2. ● Publications
● Newsletters
● Self-study guides
● Clinical guidelines
● Conference sessions
● Webinars
● Research reports
● Events
● Books
● Press releases
● News articles
Associations produce so much content!
Photo byLacie SlezakonUnsplash
3. and we have so many channels to fill!
Icons: Nucleo
4. By bgEuwDxel93-Pg at Google Cultural Institute, zoom level maximum, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25498286
Content is
the way
our work is
manifested
in the world
9. Content Strategy Defined
The planning and judgment for the creation, publication,
dissemination, and governance of useful, usable content
across departments and functional areas.
10. Why Quantify Association Content
Strategy?
2016 Operating Ratio Report
Periodicals/Publications
• 8.82% revenue/8.11% expense
Educational Programming
• 9.96% revenue/8.17% expense
Decision to Join
Current association
members ranked dissemination
of knowledge or content among
four of the top five most
important association functions
Competition
11. Project Goals
• Identify associations that are developing and implementing
content strategies
• Articulate the positive impact of a strategic approach to
content
• Analyze challenges to content creation and dissemination
• Explore how these associations pursue content creation
and management, including how they staff and allocate
resources to their efforts
12. Project Timeline
Phase 1: September 2017 – March 2018
Environmenta
l
Scan
Profile
Survey
Interviews
Interim
Report
13. Research Summary: Environmental Scan
Reviewed 68 articles, reports, and conference
presentations from 2010 to 2017
● Found a focus on definition, specific tactics, and
case studies
● Myth-busting conceptions and confusion
14. Research Summary: Profile Survey
• Member survey to 4,730 people – 11.4%
response rate
• Anonymous survey to individuals, online
communities, and social media
• 613 total respondents
15. Research Summary: Profile Survey
Content Strategy Adoption Key
Beginner: 1 to 6 tactics Intermediate: 7 to 13 tactics Advanced: 14 to 17 tactics
16. Research Summary: Interviews
• Randomly selected 15 interviewees based on
size, scope, maturity, type
• Identified patterns in successes and challenges
• Primary challenge: people, not process
17. “People buying in
to the philosophy
of leading with
strategy—that’s
the value-add to
your
organization...”
Hypothesis: Content strategy is foundational
and self-sustaining
Not Sustained
Partially
Sustained
Sustained
18. ● Content marketing is a tactic
● Tactics = Strategy
● Organization-wide approach
shows association’s value
● Manage & govern for
maximum effect
● Content strategy can help
associations increase
revenue
Hypothesis: Some associations define content
strategy as content marketing
Not Sustained
Partially
Sustained
Sustained
22. “When content strategy
starts with buy-in, it gets
prioritized, appropriate
resources are allocated,
and the effort gets spread
throughout the
organization.”
Hypothesis: There are not enough resources to
do content strategically
Not Sustained
Partially
Sustained
Sustained
24. “Always put your
member first. Your
board isn’t first. Your
staff isn’t first. Your
member needs are
first.”
“Communicate, communicate,
communicate. Up, not just down.
Not one-way. You must listen. You
must recognize the issues [your
members] are facing. Don’t
assume you understand. Or say,
“This is what you get.”
Hypothesis: Size matters—bigger associations
are doing content strategy more than smaller
ones
Not Sustained
Partially
Sustained
Sustained
25. ● Half of interviewees: Content strategy takes off
when the CEO/executive director changes
● Rebranding/website redesign also an impetus
Hypothesis: Change in leadership is an
opportunity to catalyze content strategy
Not Sustained
Partially
Sustained
Sustained
26. Hypothesis: Content strategy evolves out of
an individual champion
● Establish metrics to show value of content strategy to
association management
● Demonstrate success and build on it with allies
● Recognize content strategy as a core association
skillset
Not Sustained
Partially
Sustained
Sustained
29. Applies to content
specifically for marketing
purposes and to drive action
A strategic marketing approach
focused on creating and
distributing…content to attract and
retain a clearly defined audience...
Content Marketing
Strategy
Applies to all content an
association produces:
programs, services, events,
standards, publications, etc.
Highlight: Content strategy does not mean the
same thing to everyone
Planning for the creation,
publication, dissemination, and
governance of useful, usable
content across departments and
functional areas
Content Strategy
30. Highlight 3: Good things are happening in
association content strategy
31. Stay Tuned!
Now through September 2018
● Content strategy adoption
● Content strategy stories
● Potential tools and products
Take the Content Strategy Practice Survey:
http://bit.ly/fcspsurvey
32. Thank You!
Hilary Marsh
Content Company, Inc.
@hilarymarsh
hilary@contentcompany.biz
Dina Lewis, CAE
Distilled Logic, LLC
@dinalew
dina@distilledlogic.net