1.
Content Strategy 101
Using content to show member value

2.
What is content?
• Magazine articles
• Conference session descriptions
• Course listings
• Executive biographies
• Press releases
• Newsletters
• Program information
• Membership details
• Advocacy issue updates
• Topic research and surveys
• Etc., etc., etc.

3.
Content takes different forms
• Web pages
• Blog posts
• Infographics
• Images
• PDFs
• Video
• Audio

4.
What is content strategy?
The right content
To the right person
At the right time
For the right action

5.
Put another way….
Content strategy is the practice of planning for the
creation, delivery, and governance of
useful, usable, effective content.

6.
Three faces

7.
Multiple parts
• A strategic statement tying content to business
goals
• Guidelines and policies: Who, what, when, where,
why, and how of publishing content
• Defining people, roles, and processes

8.
Audience-centric
Business-sensitive
Content
The ultimate vision

9.
Foundational tenets
1. Content creators & SMEs have a common understanding
of what key audiences want, and how their content helps
deliver that.
2. Content creators & SMEs have a common understanding
of the org’s goals are and how their content contributes to
them.
3. Content creators & SMEs share their content in a
consistent, effective way

10.
Principles
• The organization creates content that its audiences want
• The organization creates content that helps it meet its goals
• Content has success metrics and is measured against those
• Content that is no longer relevant is no longer available
• Content is promoted, surfaced, and cross-linked based on its topic,
not its source
• Content is created in the organization’s voice
• The organization manages content platforms, tools, and channels
in a way that ensures their effectiveness

11.
Department
Message
Audience
Department
Message
Audience
Department
Message
Audience
Department
Message
Audience
Old thinking

12.
11
Silos

13.
Different views of the audience
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blind_men_and_elephant.png

14.
13
http://www.amazon.com/Have-Always-Done-That-Way/dp/184728857X/

15.
Consequences

16.
Difficulty prioritizing

17.
Diluted
impact
16

18.
Lack of
understanding
of your value

19.
Organization: Programs, offerings
Audience
Messages
Audience Audience Audience
New thinking

20.
“Users don’t care about your
org chart.”
—Lou Rosenfeld
Author, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web

21.
subject-matter
expertise
content
presentation
and sharing
expertise
Spirit of partnership

22.
content
presentation
and sharing
expertise
product
expertise
event
expertise
advocacy
expertise
research
expertise
course
development
expertise

23.
content
presentation
and sharing
expertise
product
expertise
event expertise
advocacy
expertise
research
expertise
course
development
expertise
customer
satisfaction
expertise
marketing
expertise
education
expertise
program
expertise

24.
product
expertise
event
expertise
advocacy
expertise
research
expertisecustomer
satisfaction
expertise
marketing
expertise
education
expertise
program
expertise
content
presentation
and sharing
expertise

25.
product
expertise
event
expertise
advocacy
expertise
research
expertisecustomer
satisfaction
expertise
marketing
expertise
education
expertise
program
expertise
content
presentation
and sharing
expertise

26.
product
expertise
event
expertise
advocacy
expertise
research
expertisecustomer
satisfaction
expertise
marketing
expertise
education
expertise
program
expertise
content
presentation
and sharing
expertise

27.
http://chuckclose.com/work253_zoom.html

28.
Typical project flow
1. Gather data to know what we know (discovery)
2. Audit and assess website content
3. Audit and assess e-newsletters
4. Analyze competitive organizations and for-profit
companies
5. Audience personas and customer journeys

29.
Typical project flow
6. Facilitate the development of content creation
and publishing guidelines
7. Identify roles, content lifecycles, workflow,
governance models
8. Create a framework for content promotions
9. Plan for sustainability

30.
Working
together
for member
satisfaction

31.
Thank you!
Hilary Marsh
hilary@contentcompany.biz
@hilarymarsh