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Content LifecyclesRobert Mills
Content Strategist, GatherContent@RobertMills
Content is hard work
“A series of stages through which something (as an individual, culture, or manufactured product) passes during its lifetime” - Source: merriam-webster.com
Content lifecycles
Content lifecycles
Sub cycles of lifecycle stages
“It is less important what the stages are called and more important that the practitioner have a unified process for managing the entirety of the lifecycle.” - The Language of Content Strategy
“Recognising a content lifecycle means recognising that the business of creating and publishing content follows a recognisable, predictable, repeatable process” - Rahel Bailie
Strategy &
Planning
Measurement Publishing
ProductionRefinement
5 core stages of any content lifecycle
Stage 1:Strategy and Planning
1. Strategy & Planning
What happens when you don’t give content the attention it needs and deserves?
★ You have to change the design to fit the content★ Content is ‘cut and shut’ to fit design★ The site lives in limbo whilst you wait for contents
1. Strategy & Planning
The Core Model:
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Business Goals s
User Needs
1. Strategy & Planning
Content Audits and Inventories:
★ Inventory - spreadsheet accounting for all content on site★ Audit - Review of your content and recommendations★ Must read - Content Audits and Inventories: A Handbook
1. Strategy & Planning
Scaling Content Strategy to suit different budgets:
Inventory:★ Pick a section of site rather than complete site★ Or use a tool to remove manual work
Audit:★ Priority section. ROT Assessment (redundant, outdated,
trivial)★ Entire site, start matching to business goals
1. Strategy & Planning
Understanding Your Audience:
★ Difference between knowing and understanding★ All audience insights allow you to make informed decisions★ Validate assumptions or gain new learnings★ Move from top-level stats to needs, behaviours, motivations★ Audience cycle, like all others, is perpetual
Iceberg
21,000 email subscribers
65% content strategists
52% in-house
46% customersPain: content
collaboration
13% marketers
Prefer ‘How to’ content
8% currently in MOFU
1. Strategy & Planning
Why strive to understand? - business benefits:
★ Position marketing and content so it is more likely to reach the intended audience
★ Forming a vocabulary that will resonate with customers★ Have the know-how to create meaningful content★ Able to talk to customers in an authentic voice and tone
that supports your brand identity
1. Strategy & Planning
Why strive to understand? - customer benefits:
★ They get the content they need, when and where they need it★ They are spoken to in a manner that appeals to them★ Their user experience is better because all content decisions
have been informed
1. Strategy & Planning
Purposeful research statements:
I want to know ...
So that I can understand ...
1. Strategy & Planning
Purposeful research statements:
I want to know how people describe their content production process, so that I can understand the common pains that content teams experience.
1. Strategy & Planning
The (not so) secret weapon:
★ What is it that we can ALL do that will get us onto the path of understanding our audiences?
1. Strategy & Planning
The (not so) secret weapon:
★ Talk to them!
1. Strategy & Planning
Content Style Guides:
★ Authentic and consistent voice and tone★ All content output is communicated effectively★ Helps when lots of people producing content★ Disseminate the guidelines so they are actually used★ Head start - http://styleguide.mailchimp.com/
Strategy and Planning Recap:
★ Strategy first, avoid 3 risks of ignoring content★ The core model★ Content audits and inventories★ Scaling content strategy practices to suit budgets★ Strive to understand your audience★ Purposeful research statements★ Talk to your audiences★ Create a content style guide
1. Strategy & Planning
Stage 2:Production
A Typical Content Production Process(for website content)
2. Production
2. Production
Establish a Clear Workflow:
★ What stages do you need? ★ Who is responsible for each stage?★ Are the stages linear or fluid?
2. Production
2. Production
Effective Content Collaboration:
★ Define roles (copywriter, editor, etc)★ Confirm responsibilities (approval, editing, production)★ Communicate where they fit into the workflow★ Ensure there’s an effective way to provide feedback★ Manage expectations - what is due and by when
2. Production
Other Considerations:
★ SEO/Meta titles and tags★ Enforcing content style guide★ Tagging and categories★ Technology★ Accessibility★ Maintenance/Governance
2. Production
Proto-content:
★ Existing content★ Competitor content★ Write your own content★ Draft content★ Commission sample content
2. Production
Pair-writing:
★ Two people sit together to write★ Content specialists collaborate with stakeholders★ Speeds up production and publishing process★ Guarantees input from subject matter experts
Content Production Recap:
★ Content production processes are resource heavy★ Establishing a clear workflow★ Achieve effective content collaboration★ Tip 1: Proto content★ Tip 2: Pair writing
2. Production
Stage 3:Publishing
3. Publishing
Editorial Calendars:
★ Plan what is being published and when★ Allows you to ‘stuff the pipeline’★ Who, what and when★ Measure resource needed and what impact increasing
frequency will have★ Visual overview
3. Publishing
Technology Requirements:
★ What do you need to get the content published?★ Important to involve devs in the content process (asap!)★ Who is responsible for publishing? (do they need training?)d
3. Publishing
Testing Content:
★ Links to measurement section of lifecycle★ User testing/observation★ A/B testing
3. Publishing
Content Promotion:
★ Content isn’t ‘done’ once published★ Needs to reach the desired audience(s)★ Start of the maintenance/governance phase
Publishing Recap:
★ Editorial calendars★ Technology requirements★ Testing content★ Content promotion/marketing
3. Publishing
4. Measurement
Stage 4:Measurement
4. Measurement
Is Your Content Working?
★ Define what you want to measure and how★ Did it achieve desired result? E.g. fewer support tickets★ Tools and data★ Engagement (social)★ Frequency of measurement, how long after publishing★ Before/after. What can you learn?★ Disseminate findings
4. Measurement
Dissemination:
★ Get the information to the people that matter★ Deliver it in an appropriate way★ Make sure the information is used
5. Refinement
Stage 5:Refinement
5. Refinement
What Are You Refining?
★ Content or strategy?
5. Refinement
Action the insights:
★ Spectrum: copy tweaks to adding/removing sections★ Content inventory - living document, record actions here★ Measure the refined/changed content (repeat as needed)
5. Refinement
Maintenance and Governance:
★ Not necessarily based on measurement insights★ Plan for on-going content production★ Putting a new site live is just the beginning★ What resources are needed post-launch?★ New/different workflow/roles and responsibilities
“Reassessing your strategy regularly is important, especially as your business model or priorities change, new competitors come on the scene, or your target audience shifts.” - Meghan Casey, The Content Strategy Toolkit
★
The content lifecycle is perpetual. Plan, produce, publish. Review, refine and repeat. Content is never ‘done’.
Robert Mills
Strategy &
Planning
Measure-ment Publishing
ProductionRefinement
5 core stages of any content lifecycle
