Notes from a recent webinar …
In your company, does content suffer from both micromanagement and neglect? Is there an underlying sense of “We know it’s bad, but it’s too messy to tackle”? Do you suffer from Content by Committee, meaning everyone wants to be consulted yet no one is empowered to make a final call?
If that sounds familiar, you probably don’t have a comprehensive content strategy. Here’s how to go about creating one:
Step 1: Perform a quantitative audit of all existing content. You need to know what you have, how much there is, where it is, and who owns it. The result is a content inventory.
Step 2: Draft a project charter that describes business objectives and user goals, success metrics, risks and risk mitigation. The charter is used to align stakeholders and get sign-off.
Step 3: Conduct an external analysis of users, competitive site audits, government requirements, site analytics, etc., and an internal analysis of business and communication strategies, messaging and branding, stakeholder roles, skill sets, agendas, politics, etc.
Step 4: Create a findings document that combines Steps 1-3. It also outlines key performance indicators, including reduced call volume and duplicate or conflicting content. This is the foundation of your strategy, serving as the basis for recommendations and decisions.
Content strategy might not seem very sexy. Then again, neither is lack of ownership, disempowerment, or content that confuses customers and undermines your business objectives. This is why you need a content strategy:
- Relevant, actionable, and intuitively-organized content
- More effective personalization and targeting
- Greater brand consistency
- New operational efficiencies
- Better risk management through better controls
- Improved SEO and analytics
