This document provides a method for content leaders to identify high-impact content initiatives. It involves a two-step process: 1) being a detective to find known business and content priorities by talking to stakeholders and rating importance, and 2) being a learner to assess strategic, content, and practice readiness by evaluating strengths and gaps. Examples are given of applying this method to potential initiatives around improving customer experience and encouraging energy conservation. The overall goal is to select initiatives that align with organizational needs and priorities and that the content team is ready to implement successfully.

1. Photo by Gabriel on Unsplash
Content assess and progress
How to identify high-impact content
initiatives and next steps
Twitter: #Confab2018 #AssessProgress @Kathy_CS_Inc

2. Project-based
content strategy is
an oxymoron.
But it’s real.

3. Welcome
content leaders!
• Strategists
• Directors and managers
• Lead practitioners
Photo by Craig Whitehead on Unsplash

4. What keeps content leaders up at night?

5. What keeps content leaders up at night?
• Building a business case and getting buy in
• Aligning teams around content standards
• Knowing where to start

6. Why is it so hard?
We have different
backgrounds, and often see
only through the lens of our
past experience.
Photo by Amanda Kerr on Unsplash

7. If you don’t want
to miss anything,
follow a recipe.

8. Our recipe for
selecting
high-impact
content
initiatives.
Photo by Jeff Sheldon on Unsplash

9. Content strategy ingredients
• A generous scoop of access to people across
your organization
• A pound of ability to listen
• One open mind
• A heaping spoonful of time and patience
• A pinch of ability to connect the dots
• Budget, to taste
Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash

10. The method Strategic direction
Front stage
CX of content
Practitioner
Back stage
Governance
Manager & Practitioner
Objectives and priorities
Strategist

11. The method
Strategic direction
CX strategy
Digital strategy
Product strategy
Channel strategy
Marketing strategy
Research…
Needs
Interests
Preferences
Capabilities
…related to content
Contentstrategy
Get new customers?
Retain/extend customer?
Do more with less?
Improve customer experience?
Compete in digital space?

12. Audience Needs
Tech
Skill sets
Message
Brand
MetricsBusiness Goals
Structure
Content
Types
Content
Channels
Department
Goals
Process
That’s a lot to think about!
It’s complicated
and messy

13. I can’t do everything all at once!
Where do I start?“ ”~ Content Leaders Everywhere

14. We go with what we know and ignore
the rest
• Feels less overwhelming.
• We can quickly “move the needle”.
• Position ourselves as experts.

15. What if you could find what’s
best for your company?
• Needs a system to help you see areas not obvious
to you.
• May not have the right skillsets, right away
• Position yourself as a detective, and a learner.

16. Step 1: Be a detective. Find known priorities
• Business priorities
• Content priorities
Step 2: Be a learner. Assess your readiness
• Strategic readiness (business + audience + channels)
• Content readiness
• Content practice readiness
Summary of steps:
Identifying strategic content initiatives

17. Part 1: Be a detective
Step 1:
Be a detective
Find known priorities

18. Start with what you control or influence
Global
marketing
WebsiteProduct
content
Corp
Comms
Social
media
Media
Relations
Product
marketing
DigitalRegional
marketing

19. Identify your known
priorities
What’s most important to
your business? To your
department?
What content priorities have
already been defined?

20. How important are these business goals?
On a scale of 1 – 5
• Improve experience
• Support customers
• Reach new markets
• Change behaviors
• Improve digital maturity
• Strengthen brand
• Be more inclusive
• Be more efficient
• Build awareness
• Innovate

21. Don’t expect to do
this yourself
• Talk with people
• Investigate
• Listen
• Bring cookies
Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash

22. How important are these content goals?
On a scale of 1 – 5
• Personalized content
• Reusable content
• User-generated content
• Consistent content
• Dynamic content
• Easy-to-find content
• Quality translated content
• Locally relevant content
• User-focused content
• Adaptive content

23. Don’t waste your
energy on
unimportant things.

24. How would other
people rate these
priorities?
And what if
everything is super
important?

25. Think about
timing

26. Find the
relationships

27. Real world example
Reach inter-
national markets
Provide accessible
XPs
Personalize content
Nurture advocates/
champions
Make a product
easier
Global & regional
alignment

28. Real world example
Foundational Initiative A:
Customer experience improvements
• Improve customer experience
• Consistent content
• Easy-to-find content

29. Real world example
Discrete Initiative B:
Encourage people to use less
electricity
• Change behavior
• Build awareness
• Be more inclusive
• User-generated content

30. Quick review: Discover known priorities
1. Focus on what you can control and/or influence.
2. Rate the importance of business goals.
3. Rate the importance of content goals.
4. Discard goals that aren’t at all important.
5. Focus first on more urgent goals.
continued…

31. Quick review: Discover known priorities
6. Look for relationships and categories.
7. Determine if they’re foundational or discrete.
8. Plan for the non-urgent goals:
a. Integrate what you can into priority initiatives.
b. Tackle quick fixes.
c. Roadmap the rest.

32. Part 2:
Be a learner
Assess your readiness

33. Assess your readiness
• What have you got already?
• What’s not useful anymore?
• What’s missing?
If things are documented and
approved, there’s less risk.

34. Assess your readiness
Consider:
• Strategic readiness
• Content readiness
• Content practice readiness

35. Assess your readiness
Consider:
1. Strategic readiness

36. Assess your strategic readiness
What’s clear and documented?
• Business objectives?
• Audience needs related to content?
• Channel considerations?
• Other strategies or initiatives?

37. What’s guiding business decisions?
On a scale of 1 – 5
• Approved strategic business goals for three years
• Clear, corporate vision and mission
• Impacted departments have goals and budget
• Departments have a history of supporting each other
• Department leaders work together to stay aligned

38. • Goals are prioritized relative to each other & timing
• Goals have success measures associated with them
• It’s clear how content supports organizational goals
• Approved, over-arching CS guiding principles
• Tech & resourcing needs are understood & realistic
What’s guiding business decisions?
On a scale of 1 – 5

39. • Each piece of content has defined primary audience
• It’s clear how content supports intended audience
• Primary and secondary audiences are understood
• There are situational contexts for audience priorities
• CX methodologies are applied to content
What’s guiding audience decisions?
On a scale of 1 – 5

40. • Regular research is conducted to:
 Discover audience needs related to content
 Validate and iterated content designs
 Measure the effectiveness of published content
• Audience needs drive content decisions
What’s guiding audience decisions?
On a scale of 1 – 5

41. • Defined audiences for each content channel
• Clear purpose and objective for each content channel
• Channel goals support one another
• Content reinforces consistent XP across channels
• Content formats are appropriate for the channel
What’s guiding channel decisions?
On a scale of 1 – 5

42. • Channel-specific success metrics are in place
• Audience needs across channels are understood
• Content design & linking supports cross-channel flow
• Content displays well on all publication channels and devices
• Your channel mix is thoughtful rather than ad hoc
What’s guiding channel decisions?
On a scale of 1 – 5

43. Using your priorities from step
1 as a lens, identify strengths
and gaps.

44. If there are too many gaps, there’s a risk of:
• Unexpected shifts in business objectives
• Not meeting audience needs with content
• Not meeting audience needs in delivery

45. What critical gaps need to
be filled before you move
forward?

46. Real world example 1
Foundational Initiative A:
• Improve customer experience
• Consistent content
• Easy-to-find content

47. Real world example 1
Potential showstoppers:
• Tech & resourcing needs are not
understood
• No history of department leaders
working together
• Cross-departmental goals not
prioritized

48. Real world example 2
Discrete Initiative B:
Encourage people to use less
electricity
• Change behavior
• Build awareness
• Be more inclusive
• User-generated content

49. Real world example 2
No showstoppers, but priorities
to build into project plan:
• Strategic channel mix
• Clear audience definition and
focus
• User testing of content in the
design/validation phase

50. How
confident
are you in
your
skills?
Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash

51. Real world example 3
Perceived need
≠
actual need.

52. Draft your
future vision

53. Front stage
CX of content
Practitioner
Back stage
Governance
Manager & Practitioner
There’s more!
• Content readiness
• Content practice readiness

54. Do you need to make
adjustments?

55. Refine your future
vision.
Make sure there’s time
and budget.
Create your plan.

56. Socialize the vision.
Share your plan.

57. Quick review
1. Assess your strategic readiness
• What’s guiding business decisions?
• What’s guiding audience-focused decisions?
• What’s guiding content channel decisions?
2. Using your priorities as a lens, identify strengths and
gaps.
3. Draft your content strategy vision.
continued…

58. Quick review
4. Assess your content readiness
5. Assess your content practice readiness
6. Refine your content strategy vision
7. Be sure you have time and budget
8. Create a plan
9. Socialize and share your vision and plan

59. Your recipe for identifying
content initiatives that work
for:
• Your company
• Your department
• Your audience
• Your budget
• Your timeline

60. It will be different for everyone
Even you, at different times

61. Everything is flexible.
Adapt it to your needs.

62. What we’re planning
Online diagnostic
tools & analysis
Group, in-person
training workshops
Online resource
library
To help
build your
in-house
content
strategy
expertise.

63. If you want more
• Get updates
• Be part of our CS community advisory group
www.contentstrategyinc.com/content-assess-and-progress/

64. Questions?
And thank you
Kathy Wagner
Content Strategy Inc
kathy@contentstrategyinc.com
@Kathy_CS_Inc | @Team_CS_Inc