I realised a career ambition a couple of weeks ago, when I delivered a lightning talk at Confab. It was a great experience to speak at the best content strategy conference around, even if it was only for five high-pressure minutes. I spoke about something that I’m passionate about: content guidelines (like your platform strategy, voice and tone guide, playbook etc) and how to get them off the shared drive and into the hearts and minds of your colleagues.

1. www.brilliantnoise.com | @brilliantnoise
Get your guidelines
off the shared drive
and into hearts and
minds
Confab Central 2017
Lauren Pope
@la_pope

2. DIFFICULT QUESTION 1:
Do your guidelines
get used *every day*?

3. DIFFICULT QUESTION 2:
Are they *genuinely*
useful?

4. MADE-UP FACT 1:
93% of all guidelines
are a forgotten PDF
on a shared drive.

5. MADE-UP FACT 2:
49% of guidelines
aren’t actually all
that useful.

6. Pretty frustrating
when you put your
heart, soul and
sweat into them.

7. REASON 1:
You don't have the
right guidelines.
(Sorry. Not sorry.)

8. REASON 2:
Your guidelines aren’t
in the right format.

9. FIX 1:
Make them useful
and inspiring.

10. FIX 2:
Make them usable
and findable.

11. TIP 1:
Do your research.

12. TIP 2:
Make your guidelines
work harder, not
your colleagues.

13. TIP 3:
Find a way to make
them pay attention.

14. DEATH TO THE PDF ON
THE SHARED DRIVE.

15. IDEA 1:
Run training
sessions,
workshops
or webinars.

16. IDEA 2:
Build a wiki
or website.

17. IDEA 3:
Make them
interactive.

18. IDEA 4:
Make
beautiful
hard copies.

19. IDEA 5:
Give them
personality.
Clair Byrd

20. Thank you
(and seriously, death
to the PDF on the
shared drive)
@la_pope | www.brilliantnoise.com | @brilliantnoise