How-to slides from a full-day content strategy workshop.

1. Making the case for content
How to build a strategy & make your content stand out

2. Blind faith in technology.
Baron Manett
SVP Strategy, Ariad
@bstat
Chad Story
UX and Content Strategist
@chadstory
Howdy, nice to meet you

3. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
What’s the point
of marketing?

4. Somehow we thought he
had all the answers…

5. We started to
listen these folks

6. And then this happened…

7. …and this…

8. … and then this.

9. Now this.

11. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
What’s the point
of marketing?
So…

12. What’s the
one constant?

16. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
People & the relationships
they have with one another

17. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
Compromise &
Communication
Makings of a good relationship

18. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
Compromise
Conversation=
For marketers this means…
Communication
Empathy=

19. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
Conversation
EMPATHETIC
LISTENING
MUTUAL BENEFIT
THOUGHTFUL
RECIPROCAL

20. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
Where does content fit in?

21. It’s the stuff you talk about.

22. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
Content ≠ copy

23. 2000 – 2012
Content ≠ format

24. 2000 – 2012
Content ≠ messaging

25. 2000 – 2012
Content:
The essence and substance of
your brand’s conversations.

26. HUH?!

27. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
Think of it like this…

28. 2000 – 2012
This is Brad…
…he wants a new car.

29. Here
2000 – 2012
Here
?

30. Brad’s Journey
RESEARCH
VALIDATES
TESTS
CONFIRMS
BUYS

31. RESEARCH
VALIDATES
TESTS
CONFIRMS
BUYS
2000 – 2012
Brad has questions…
?
?
?
?
? ? ?
?
…we have answers.

32. CONTENT
This is

33. 2000 – 2012
Wells Fargo

34. 2000 – 2012
IKEA

35. 2000 – 2012
KNORR

36. 2000 – 2012
?If = CONTENT

37. 2000 – 2012
What is content strategy?

38. content strategy
> What should we say?
> Which format do we use?
> How should we sound?
> How do we create it?
> How will we maintain it?
> Why are we doing this?
> What are the right channels?
> Who are we talking to?
> How will we measure it?
> Why are we saying it?

39. 2000 – 2012
Content Strategy:
Content strategy plans for the creation,
publication, and governance of useful,
usable content.
– Kristina Halvorson

40. THE PROCESS?

41. THE
PROCESS?

42. But there are tools &
approaches…

43. 2000 – 2012
Blind faith in technology.
People-focused
content strategy
Here’s ours…

44. WHAT TO EXPECT TODAY:
1. We’ll challenge your thinking about content.
2. Show you that content is an asset worth investing in.
3. Explain how to think about content strategically.
4. Arm you with an approach to content strategy.

45. Define
1
Strategize
2
Plan
3
• Business objectives
• Audience insights
• Content review
• Overlap in goals
• Strategy statement
• Identify formats
• Align existing content
• Identify gaps
• Matrix
• Requirements
• Tone and voice
• Editorial calendar

47. DefineGathering everything we need for the strategy.

48. Why?What are the objectives underpinning your strategy?

49. You probably have
to deal with this

50. Tools that can help
Market analysis reports
Competitive
Reviews

51. Is this a good objective?
Get more visitors to our website.

52. Get more visitors to our website.
Increase the number of sale-
qualified leads.

53. Identifying True Objectives
• Create a unified web
presence that allows
donors, information
seekers and grant
applicants to engage
with the brand
• Tell the story of the
brand online, building a
deeper relationship with
existing and
prospective donors,
increasing the
likelihood of donation
frequency and amount
• Reinforce the brand as
a legitimate charitable
organization
• Increase donations
from $140,000 to
$200,000 in 2013
BUSINESS MARKETING
• A legitimate charitable
organization
• Show how easy giving
can be and how small
monthly contributions
add up.
COMMUNICATION

54. ü
The makings of a good objective:
Measurable: Can be measured with a certain degree of
accuracy.
ü Focused: Places emphasis on a single goal.
ü Business impact:The objective is moving the business
forward in a meaningful way.

55. Your turn:
Let’s complete exercises one, two and three.
Here’s how:
1. Craft your business story
2. Map out your stakeholders
3. Identify your business requirements

56. Who?What audiences are we trying to connect with?

57. Everyone!

58. Audience research
Personas
Customer journeys
Tools that can help

59. The Brief
Unpacking the brief
The Insights
?
Gender: Men and Women (note that
84% of Canadian men also report
making regular donations to charities,
compared with 86% of women)
Age: 45-54 and 55-64 (younger and
older boomers)
Education: University educated
Avg. annual contribution: $725
Size of the market: 570,000 Canadians

60. The Brief
Unpacking the brief
Gender: Men and Women (note that
84% of Canadian men also report
making regular donations to charities,
compared with 86% of women)
Age: 45-54 and 55-64 (younger and
older boomers)
Education: University educated
Avg. annual contribution: $725
Size of the market: 570,000 Canadians
The Insights
Doing their homework online, but
interacting offline. Boomers are more
likely to research a charity before
making a donation – generally on the
organization’s website.
A personal connection is often the
key to giving. Boomers respond more
generously to personal requests to give
(i.e. charitable events). But the
likelihood that the donor is somehow
personally connected to the cause
significantly increases the likelihood
they will give.

61. Unpacking the brief
The Insights
Doing their homework online, but
interacting offline. Boomers are more
likely to research a charity before
making a donation – generally on the
organization’s website.
A personal connection is often the
key to giving. Boomers respond more
generously to personal requests to give
(i.e. charitable events). But the
likelihood that the donor is somehow
personally connected to the cause
significantly increases the likelihood
they will give.
The Goals
> Make a donation online.
> Read more about the charity.
> Learn more about the projects they
support.

62. Getting to know our audiences:
Data
Demographics
Hypotheses
Assumptions
Insights
Behaviours
Motivations
Goals

63. Empathy Maps

64. Your turn:
Let’s complete exercises four.
Here’s how:
1. Identify your audience and their needs.

65. What?What content do we currently have?

66. “I want a blog!”

67. Content
Inventory
Scorecard
Tools that can help

68. Audits Done Right
Establish criteria
q Name
q Location
q Format
q Creation date
q Brand
q Focus
q Notes
What you’ll inventory
Look for sources
Where you’ll look
> Websites
> Collateral
> Call Centre Scripts
> Archives
> Social Media
> Design files
> Warehouses

69. STRATEGIZEPulling it all together

70. The tools:
Content Strategy
Deliverables

71. 2000 – 2012
They want to…
Mapping objectives
We want to…
> Make a donation online.
> Read more about the
charity.
> Learn more about the
projects they support.
>Increase donations from $140,000 to
$200,000 in 2013.
> Tell the story of the brand online,
building a deeper relationship with
existing and prospective donors,
increasing the likelihood of donation
frequency and amount.
> Show how easy giving can be and how
small monthly contributions add up.

72. 2000 – 2012
They want to…
Mapping objectives
We want to…
> Make a donation online.
> Read more about the
charity.
> Learn more about the
projects they support.
>Increase donations from $140,000 to
$200,000 in 2013.
> Tell the story of the brand online,
building a deeper relationship with
existing and prospective donors,
increasing the likelihood of donation
frequency and amount.
> Show how easy giving can be and how
small monthly contributions add up.

73. 2000 – 2012
Finding Overlap
Where the strategy lies
Audience
Goals
Business
Objectives

74. Spell it out
A single destination to learn about,support and donate
to Save the Trees.

75. Strategy Statement
A single destination to learn about,support and donate
to Save the Trees.
Everything in one place. Bring all the
information about the brand together in a single
and convenient location. No searching, no hassle.
Get it and go.
Broad reach, local impact. Save the Trees has an
enormous impact in the lives of Canadians, in their communities
and across the country. Lets brag a little.
Just for them. Anyone who is looking to have an
impact on their local environment can join in by
supporting, donating or applying for money.

76. Finding Brand Themes
SAVE THE TREES
DIY Environmentalism
People helping people
Community Power
Work in action

77. Your turn:
Let’s complete exercises five, six and seven.
Here’s how:
1. Find overlap between your goals and those of your
audience.
2. Identify your brand themes.
3. Craft your strategy statement.

78. PLANMapping out how to get it done

79. Identifying content types
Audience
Goal Topics Format
Read more
about the
charity.
Make a
donation.
• The history of Save the Trees.
• The projects we support.
• Financial statements
> Video
> Project profiles
> Tips
> Step-by-step instructions
> Project stories
• How to donate.
• Where donations go.
• Privacy and security policy,
• Other ways to give.

80. Find Gaps
Reuse
?
?
What does our
content audit say?
Audience
Goal Topics Format
Read more
about the
charity.
Make a
donation.
• The history of Save the Trees.
• The projects we support.
• Financial statements
> Video
> Project profiles
> Tips
> Step-by-step
> Help text
> Project stories
• How to donate.
• Where donations go.
• Privacy and security policy,
• Other ways to give.

81. Your turn:
Let’s complete exercises eight.
Here’s how:
1. Identify the content you’ll need and list out if you
know where it exists.

82. The tools:
Tone and voice
guidelines
Content
requirements
Editorial calendar

83. Setting up a matrix
All the content we
need to produce,
edit or migrate.

84. Content Requirements
Where is the source content?
What are the copy points?
Where are the wireframes?
Who creates it?
When is it due?
The Purpose:

85. Governance
How do we do to
maintain content?

86. Your turn:
Let’s complete exercises nine.
Here’s how:
1. Try your hand at completing content
requirements.

87. And… breathe ;)

88. ü Content is powerful: It’s the substance of the
conversations you have with customers.
ü Content is for people: Put your audience at the
heart of your strategy and it will excel.
ü Content is hard work: But it’s worth it.
Here’s what we learned: