Content is Cow(AAFP’s Content Strategy Practice)

Susanna GuzmanAmerican Academy of Family

PhysiciansApril 24, 2014

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Content ≠ King

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Why Cow?

One Time

Many Times

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Content is Cow

If your content is going to sustain your members, and if you’re going to sustain your

content, you need content strategy.

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Content Strategy: What?

Approaching content strategically means you’re planning for its creation, delivery, governance and ongoing maintenance.

-- Kristina Halvorson

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Why?

Because today, content is:• A river, an ongoing dialogue• Public, ubiquitous• Your reputation• Your brand

Because your website isn’t a filing cabinet.

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And…Content is Everywhere

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Before

CDC

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After

CDC

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Step 1: Understand

1. What are you doing? (identify your business objectives)

2. Who are you doing it for? (know your members)

3. What do they need?(clicks provide clues)

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Who: The Content Persona

-- Daniel Eizans

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What: The Content Audit

• Every email, web page, brochure– Which business objective does it support?– Is it current?– Are your members using it?– Does it deliver on your brand

promise?• What aren’t you doing?

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Now You Know

• What you’re doing• Who you’re doing it for• What they need• How they need it• What you’re giving them• What you should be giving them• How you should be giving it

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Almost There

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Step 2: Identify

• People with skills (writers, editors, content, social and email strategists, analysts)

• Processes (build SOPs around the member experience)

• Standards (e.g., quality, brand, usability, etc.)

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Step 3: Leave Your Cube

• Create teams focused on meeting member needs

• Include subject matter and communication experts

• Get comfortable with productive conflict

• Honor the member and the team

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Step 4: Plan, Plan, Plan

• Create an editorial calendar• Identify main messages• Match messages to channels• Decide what to measure and when

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Challenges

• Staff- and organization-centric thinking• New work products demand new structure,

new process• Change is hard

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Resources

• Content Strategy (book)• Content Strategist by Contently (blog)• Content Confab (conference)