The Content Strategy Paradox © Intentional Design Inc. www.intentionaldesign.ca resented at Congility 2011 ay 2011
The content strategy paradox
Oct 17, 2014
The rise of the term "content strategy" has given legitimacy to a field of practice that continues to be defined and refined . It is still a bit of cowboy country where typical deliverables are yet to be articulated, and best practices are yet to be agreed upon. On the other hand, content strategy seems to be everywhere, and underpins discussions of internet strategy, publishing strategy, social media strategy, and digital strategy, to name a few. The separation of content strategy from its hosts seems contrived and artificial. Can a practitioner deliver an effective content strategy without considering the user experience and digital strategy, or the marketing and business strategy? This presentation explores the connections and intersections between the various functional areas and provides a framework for aspiring and practicing strategists.
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The
Content Strategy Paradox
© Intentional Design Inc.www.intentionaldesign.ca
Presented at Congility 2011May 2011
Content Strategy
Business communicationsTechnical communication IA/Usability Content/info management
Who am I?
STRATEGY
Types of strategies
Internet strategy
Publishing strategy
Communicationstrategy
Digital strategy
Engagementstrategy
CONTENT
Types of strategies
Corporate
Marketing
User Assistance (docs, help, training, knowledge base)
Sales
User-generated
Comm
on theme
CONTENTSTRATEGY
A sampling of recent workshops
A sampling of recent workshops
You’d think content strategy is …
• Lots of web, social, mobile• Mostly marketing content• Big part is editorial• Focused on position and message
A sampling of recent workshops
You’d think content strategy is …
• Multi-channel publishing• Mostly user assistance• Big part is technical• Focus on asset amplification
Will the real content strategy please stand up?
Paradox: apparently contradictory statement
SocialWeb
Localization
Technical Engagement
Mobile/Apps
Transactional
Will the real content strategy please stand up?
One Discipline, Many Specialties
PediatricianPodiatrist
Psychiatrist
Gynecologist Plastic surgeon
SocialWeb
Localization
Technical Engagement
Mobile/Apps
Transactional
It’s all content strategy
What is content strategy?
Repeatable system that governs the management of content throughout the entire lifecycle
Defining Strategy
• An adaptation or complex of adaptations (as of behavior, metabolism, or structure) that serves or appears to serve an important function in achieving evolutionary success– http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strategy
• Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and people. – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_planning
• Alternative chosen to make happen a desired future, such as achievement of a goal or solution to a problem. – http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/strategy.html
What it’s not
Copywriting Editing Web design
Structured content Content management Project management
Social media Information architecture
Tweetable
Content strategy = Management consulting,
specializing in content
Satellite view: Content supply chain
That assumes:• Content is a commodity• It’s a single-use product• Focus should be on
optimization• Content has clear start and
end production points• Production is linear, not
iterative• All content gets a single
treatment
Strategy/ Analyze
Author/ Edit
Content Management
UX/Deploy
Localize
Measure
Strategy/ Analyze
Author/ Edit
Content Management
UX/Deploy
Localize
Measure
• Modeling/typing• Configure/components• Structure /standards• Repository
• Aggregate/Transform• Publish/Syndicate• Evaluate• Iterate or sunset
• Acquire• Author/Edit• Version/Localize• Metadata
• Requirement analysis• User research• Governance planning• Budget
Analyze
Collect
Manage
Publish
Street view: Content lifecycle
Content strategy
User research
Flow diagrams
Personas, scenarios
Wire-frames
Delivery design
Standards guidelines
Writing Templates
Training aids
Content inventory
Message architec-
tureEditorial calendar
Content matrix
Content audit
Content plan
Business require-ments
summary Gap analysis
Process models
Govern-ance
model
Metadata strategy
Sunset/ iterate
Custom, personal
viewsLocaliz-ation
strategy
Content migration
Content model
Link strategy
Versioning
Responds to customer lifecycle
Identify problem or need
Present and differentiate solutions
Demonstrate expertise / validate
reputation
Post-purchase familiarization
Long-term support
Relationship renewal / upgrade
Tweetable
Consumers use all types of content to make buying decisions.
Controlling access to content is an illusion
• Users don’t respect arbitrary silos
• All content can be used to make buying decisions
• Marketing, social, user-generated, documentation, training, and user assistance content are multiple sides of the same dice
We all want the same thing
Brand
CredibilityEfficiency
TRUSTPROFIT
Tweet this
Content is a valuable business asset.
EXAMPLE
MARKETING CONTENT
To quote David Farbey
Deliver the effective minimum dose of information
It’s all about me, me, me
May 25, 2011
2 days aftervolcanic eruption
EXAMPLE
ENGINEERING CONTENT
To quote Noz U
rbina
Less work,more flow
Stealth strategy for competitive advantage
EXAMPLE
PRODUCT CONTENT 1
Let Me … Confuse You
( = international roaming)
( = SIM card)
Let Me … Confuse You
EXAMPLE
PRODUCT CONTENT 2
© Intentional Design Inc.
Former hom
e page
Strategic question
But how do people buy an inverter?
© Intentional Design Inc.
Answer: Search the specs May 2005
© Intentional Design Inc.
The product specs
New
home page
Novice Intermediate Experienced
Compare
EXAMPLE
MAINTENANCE CONTENT
Roomba
Text option
Graphic option
User feedback
Related content
Print option http://www.irobot.com/uk/support/
EXAMPLE
INTEGRATED CONTENT
To quote Scott Abel
Getting users to click does not constitute strategy
Maintenance content
Tweetable
Under-the-hood aspects of content raise its value as an asset.
The Cynefin framework (cognitive-edge.com)
•Pattern management
•Complex adaptive systems
•Crisis management
•Stability-focused
intervention
•Analytical/ reductionst
•Systems-based thinking
•Legitimate best practice
•Standard operating procedures
Cynefin framework from Kurtz, C.F. and Snowden, D.J. “The new dynamics of strategy”, IBM Systems Journal, September 2003.
Tweetable
Content strategy is a emergent practice (complex adaptive system)
Common aspects of content strategy
• Move the content “stuff” upstream in the process
• Produce good quality content• Plan for all aspects of delivery• Structure the content semantically• Add meaningful attributes and metadata
Recognizing multiple channels
Under the hood
Source content
User experience
Content variation
Formatting variation
Interaction variation
Business requirements
Content planning
Publishing pipeline
Takeaways
• Content strategy is a many faceted discipline. Recognize it.
• Good quality content is only the beginning. Leverage it to its fullest potential.
• Delivering content is complex. Understand it well.
• All content is marketing content. Treat it well.
• Content strategy is evolving. Evolve with it.
Connecting @rahelabhttp://www.google.com/profiles/rahel.bailie
T H A N K Y O U
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