delivering your content strategy: effective documentation and deliverables (confab 2015)

Delivering Your Content Strategy

Effective Documentation and Deliverables

Kim MarquesLiberty Mutual Insurance@ContentKim The views expressed herein are the authors own, and do not necessarily

represent the views of any company or organization.

What We’ll Cover

• The Content Strategy Process• 4 Common Types of Content Strategy

Deliverables: • Content Inventory & Audits• Content Hierarchies• Content Recommendations• Copy Decks

• What Deliverables to Use• How to Customize Your Deliverables

Plan

Create

Publish

Analyze

Content Strategy is a process …

… AND a deliverable.

Common Deliverables

My First Mistake

My 1,375,962nd Mistake

Deliverables Aren’t One Size Fits All

Simple Inventory Complex Inventory

• Page Name• URL• Topic

• Page Name• URL• Topic• H1• Metadata• Date Published• Last Edited• Imagery• Traffic

Simple Audit Complex Audit

• All of the Above• Notes

• All of the Above• SEO Value• Business Value• Editorial Score• Notes

Content inventories and audits are important. But they don’t have to be the answer to every content question that anyone could ever ask.

Deliverables Can and Should be Collaborative

This is NOT a Page Table

Always Remember Your Audience

The most extensive audits and well-founded hierarchies won’t convince your stakeholders to adopt a content strategy – YOU will.

Make Your Case

Help Others Do the Work

Many Content Strategists have moved on to other projects before implementation. The right documents can help people follow your direction.

Copy Decks Aren’t Just for Writers

Most Content Strategists don’t create web experiences alone. Create documentation that helps the next person in the process.

Important Documentation Questions

• Is this document helpful?• Is this document usable?• How much time do I have to create this

document?

Remember the WHO

• Why is the document being created?• What is the purpose of the document?• Where does the document live?• When does it need to be delivered?• WHO WILL BE USING THE DOCUMENT?

The UX of UX Documentation

• Identify your users• Define their expectations• Figure out the tasks they need to

complete to meet those expectations

Plan

Create

Publish

Analyze

Content Strategy is a process …

… and the deliverables to support it.

QUESTIONS?

Kim MarquesLiberty Mutual Insurance@ContentKim