Content Strategy for Small Business

Content Strategy for Small Business"

#AustinContent @claydelk!

Sr. Content Strategist"

Volusion.com @volusion!

Lead Copywriter & Content Strategist"

www.yourIFteam.com !

The"

Who"What"When"Where"Why &"How"of"

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What"Why"Who"Where & When"How"of"

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What is content strategy?"Why"Who"Where & When"How"of"

What is Content Strategy?"

42Jellos/Flickr (cc)!

Content strategy plans for the creation, distribution, and governance of content.- Kristina Halvorson@halvorson"

What is Content Strategy?"

ABookApart.com!

There’s really only one central principle of good content: it should be appropriate for your business, for your users, and for its context. Appropriate in its method of delivery, in its style and structure, and above all in its substance. "

Content strategy is the practice of determining what each of those things means for your project—and how to get there from where you are now. Erin Kissane@kissane"

Isn’t this just another name for __________?"

Information architecture user experience

branding strategy marketing planningcustomer relations

that last “new thing” "


Information architecture user experience

branding strategy marketing planningcustomer relations

that last “new thing” "


Yes."

CopywritingEditing

Branding Imagery

Audio & Video Social Media

"

Content"

CopywritingEditing

Branding Imagery

Audio & Video Social Media

"

Content Strategy"Planning"Project Management"User Experience"SEO"Analytics"CRM"""

The"

What"Why does it matter?"Who"Where & When"How"of"

It’s about giving your audience what they want, expect and need."

It’s about knowing when, where and how to spend your time and money."

Tracy O/Flickr (cc)!

The U.S. content marketing sector is now a $41 billion industry.The average company distributes content 403.8 times per year — more than daily."

Brafton.com!

The biggest mistake is thinking that “content” is just newfangled sales materials. Most content marketing fails on the utility scale. Content that is inherently useful is inherently successful.Jay Baer @jaybaer"

Differentiate or die."

Publish or perish."

The"

What"Why"Who can do it?"Where & When"How"of"

But I’m not a Content Strategist?"

But I’m not a Content Strategist?"

Do you need to be a Writer to send email?""Do you need to be a Salesman to sell products?""Do you need to be a Manufacturer to make things?"

But all the writing about content strategy is from

enterprise organizations, national agencies and

big tech companies."

But all the writing about content strategy is from

enterprise organizations, national agencies and

big tech companies."

They have the budgets, the means and the motivation to distribute content about content strategy."

The"

What"Why"Who"Where & When "can I use it?"How"of"

WHEN YOU:""•  Do content marketing"•  Send email"•  Write documentation"•  Have a website"•  Create print collateral"•  Use social media"•  Blog"

You can use the principles of content strategy to make your content work better."

The"

What"Why"Who"Where & When"How do I do it?"of"

Preparation"1.  Read a LOT."2.  Ask lots of questions (especially

“Why?”)."3.  Give yourself time to think."4.  Set goals. Define what success

looks like."5.  Be realistic."

Copyright 2003!

The"

What"Why"Who"Where & When"How do I do it?"(What does it look like?)"of"

Content Strategy Documentation"

What do deliverables look like?""How do I document that?""How do I share it with someone else?""How can I show this to my boss?""How do I get paid for this?"

The Message Brief(Architecture, Hierarchy, Strategy)"


•  Prioritize your messages!!•  Define audience needs and

expectations!!•  Guidelines for all content creation

after this point!


1.  Primary Message!!•  Target audience!•  Supporting messages!•  Key terminology!•  Voice and tone!

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#AustinContent @claydelk!Colleen Jones

Content-‐Science.com

IF marke/ng & adver/sing YourIFteam.com

Black Star Co-‐Op BlackStar.coop

Customer Personas"

Customer Personas"…we cannot advocate for those whom we do not know—or, even worse, those whom we assume we know. So we go to the source: we interview, we learn, and we determine who, exactly, these mystery users are. In doing so, we answer the two most important questions of the discovery stage: who are our audiences, and what do they want from our website?!!!- Cory Vilhauer!“Audiences, Outcomes and Determining User Needs” !A List Apart!

Customer Personas"

Le4BrainDGA.com

Content Audit"Accounting for all of your current web content in a single, authoritative document (unfortunately, typically a spreadsheet).!!•  Quantitative!•  Qualitative!•  Benchmarking!•  Maintaining!•  Documenting!!

Content Audit"Accounting for all of your current web content in a single, authoritative document (unfortunately, typically a spreadsheet).!!•  Quantitative!•  Qualitative!•  Benchmarking!•  Maintaining!•  Documenting!!

Site Map"

Site Map"Similar to the content audit, but typically for new websites or complete restructures.!!•  Document all pages!•  Identify main sections!•  Show connections among and between pages!•  Everything in its place!

!

PREPARED BY: Clay Delk DATE: CLIENT: PROJECT: JOB NUMBER: DRAFT: 1

0.0 HOME

1.0 PRIMARY PAGE 1

1.1 SECONDARY PAGE

1.1.1 TERTIARY PAGE

1.2 SECONDARY PAGE

2.0 PRIMARY PAGE 2

2.1 SECONDARY PAGE

2.1.1 TERTIARY PAGE

2.2 SECONDARY PAGE

3.0 PRIMARY PAGE 3

3.1 SECONDARY PAGE

3.1.1 TERTIARY PAGE

3.2 SECONDARY PAGE

FLOATING NAVIGATION

4.0

5.0

Med.Stanford.edu

Page Templates"

Page Templates"Formatted documents to help create content for each page or content area.!!•  Highlights key information!•  Location!•  Goals & motivations!•  Calls to action!•  Inbound/outbound links!•  Wireframes!!!

!

PREPARED BY: Clay Delk DATE: CLIENT: PROJECT: JOB NUMBER: DRAFT: 1 0.0 HOME URL: <title> (66 characters): Meta Description (150 characters):

Keywords (12 max):

Header/H1: Body Copy: 1.0 ABOUT US URL: <title> (66 characters): Meta Description (150 characters):

Keywords (12 max):

Header/H1: Body Copy:

Via Rahel Bailie Inten/onalDesign.ca

0.0 HOME Page Topic: Page Objective:

Page Title

Primary Content

Secondary Content Intro copy for sub pages, sideboxes, etc.

Third Level Content

Primary Call to Action

Additional Assets

Content Creation:

- This content should provide a number of paths for users to follow to the information they need. But the design/organization should be structured so that the most important path is most prominent. Assuming that would be the Request a Quote/Get Assessment

Maintenance:

- Regularly update blog articles and features, fresh content with important keywords. Outstanding Questions/Concerns:

- Is there going to be enough content to rank for the keywords you want? With so many topics and links, will it be too scattered to rank well for anything?

Editorial Calendar"Plan and organize upcoming topics, content creation, social media and deployment.!!•  Main topic!•  Target audience!•  Audience benefit!•  Call to action!•  Owner/creator!•  Medium!!

!

Editorial Calendar Wordpress Plugin

Countless Others"There are templates for anything you need, if you look around or ask.!!Resources:!!Brain Traffic Blog!h:p://blog.braintraffic.com/2010/06/a-‐big-‐ol%E2%80%99-‐list-‐of-‐content-‐strategy-‐resources-‐for-‐you/ Rahel Bailie’s Intentional Design!h:p://intenMonaldesign.ca/2010/06/16/skills-‐to-‐transiMon-‐to-‐content-‐strategy/ !!!

!

The"

What is it?"Giving your audience what they want, expect and need."Why"Who"Where & When"Howof"

The"

What "Why do it?"Knowing when, where and how to spend your budget."Who"Where & When"Howof"

The"

What "Why "Who can/should do it?"You! (also, everybody)"Where & When"Howof"

The"

What "Why "Who "Where & When?"Any time, any content, any medium."How"

The"

What "Why "Who "Where & When"How do I do it?"Ask questions. Create templates, bend them to your will."

Questions, comments, showering with praise?"

Thank you!"