles  and  responsibiliSes.  •  Project  Manager:  What  is  your  job?  Explain  it  to  the  content  people.  

•  Content  Strategist:  EXACTLY  what  are  you  in  charge  of  doing?  •  Writers/Content  Creators:  Who  is  responsible  for  each  of  the  steps?  

•  Quality  Assurance:  Who  performs  and  to  whom  do  they  give  that  informaCon?    

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

#4  IdenSfy  a  Scheduler  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Process  

#4  Have  separate  meeSngs  about  

content  

Content  is  a  separate  enSty.  

•  Templates  •  Character  counts  •  Calls  to  acSon  •  “The  No  Man’s  Land  of  Content  Development”  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

#6  SHOW  ediSng  and  approval  

Smelines  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Establish  Content  

Governance  Content  Analysis  

Content  CreaCon  

Establishing  workflows  

Content  Planning  

• Persona  Development  • Messaging  Architecture  • IdenCty  Pillar  IdenCficaCon  

Build  OR  clarify  the  business  case  

Content    AudiCng  Discovery  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Establish  Content  

Governance  Content  Analysis  

Content  CreaCon  

Establishing  workflows  

Content  Planning  

• Persona  Development  • Messaging  Architecture  • IdenCty  Pillar  IdenCficaCon  

Build  OR  clarify  the  business  case  

Content    AudiCng  Discovery  

WE  ARE  HERE  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Start  the  clock    appropriately    

Start  Green  means  the  project  is  moving  ahead  

CauSon  Yellow  means  the  project  is  stalled  

Stop  Red  means  it’s  Cme  to  stop  and  regroup  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Technology  

#7  Define  collaboraSon  and  

technology  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Don’t  be  fooled.    Technology  is  not  collaboraSon.  

What  to  do  when  things  go  wrong?  

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Checklist  of  how  to  avoid  disaster  1.   IdenSfy  the  boRleneck(s)  2.   Inform  higher  ups  that  Smelines  will  slip  if  you  keep  

repeaSng  this  disastrous  content  paRern  3.   Bring  in  reinforcements  (Who  can  help  clean  up  this  mess?)    

@ahaval  #NowWhat15  

Ask  arjul  quesSons.  

TELL  ME  WHY…  

I’M  WONDERING  ABOUT…  

HELP  ME  UNDERSTAND…  

Thank  you!  Ahava  Leibtag  Aha  Media  Group  www.ahamediagroup.com  

ahavaL  Linkedin  Facebook