Content strategy isn't just for big business, agencies and tech companies. The principles of content strategy can help anyone create meaningful, memorable content that works.

1. Content Strategy
for Small Business"
#AustinContent @claydelk!

2. Sr. Content Strategist"
Volusion.com @volusion!

3. Lead Copywriter &
Content Strategist"
www.yourIFteam.com !

4. The"
Who"
What"
When"
Where"
Why &"
How"
of"

5. The"
What"
Why"
Who"
Where & When"
How"
of"

6. The"
What is content strategy?"
Why"
Who"
Where & When"
How"
of"

7. What is
Content Strategy?"
42Jellos/Flickr (cc)!

8. Content strategy
plans for the
creation,
distribution, and
governance of
content.
- Kristina Halvorson
@halvorson"

9. What is
Content Strategy?"
ABookApart.com!

10. There’s really only one
central principle of good
content: it should be
appropriate for your
business, for your users,
and for its context.
Appropriate in its method
of delivery, in its style and
structure, and above all in
its substance. "

11. Content strategy is the
practice of determining
what each of those things
means for your project—
and how to get there from
where you are now.
Erin Kissane
@kissane"

12. Isn’t this just another name for __________?"

13. Isn’t this just another name for __________?"
Information architecture
user experience
branding strategy
marketing planning
customer relations
that last “new thing”
"

14. Isn’t this just another name for __________?"
Information architecture
user experience
branding strategy
marketing planning
customer relations
that last “new thing”
"
Yes."

15. Content"
Copywriting
Editing
Branding
Imagery
Audio & Video
Social Media
"

16. Content Strategy"
Copywriting Planning"
Editing Project Management"
Branding User Experience"
Imagery SEO"
Audio & Video Analytics"
Social Media CRM"
"
" "

17. The"
What"
Why does it matter?"
Who"
Where & When"
How"
of"

18. It’s about giving
your audience
what they want,
expect and need."

19. It’s about
knowing when,
where and how to
spend your time
and money."
Tracy O/Flickr (cc)!

20. The U.S. content marketing
sector is now a $41 billion
industry.
The average company distributes
content 403.8 times per year —
more than daily."
Brafton.com!

21. The biggest mistake is
thinking that “content”
is just newfangled sales
materials. Most content
marketing fails on the
utility scale.
Content that is
inherently useful is
inherently successful.
Jay Baer
@jaybaer"

22. Differentiate or die."

23. Publish or perish."

24. The"
What"
Why"
Who can do it?"
Where & When"
How"
of"

26. But I’m not a Content Strategist?"

27. But I’m not a Content Strategist?"
Do you need to be a Writer to send
email?"
"
Do you need to be a Salesman to
sell products?"
"
Do you need to be a Manufacturer
to make things?"

28. But all the writing about
content strategy is from
enterprise organizations,
national agencies and
big tech companies."

29. But all the writing about
content strategy is from
enterprise organizations,
national agencies and
big tech companies."
They have the budgets, the means
and the motivation to distribute
content about content strategy."

30. The"
What"
Why"
Who"
Where & When "
can I use it?"
How"
of"

31. WHEN YOU:"
"
• Do content marketing"
• Send email"
• Write documentation"
• Have a website"
• Create print collateral"
• Use social media"
• Blog"
You can use the principles of content
strategy to make your content work better."

32. The"
What"
Why"
Who"
Where & When"
How do I do it?"
of"

33. Preparation"
1. Read a LOT."
2. Ask lots of questions (especially
“Why?”)."
3. Give yourself time to think."
4. Set goals. Define what success
looks like."
5. Be realistic."

34. Copyright 2003!

35. The"
What"
Why"
Who"
Where & When"
How do I do it?"
(What does it look like?)"
of"

36. Content Strategy
Documentation"
What do deliverables look like?"
"
How do I document that?"
"
How do I share it with someone else?"
"
How can I show this to my boss?"
"
How do I get paid for this?"

37. The Message Brief
(Architecture, Hierarchy, Strategy)"

38. The Message Brief
(Architecture, Hierarchy, Strategy)"
• Prioritize your messages!
!
• Define audience needs and
expectations!
!
• Guidelines for all content creation
after this point!

39. The Message Brief
(Architecture, Hierarchy, Strategy)"
1. Primary Message!
!
• Target audience!
• Supporting messages!
• Key terminology!
• Voice and tone!

40. #AustinContent @claydelk!
Colleen
Jones
Content-­‐Science.com

41. IF
marke/ng
&
adver/sing
YourIFteam.com

42. Black
Star
Co-­‐Op
BlackStar.coop

43. Customer Personas"

44. Customer Personas"
…we cannot advocate for those whom we do not
know—or, even worse, those whom we assume we
know. So we go to the source: we interview, we learn,
and we determine who, exactly, these mystery users
are. In doing so, we answer the two most important
questions of the discovery stage: who are our
audiences, and what do they want from our website?!
!
!
- Cory Vilhauer!
“Audiences, Outcomes and Determining User Needs” !
A List Apart!

45. Customer Personas"

46. Le4BrainDGA.com

47. Content Audit"
Accounting for all of your current web content in a
single, authoritative document (unfortunately, typically
a spreadsheet).!
!
• Quantitative!
• Qualitative!
• Benchmarking!
• Maintaining!
• Documenting!
!

48. Content Audit"
Accounting for all of your current web content in a
single, authoritative document (unfortunately, typically
a spreadsheet).!
!
• Quantitative!
• Qualitative!
• Benchmarking!
• Maintaining!
• Documenting!
!

49. Site Map"

50. Site Map"
Similar to the content audit, but typically for new
websites or complete restructures.!
!
• Document all pages!
• Identify main sections!
• Show connections among and between pages!
• Everything in its place!
!

51. PREPARED BY: Clay Delk
DATE:
CLIENT:
PROJECT:
JOB NUMBER:
DRAFT: 1
0.0 HOME
1.0 PRIMARY PAGE 1
1.1 SECONDARY PAGE
1.1.1 TERTIARY PAGE
1.2 SECONDARY PAGE
2.0 PRIMARY PAGE 2
2.1 SECONDARY PAGE
2.1.1 TERTIARY PAGE
2.2 SECONDARY PAGE
3.0 PRIMARY PAGE 3
3.1 SECONDARY PAGE
3.1.1 TERTIARY PAGE
3.2 SECONDARY PAGE
FLOATING NAVIGATION
4.0
5.0

52. Med.Stanford.edu

53. Page Templates"

54. Page Templates"
Formatted documents to help create content for each
page or content area.!
!
• Highlights key information!
• Location!
• Goals & motivations!
• Calls to action!
• Inbound/outbound links!
• Wireframes!
!
!
!

55. PREPARED BY: Clay Delk
DATE:
CLIENT:
PROJECT:
JOB NUMBER:
DRAFT: 1
0.0 HOME
URL:
<title> (66 characters):
Meta Description (150 characters):
Keywords (12 max):
Header/H1:
Body Copy:
1.0 ABOUT US
URL:
<title> (66 characters):
Meta Description (150 characters):
Keywords (12 max):
Header/H1:
Body Copy:

56. Via
Rahel
Bailie
Inten/onalDesign.ca

57. 0.0 HOME
Page Topic:
Page Objective:
Page Title
Primary Content
Secondary Content
Intro copy for sub pages,
sideboxes, etc.
Third Level Content
Primary Call to Action
Additional Assets
Content Creation:
- This content should provide a number of paths for users to follow to the information they
need. But the design/organization should be structured so that the most important path is
most prominent. Assuming that would be the Request a Quote/Get Assessment
Maintenance:
- Regularly update blog articles and features, fresh content with important keywords.
Outstanding Questions/Concerns:
- Is there going to be enough content to rank for the keywords you want? With so many
topics and links, will it be too scattered to rank well for anything?

58. Editorial Calendar"
Plan and organize upcoming topics, content creation,
social media and deployment.!
!
• Main topic!
• Target audience!
• Audience benefit!
• Call to action!
• Owner/creator!
• Medium!
!
!

60. Editorial
Calendar
Wordpress
Plugin

61. Countless Others"
There are templates for anything you need, if you look
around or ask.!
!
Resources:!
!
Brain Traffic Blog!
h:p://blog.braintraffic.com/2010/06/a-­‐big-­‐ol%E2%80%99-­‐list-­‐
of-­‐content-­‐strategy-­‐resources-­‐for-­‐you/
Rahel Bailie’s Intentional Design!
h:p://intenMonaldesign.ca/2010/06/16/skills-­‐to-­‐transiMon-­‐to-­‐
content-­‐strategy/
!
!
!

62. The"
What is it?"
Giving your audience what they
want, expect and need."
Why"
Who"
Where & When"
Howof"

63. The"
What "
Why do it?"
Knowing when, where and how
to spend your budget."
Who"
Where & When"
Howof"

64. The"
What "
Why "
Who can/should do it?"
You! (also, everybody)"
Where & When"
Howof"

65. The"
What "
Why "
Who "
Where & When?"
Any time, any content, any medium."
How"

66. The"
What "
Why "
Who "
Where & When"
How do I do it?"
Ask questions. Create templates,
bend them to your will."

67. Questions, comments,
showering with praise?"

68. Thank you!"