Notes from ‘Elements of Content Strategy’

Over the past few months, I’ve designed, coded, and am currently adding content to a brand-new client-facing e-newsletter at work. Ideally, we’ll launch by the end of the month, and publish new newsletters on a quarterly basis. It has me thinking a lot about the impact of content on users, and what the best way is for curating content in order to meet the needs of those users.

The Elements of Content Strategy is an excellent compliment to my experience in creating content for various media channels. Here are some of the key takeaways from the book:

1.) Good content is appropriate for the user and for the business. Content is most appropriate for users when it helps them accomplish their goals, offering them precisely what they need, exactly when they need it, and in exactly the right form. Content is most appropriate for the business when it helps the business accomplish its goals (ie. improving sales, improving service, or reducing costs).

2.) Good content is useful and user-centered. Make a plan; know what you want to accomplish with your content. Perform research on your users- who are they; what kind of information are they seeking; do they go anywhere else to find this information? Your research will pay dividends and help you to curate your content to fit the needs of your users. Also, make sure your user can figure out what to do (navigation) and don’t alienate your users by publishing self-absorbed content.

3.) Good content is clear. Organize it!

4.) Good content is consistent. Use a style guide, adhere to branding standards, and monitor your voice and tone.

5.) Good content is concise. Don’t waste the time of your users- especially on the web. Learn what your users need and publish that.

6.) Good content is supported. Update factual content once it’s no longer useful. Also, cite your resources.

“Content people” work for the users. As a content strategist, you can help your teams and clients communicate more effectively by introducing tools like clearly documented editorial workflows, editorial calendars, and content customized for audiences and channels.

“Messages” are high-level ideas you want to transmit directly to your users. These messages aren’t taglines; they’re there for internal use and will act as scaffolding for your content, supporting and shaping the content you actually produce. Look at it from the perspective of rhetorical appeal:

• Core idea: “Our academic programs are strong.”
• Rational appeal: “Most of our programs are nationally ranked, and 70% of our graduates go on to pursue maters or doctoral degrees.”
• Emotional appeal: “Apply here to study with the most inspiring professors.”
• Reputation-based appeal: “We are the most selective university in the state, and our faculty offers an unparalleled reputation for excellence in their fields.”

Define your project. What are you doing and why? Know your stakeholders; interview them, and find out the following:

• Business goals- overarching aims that an entire organization tries to achieve
• Tactics- specific requests like, “clarify the navigation”, or “make it easier to find X”
• Requirements- immovable objects like launch date, budget, and staffing
• Project objectives- ie. “Change our website to reflect our new organizational focus on education.”
• Success- know what it means for your project, and then figure out the best way to achieve it

Do you have a channel strategy? Use what you’ve researched about your users and your and your business goals to figure out the best way of getting your content to your users. Delivery channels to consider are: the website itself, micro-sites/topical sites, blogs, newsletters, social media, webcasts, podcasts, videos, online magazines, mobile apps, third-party apps, whitepapers, ebooks, and special reports.

Evaluate (research, testing, and traffic analysis). Design (communication strategy, proposals for features, and plans for creating content). Execute (writing and revisiting content, set up publishing workflows, and aggregating content).

Buy Elements of Content Strategy by Erin Kissane at A Book Apart.