Presented at Confab 2012: Before embarking on a fresh content strategy, we often do a lot research looking outward. Who’s our audience? What do they want? Which content strategy deliverables are must-haves? But what we often neglect is to look inward, at ourselves. Who can make this happen? When do they get involved? How? Which skills and experience — and personalities! — do we need? <br> This talk, presented by Shelly Bowen at Confab 2012, the premier content strategy conference, explores the part of content strategy that is unique to each company and effort, the part that changes every time and cannot be pinned down and explained in a numbered list. Find out how you can answer some of the most typical questions faced by companies embarking on a content strategy process.

1. THE MAGIC LAYER:
THE SECRET OF EVERY
SUCCESSFUL
CONTENT STRATEGY
Presented by
Shelly Bowen, Pybop, LLC
shelly@pybop.com
@pybop @shelbow
#magiclayer

2. • Do I have the right content strategist for
the job?
• Where do we start?
• Which deliverables do we need? Will we
actually use them?
• Are we moving in the right direction?
• How do we overcome debates on
direction?
CONTENT STRATEGY
QUESTIONS © 2012 Pybop, LLC

3. What is content
strategy?
THE STORY
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

4. Problem
Discovery Content
Analysis Solving
Audit
Business
Goals & Planning
Objectives
Measure &
Execution
Review
CONTENT STRATEGY
OVERVIEW © 2012 Pybop, LLC

5. But ... what does
content strategy look
like? Can you send
me samples?
THE STORY
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

6. What Are You Trying to Achieve? Where Does It Go? What’s Coming Up?
• Summary of company goals • Copy deck • Editorial calendar
• Content conversion/migration
What Do You Own? strategy How Do We Know It’s Right?
• Content flow schematic
• Content inventory or audit • Channel strategy • Benchmarks
• Content assessment (quality and • Community and social strategy • Checks and balances
quantity) • Visual presentation • Summary of company goals
recommendations • Success metrics
What’s Missing? • Wireframes • Usability tests
• Content gap analysis
• Comparative content analysis How Do We Make It Happen?
• Competitive analysis • Content approval workflow or
governance model
How Do You Present the Words? • Communication plans
• User personas • Community moderation policies
• User scenarios (think believable • Content production workshops and
stories) training
• Editorial strategy • Content sourcing review and plans
• Core messaging strategy (people, tools, budget, time)
• Content templates
• Sample content How Do We Stay Organized?
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) • CMS requirements
strategy • Business rules
• Metadata strategy • Taxonomies
• Brand strategy • URL strategy
• Style guide • Responsibilities
• Glossary • Schedules
POTENTIAL DELIVERABLES © 2012 Pybop, LLC

7. WHAT IS
THE
MAGIC
LAYER?
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

8. “THAT’S IT!”
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

9. “ The Magic Layer Is ...
... when the intersections between the user's needs
and the organization's needs (and capabilities) become
visible. --Erin Kissane, Incisive.nu
...when patterns become readily apparent for content
solutions that support both user needs and organizational
goals. --Kristina Mausser, Digital Word
...where the user interest, the business interest, and our
practitioner interests ... intersect. --Jeffrey MacIntyre, Arc90
... the "That's it!" moment ... looking at what content you
have, your user needs, trying different approaches, and seeing
which best suits the situation. --Colleen Jones, Content Science
THE CONSULTANT
PERSPECTIVE © 2012 Pybop, LLC

10. “ The Magic Layer Is ...
... when stakeholders rally around shared communication
goals that belie divergent communication channels.
--Margot Bloomstein, Appropriate, Inc.
...when you find the right people willing to enter
your cluttered and claustrophobic house of content,
wave their wands, and leave it neat, ordered, and totally
user-friendly. --Andrew Lewellen, HUGE, Inc.
...when you start sketching out ideas, workflows and
outlines manically, trying to capture the creative flow
of output. --Ahava Leibtag, Aha Media Group
THE CONSULTANT
PERSPECTIVE © 2012 Pybop, LLC

11. “ The Magic Layer Is ...
... when you meet your
audience needs through the
creation and curation of valuable
content, in a voice that
reflects your company.”
... when stakeholders sign off
on a project brief with a
primary message (or
messaging hierarchy) and a
target audience.
--Melissa Eisler, Active.com --Brian Obermiller, Herbalife
...moving beyond diagnosing to ... when you form a clear model
actually discovering a of communication between
solution.” --David Ian Miller, your client and their
San Francisco Chronicle audience.”
--James Mathewson, IBM
THE IN-HOUSE
PERSPECTIVE © 2012 Pybop, LLC

12. The Magic Layer
Happens Here!
Company Audience
Needs Needs
Clear
communication!
Discovery!
Shared goals!
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

13. WHO ARE THESE
PEOPLE?
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

14. Content Analysis Problem
Discovery Audit
Solving
Business Planning
Goals &
Objectives
Measure & Execution
Review
CONTENT STRATEGY
OVERVIEW © 2012 Pybop, LLC

15. “When the right people come
together and when they
collaborate in the right way,
what happens often can feel
like magic.”
--Jonah Lehrer, Imagine: How Creativity Works
THE MAGIC LAYER © 2012 Pybop, LLC

16. Content
Audit
Planning
Business
Goals & Analysis
Objectives
Execution
Measure
& Review
CONTENT STRATEGY
PROCESS © 2012 Pybop, LLC

17. Benefits:
•New connections spark between diverse concepts
•New opportunities are discovered
•More meaningful experiences are revealed
•New partnerships on the team are formed
This leads to a set of recommendations and
processes that form a successful content strategy.
THE MAGIC LAYER © 2012 Pybop, LLC

18. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY
GO WRONG?
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

19. Potential obstacles:
•Sheep think 5 Ways to Prevent
•Focusing on details or Obstacles
how-tos too early 1. Work in small groups
•Conflicting POVs 2. Name decision makers
•Birdwalking from goals 3. Reach out to outsiders
and falling in rabbit holes 4. Sketch ideas
5. Sleep on it
•Everything is a priority 6. Establish core
messaging priorities early
HOP THE OBSTACALS © 2012 Pybop, LLC

20. PRIORITIES: AN
EXCELLENT EXAMPLE
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

21. © 2012 Pybop, LLC

22. Audience Features
Priority Priority
1 Potential Customers: Individuals who buy 1 ORGANIC
strawberries
2 SWEET AND FRESH, last two weeks longer
2 Potential Customers: Professionals
3 LOWER PRICES
(stores, restaurants) who buy strawberries
3 Repeat Customers
4 Potential Vendors: People who sell
strawberries wholesale
5 Potential employees
Benefits Credibility
Priority Priority
1 Healthy 1 LARGEST PROVIDER: 70,000+ strawberry
2 Stand up well in pies, ice creams, jams fields in California
3 Freeze well 2 FRESHEST: Strawberries spend less than 1
day traveling
4 Quick snack
3 AWARD-WINNING: 2008 CA Strawberry
5 Support your community Award
4 BEST WORKPLACE: Honored by Berry
Berry magazine as one of the "Best Places
to Work in the Fruit Picking Industry."
5 ORGANIC: No chemical pest repellants
used during farming
6 WORLD LEADER: World leader in
strawberry farming
SET PRIORITIES © 2012 Pybop, LLC

23. WILL YOU ACTUALLY
USE THOSE
DELIVERABLES?
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

24. The Magic Layer
Happens Here!
Company Audience
Needs Needs
Clear
communication
and shared
goals
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

25. We’re We like
I like to
data geeks. to take
make things.
action. (And
we ❤ dogs.)
I ❤ drawing.
Discovering talent.
And surfing.
We’re
LOVE to information
CHAT! junkies.
KNOW YOUR PEOPLE © 2012 Pybop, LLC

26. Big content, THINK LIKE
humanized Search HUMAN
intelligence
Brand-driven,
UX, marcom, business user-balanced
messaging
Mad mix of Influential
approaches! storytelling
Editorial
for
humans
KNOW YOUR
CONTENT STRATEGIST © 2012 Pybop, LLC

27. Do you have the right content
strategist for the job?
•Read his/her blog, view Tweets, follow on FB
•Ask about approach, background, and processes
•Find someone who fills a hole on your team or
bridges a gap
•Be sure s/he’s available for the duration
•Likability matters
YOUR CONTENT
STRATEGIST © 2012 Pybop, LLC

28. “THAT’S
IT!”
© 2012 Pybop, LLC

29. 1. Start with shared goals.
2. Get the right people together at the right times.
3. Empower the decision makers.
4. Hop the obstacles.
5. Get outside and cross-discipline perspectives.
6. Establish your core messaging priorities early!
7. Know that all content strategists have a unique
approach.
8. Choose the deliverables that fit your objectives
and needs, and present them in a way your people
will use.
9. Keep (reality) checking your priorities.
10. Sleep on it!
HOW TO ACHIEVE
THE MAGIC LAYER

30. THE MAGIC LAYER:
THE SECRET OF EVERY
SUCCESSFUL
CONTENT STRATEGY
Presented by
Shelly Bowen, Pybop, LLC
shelly@pybop.com
@pybop @shelbow
#magiclayer