An introduction to content modeling, for the Detroit Content Strategy meetup at Doner, September 15, 2016. Please excuse the occasional formatting issues with slide titles, caused by the way SlideShare compressed the file.

1. Metro Detroit Content Strategy Meetup
September 15, 2016
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2. 1. Introductions
2. The basics
3. Activity
4. Content model applications
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3. It’s really not that hard.
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4. Content modeling is the practice of analyzing and
using the underlying structures of your content to
create more efficient and effective content systems.
Leads the way to:
 Structured content
 Intelligent content
 Personalized content
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5. 5
Source: http://alistapart.com/article/content-modelling-a-
master-skill

6. Source: http://alistapart.com/article/strategic-content-management
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7. Source: http://www.cmsmyth.com/2015/11/connecting-the-content-model-personalizations-rosetta-stone/
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8. Content models are composed of content
types, and the relationships between them.
Content types are composed of content
elements.
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9.  Content element
 Content element
 Content element
 Content element
 Content element
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Content type:
a meaningful, potentially reusable
grouping of content elements,
independent of presentation.
Example: A recipe
Content element:
a single part of a content chunk
that, together with other content
elements, make a content type.
Example: recipe name,
ingredients, serving time,
procedure
Content Type

10. Little content type, who made thee?
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11. 1. Existing forms
Blog
FAQ
Glossary definition
Listicle
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12. 12
• 37 studio albums
• 522 original songs
• “Like a Rolling Stone”
named best song of
all time … by Rolling
Stone.
• “Blowin in the Wind”
played before MLK’s
“I Have a Dream
Speech.”

13. 13
“I wasn’t inventing
anything.
I was just working
within existing
forms.”

14. 1. Existing forms
Blog
FAQ
Glossary definition
Listicle
2. Your unique business content
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15. 15

16. “You can see a lot by looking.” – Yogi
Berra
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17. 1. Collect sample content.
 High-use webpages
 Content audits help
 Training documents
 Look at different channels and media (email, social, print)
 Look at competitor sites, for gap analysis
2. Gather a team of know-it-alls.
3. Then comes the actual hard part…
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18. 18Source: Exodus 14:21

19. Content Type
 Content element
 Content element
 Content element
 Content element
 Content element
Container/Pattern
 Design element
 Design element
 Design element
 Design element
 Design element
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Content Presentation
THING

20. Content
Type: Loan Product
Product Name
Pitch/tagline
Presentation
Page Header
Headline
Sub headline
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Fork Module
Headline
Sub headline
Body
Button Copy
Type: Mortgage
Path
Decision Name
Path name
Path description
Call to Action

21. Content
Content Type: Recipe
Recipe Name
Contributor
Yield
Recipe Time
Image
Image Source
Short Description
Original Source
Cooking Style
Rating
Ingredients
Presentation
Design Pattern: Recipe
Page
Headline (H1)
Author Display
Recipe Essentials
Image
Body Copy
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22. 22
I see content types

23. Contains 2 or more content elements
Is named based on what it is, not what it
looks like (“loan name” not “headline”).
Can be re-used in many different forms or
media
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24. MULTI-
CHANNEL
PUBLISHINGHere, There, and Everywhere
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25. Title
Byline
Publication
attribution
Yield/# of Servings
Active Time
Total Time
Teaser
Image
Preparation
Main Ingredients
Servings
Cooking/Prep Time
Nutritional
Information
Level
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26. Content Elements
 Title
 Byline
 Publication attribution
 Yield/# of Servings
 Active Time
 Total Time
 Teaser
 Image
 Preparation
 Main Ingredients
 Servings
 Cooking/Prep Time
 Nutritional Information
 Level
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27. Content Elements
 Title
 Byline
 Publication attribution
 Yield/# of Servings
 Active Time
 Total Time
 Teaser
 Image
 Preparation
 Main Ingredients
 Servings
 Cooking/Prep Time
 Nutritional Information
 Level
27

28.  Mobile/Native Recipe App
 Email:
 “Recipe of the week” weekly email
 “Send to a friend” functionality
 Social:
 Recipe ads on Facebook;
 Send to YouTube video description
 Send to interactive refrigerator/Apple Watch/
 Export to print book/magazine/back of food package
 Licensing opportunities: License recipe library to 3rd party
28

29. A NEW
CMS/WEBSITE
Who doesn’t love their CMS?!
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30. Content
Content Type: Recipe
Recipe Name
Contributor
Yield
Recipe Time
Image
Image Source
Short Description
Original Source
Cooking Style
Rating
Ingredients
Presentation
Design Pattern: Recipe
Page
Headline (H1)
Author Display
Recipe Essentials
Image
Body Copy
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32. You have to have a content
management strategy to have a
really effective content
management system.
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33. CONTENT
GOVERNANCE
So hot right now, amirite?
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34.  Content libraries:
 Recipes
 ecommerce: product information
 FAQs: Use metadata to dynamically curate
 Time-bound content
 Evergreen content: schedule a review x times per year
 Temporary content:
 Do we run this sweepstakes every year?
 ArchivePlanReuseRelaunchArchive (repeat)
 High-Value/Traffic v. Long-Tail
 Disclaimers
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35. “Some things you can’t unsee, bro.”
-The League
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36. 36
Car
Car
Model
Car logo
Distinguishi
ng Feature
Inspiration
al
quotation
Library
System
Library
Branch Name