The Content Strategy Toolkit: Methods, Guidelines, and Templates for Getting Content Right

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
Part I: GET BUDGET AND BUY-IN
	1 IDENTIFY PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES
		Figure Out What’s Wrong with Your Content
			Hypothesize What’s Wrong
			Choose Your Methods
			Content Strategy Tool 1.1 Audit Planning Tips and Templates
			Content Strategy Tool 1.2 A Super Simple User Test
			Set Up Your Experiments
		Don’t Forget People and Process
			Content Strategy Tool 1.3 People and Process Mini-Assessment
		Turn Problems into Opportunities
		Ready? Let’s Go
	2 CONVINCE LEADERS AND GET THE RESOURCES
		Think Like a Business Person
		Quantify the (Missed) Opportunities
			Calculate the Risks
			Consider Non-Monetary Costs
		Make Your Argument
			Content Strategy Tool 2.1 Making the Case Presentation Starter Deck
			Claim
			Grounds
			Warrant
			Backing
			Qualifier
			Rebuttal
			The Ask
		Ready for Action?
Part II: SET UP FOR SUCCESS
	3 GET STAKEHOLDERS ON BOARD
		Stakeholder Roles and Types
			Roles
			Types
		Your Stakeholders
			List and Label
			Content Strategy Tool 3.1 Stakeholder Matrix
			Craft  Your Approach
		Keeping Stakeholders in the Loop
			Content Strategy Tool 3.2 Stakeholder Communications Plan and Templates
		All Aboard
	4 ASSEMBLE YOUR CROSS-DISCIPLINE TEAM
		Pick Your Team
			Determine the Expertise You Need
			Match Expertise with People
			Content Strategy Tool 4.1 Roster and Responsibilities Template
		Kick Off Your Project
			Plan Your Kickoff Meeting
			Content Strategy Tool 4.2 Kickoff Agenda and Exercises
			Spotlight on Terminology Alignment
			Spotlight on Process Definition
			Spotlight on Team Norms
		Kick Off for Clarity
			Group Decision-Making
			Ground Rules
			Facilitative Listening
		Ready to Work
	5 PREPARE FOR CHANGE
		What Makes Change So Hard?
			Fear About Productivity and Performance
			Fear of Being Ignored
			Fear of Unnecessary Upheaval
			Fear of Losing Control or Being “Found Out”
			Fear That the Proposed Change Is Unrealistic or Impossible
		An Approach to Preparing for Change
			D Is for Define
			A Is for Anticipate
			I Is for Introspect
			S Is for Speak
			Y Is for Yield
			Content Strategy Tool 5.1 The DAISY Framework for Content Transformation
		You Can’t Manage Change
Part III: DIG IN AND GET THE DIRT
	6 UNDERSTAND YOUR BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
		Define the Inquest
			Internal Factors
			Content Strategy Tool 6.1 The Business Model Canvas
			External Factors
			Content Strategy Tool 6.2 Competitive Content Analysis Guidance and Template
		Get the Goods
			Interviewing Stakeholders
			Planning the Interviews
			Content Strategy Tool 6.3 Stakeholder Interview Guide
			Structuring the Interview
			Conducting the Interviews
			Reviewing Documentation
			Content Strategy Tool 6.4 Insights Engine
		Open for Business
	7 LEARN ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE AND USERS
		What You Want to Know and Understand
			Market Research vs. User Research
			Questions and Gaps
			Content Strategy Tool 7.1 User Understanding Matrix
		Your Approach to User Research
			Assessing Appetite
			Proposing an Approach
			Doing the Research
			Content Strategy Tool 7.2 User Understanding Workshop Activities
		Nice to Know You, Users
	8 GET FAMILIAR WITH YOUR CONTENT
		The Content Ecosystem
			Step 1: Make a List
			Step 2: Document the Details
			Content Strategy Tool 8.1 Content Ecosystem Mapping Guide
			Visualize the Ecosystem
		Content Snapshots
			Inventories
			Content Audits
			Content Strategy Tool 8.2 Sample User Tests
		Content Conscientiousness
	9 EVALUATE YOUR PROCESSES
		Right People, Right Skills, Right Work
			How to Assess Leadership and Culture
			How to Assess Capabilities
			Content Strategy Tool 9.1 Process Assessment Guide
		Role Clarity and Decision-Making Authority
			How to Assess Role Clarity
			How to Assess Decision-Making Authority
		Standards, Guidance, and Enablement
			First, Some De„nitions
			How to Assess Standards, Guidance, and Enablement
		Built-in Collaboration and Iteration
			Collaboration and Iteration Examples
			How to Assess the Way Collaboration and Iteration are Built Into Your Processes
		Process Evaluation Status Complete
Part IV: ARTICULA YOUR STRATEGY
	10 ALIGN ON A STRATEGIC FOUNDATION
		Running a Strategic Alignment Workshop
			Exercise 1: Levels of Why
			Exercise 2: Look of Success
			Exercise 3: Audience Characteristics
			Exercise 4: The MadLib
			Content Strategy Tool 10.1 Strategic Alignment Workshop Guide
		Preparing a Strategic Alignment Summary
			Organize for Clarity and Action
			Analyze and Synthesize
			Content Strategy Tool 10.2 Strategic Alignment Summary Starter Document
		Getting to the Strategy
		Discovery: That’s a Wrap
	11 SET YOUR CONTENT COMPASS
		Content Compass Scope
			Function
			Property
			Subset
		Content Compass Components
			Articulate Your Content Purpose
			How Do You Document Your Core Purpose?
			How Do You Cra  Your Content Purpose?
			How Do You Use Your Content Purpose?
		Create Your Messaging Framework
			What Does a Messaging Framework Look Like?
			Content Strategy Tool 11.1 Messaging Framework Template
			How Do You Develop a Messaging Framework?
			How Do You Use Your Messaging Framework?
		Define How You’ll Measure Success
			How Do You Decide What to Measure?
			Let’s Define Some Terms
			Choose the Right Metrics
			How Do You Document What You’ll Measure?
		How Do You Use Your Measurement Framework?
			Document How Content Is Performing
			Report to Stakeholders
			Content Strategy Tool 11.2 Content Measurement Framework and Scorecard Template
		True North
Part V: DESIGN YOUR CONTENT
	12 PRIORITIZE BASED ON YOUR STRATEGY
		Methods for Prioritizing Content
			Two-Question User Survey
			Top Tasks Identi„cation
			Search Intent Analysis
			Topic Sorting
		Documenting Content Priorities
			Content Strategy Tool 12.1 Content Prioritization Templates
		Light the Way
	13 ORGANIZE FOR INTUITIVE WAYFINDING
		Sitemaps
		Building Your Sitemap
		Iterating Your Sitemap
			Internal Iteration
			Content Strategy Tool 13.1 Sitemap Evaluation Working Session Exercises
			User Testing
		Taxonomy
			Documenting Your Taxonomy
			Content Strategy Tool 13.2 Taxonomy Documentation Template
			Iterating on Your Taxonomy
		Organized and Ready
	14 DEFINE THE CONTENT EXPERIENCE
		Formulating the Content Experience
			User Journeys and Pathways
			The Core Model
			Content Strategy Tool 14.1 Collaborative Design Studio Workshop Plan
		Documenting the Content Experience
			Content Strategy Tool 14.2 Content Experience Documentation Templates
		Testing the Content Experience
			Methodology Details
			Using Your Findings to Iterate
		Defined, Designed, and Refined
	15 SPECIFY CONTENT STRUCTURE AND REQUIREMENTS
		Specifying Content Structure
			Structured Content Primer
			Structured Content and the Content Experience
			Structured Content and the Author Experience
			Structured Content and Content Modeling
			Content Strategy Tool 15.1 Content Modeling Tutorial for Content Professionals
		Getting Specific About Content
			Page-Level Content Specifications
			Content Strategy Tool 15.2 Content Specifications Templates and Pair Writing Resources
			Content Mapping
		The Best-Laid Plans
Part VI: IMPLEMENT AND EVOLVE
	16 DEFINE HOW YOU’LL GOVERN YOUR CONTENT
		Content Strategy Tool 16.1 Governance Definnition and Documentation Guide
		The Content Life Cycle
		Who Makes What Decisions
			Responsibilities of Strategic Decision-Makers
			Role of the Content Council
			Responsibilities of Implementation Decision-Makers
		Decision-Making Process
			Strategic Content Planning
			Editorial Planning
		Approach to Content Ownership
		Smart Decision-Making, Facilitated
	17 BUILD OUT YOUR CONTENT PLAYBOOK
		Content Playbook Overview
			Content Strategy Tool 17.1 Content Playbook Outline and Examples
			Content Standards and Guidance
			Content Enablement
		Content Playbook Examples
			Content Creation People and Process Documentation
			Roles and Responsibilities
			Process
			Maintenance Process Example
			Style Guide and Content Creator Training
			Style Guide and Best Practices Training Program
			How’s It Going at the Internet Society?
		Farewell, Content Friend
Appendix: List of Tools
Index
	A
	B
	C
	D
	E
	F
	G
	H
	I
	J
	K
	L
	M
	N
	O
	P
	Q
	R
	S
	T
	U
	V
	W
	Y