A workshop for UX designers and researchers.
Have you ever experienced that sinking feeling at the end of a project when you realise the content that’s been loaded onto the site is nothing like what you were thinking of when you created the wireframes? Or revisited a site you built a while ago and found that additions and changes made over the years have altered it beyond recognition?
Content strategy can help you plan for great content right from the start of a project. This workshop demystifies the content production workflow – how it’s commissioned, created, measured and maintained – talks a bit about governance, and provides some practical tips and tools to help plan and manage content, whether you’re from an agency or in-house.
AUTHORS:
Juliet Richardson
Juliet is Principal UX Consultant at strategic UX design agency, Nomensa based in their Bristol office. She has been working in the field of UX for longer than she cares to remember and has worked on some great projects with some fabulous clients along the way, including a recent collaboration with Sophie to create a content strategy for a large national charity.
Sophie Dennis
Sophie is a freelance consultant. She is a freelance consultant specialising in UX and content strategy. She started her career in publishing before being enticed away by the bright lights of web design, where she has spent 15 years trying to get clients to take their content as seriously as they do design. She recently collaborated with Juliet on the content strategy for a major UK charity, and is currently working as a User Experience Director at cxpartners.
3. @we_are_Nomensa
@sophiedennis
• What is content strategy
• The 8 essentials of great content
• How to plan for the time and effort needed to
create great content
• The activities, people and roles involved
• Take away some practical tools and techniques
What we’ll cover
10. @we_are_Nomensa
@sophiedennis
“Content marketing strategy [must come] first
and this requires goals, different forms of content
for different customer touchpoints, mapping the
needs of people, the channels they prefer and the
content or stories, etc” !
Joe Pulizzi
14. @we_are_Nomensa
@sophiedennis
Appropriate for the organisation
– and for its customers
Contributes to both the organisation’s
objectives, and the customer’s goal.
On brand
A consistent tone of voice
communicates an organisation’s values
through every piece of content.
Necessary and needed
Do not treat the web as a store
cupboard with infinite stuffing space —
your users’ brains certainly aren’t.
Useful, usable and user-centred
Appropriate to the user’s goals and
context, accessible, readable and
understandable.
Clear, consistent and concise
Content that is clear and concise takes
less time to read and understand. But it
also takes time, effort and skill to create.
Right for the distribution channel
Websites, print, social media: different
content works better on different
channels. Adapt, remix and reuse.
Discoverable
There is no point going to the expense
of commissioning, creating and
publishing content if no one can find it.
Sustainable
Publishing is just the start. Make sure you
have a plan to manage and monitor
content throughout its lifecycle.
The 8 qualities of great content
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
23. @we_are_Nomensa
@sophiedennis
Activity:
Who’s in charge?
• As a group, discuss who should take the
lead at each stage of the production
process
• Put a red dot in the box under their name
• Only one red dot per row!
25. @we_are_Nomensa
@sophiedennis
Activity:
Who does what
• Pick one or two activities
• Discuss what each of you would be
doing at that stage
• Write a short summary for each role on a
post-it and stick it under their name
27. @we_are_Nomensa
@sophiedennis
Responsible
The person who does the work: responsible for completing
the action
Accountable
Oversees the work: accountable for its completion and quality
Consulted
Influences the work: consulted parties have input into the
action
Informed
Knows what’s happening: informed parties need to know
action has been taken
RACI Matrix
R
A
C
I
28. @we_are_Nomensa
@sophiedennis
Responsible
Does the work
Accountable
Oversees the work
Consulted
Influences the work
Informed
Knows what’s happening
Brainstorm ideas Senior Editor Marketing Manager Subject Matter Experts Copywriter
Create editorial
calendar
Senior Editor Marketing Manager
Copywriter, Subject
Matter Expert
Write first draft Copywriter Senior Editor Subject Matter Expert
Review, edit & proof-
read
2nd Senior Editor Copywriter
Find photos Designer Senior Editor Subject Matter Expert Copywriter
Upload, approve &
publish
Senior Editor Marketing Manager Subject Matter Expert Copywriter
Promote on social
media
Marketing Assistant Marketing Manager Senior Editor
Monitor & report Marketing Assistant Marketing Manager Senior Editor
Review: Update?
Retire? Archive?
Copywriter Senior Editor Marketing Manager Subject Matter Expert
RACI MatrixMore examples at racichart.org
31. @we_are_Nomensa
@sophiedennis
Recommended Books
Content Production
Planning for Agencies
Gather Content
!
FREE ebook download from
gathercontent.com/content-
production-planning-for-agencies/
Content Strategy
for the Web
Kristina Halvorson & Melissa Rach
2nd Edition, New Riders, 2013
contentstrategy.com
amazon.co.uk/Content-Strategy-Voices-
That-Matter/dp/0321808304
The Elements of
Content Strategy
Erin Kissane
A Book Apart, 2011
abookapart.com/products/the-
elements-of-content-strategy
32. SOPHIE DENNIS
UX & Content Strategy Consultant
Cayenne
@sophiedennis
!
GO BEYOND THE WIREFRAME!
JULIET RICHARDSON
Principal UX Consultant
Nomensa
@we_are_Nomensa