Presentation held at "Confab 2011 - the content strategy conference" in Minneapolis, minnesota. In this use case study you can see how we implemented a sustainable, repeatable content strategy by using a mixture of change management, project management, process management and editorial strategies and tactics.

1. Implementing a content strategy:
An eBay use case
Confab – the content strategy conference, Minneapolis
9 – 11 May 2011
Nikki Tiedtke . EU Senior Content Strategist
Lucie Hyde . Head of Content Mgmt & Strategy - eBay
Europe

2. Contents
1. Our need for a content strategy
2. The context: Business seller communication
3. Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
4. How we did it: From chaos to content strategy
5. Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
4. Examples of deliverables
:: Process: workflows and roles diagrams
:: Quality management: Our framework
:: Brand opportunity and communication strategy
:: Messaging hierarchy and information architecture
:: User research and logfile analysis
:: Briefing and content templates
:: EU editorial style guide
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 2

3. Our need for a content strategy
The project
Business seller news campaign for about 500.000
business sellers in EU. Sent 2-3 times a year.
The content
Content for 12 websites in 7 languages for different
formats and channels (online & offline; Marketing,
Website, Customer Support).
The team
25 people from 11 teams in 5 countries (UK,
Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and US).
The process
An international team. A complex, multi-lingual
and multi-channel communication. A fast-pacing
environment. But: No clear editorial process and
planning, roles, methods or tools.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 3
Images from: http://deutsch.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/14167360/2/istockphoto_14167360-people-icon-set.jpg

4. The context: Business seller news
The topics
• New selling formats and tools
• New ways of managing inventory
• Policy or legal changes
The business objectives
• Create customer-friendly communication which matches
user and business needs.
• Drive awareness and adoption of changes.
• Build a trusted relationship with sellers, help them to be
successful.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 4

5. Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
Content strategist as usability consultant: What do
• Identify internal and external user needs, before you need?
defining processes, strategy and tools.
• Address and help resolve conflicting interests.
Content strategist as change manager and networker: User /
Content
strategist
Stakeholder
• Constantly test & refine processes.
• Plan for small step changes to guide teams with different
maturity levels into content strategy.
• Help build relationships and communication within teams.
Content strategist as content lead:
• Define and plan editorial roles & responsibilities, process and quality
standards.
• Create and implement editorial guidelines.
• Define and implement quality standards for content.
• Manage the editorial process, the copywriters and the quality management
process.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 5

6. Contents
1. Our need for a content strategy
2. The context: Business seller communication
3. Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
4. How we did it: From chaos to content strategy
5. Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
4. Examples of deliverables
:: Process: workflows and roles diagrams
:: Quality management: Our framework
:: Brand opportunity and communication strategy
:: Messaging hierarchy and information architecture
:: User research and logfile analysis
:: Briefing and content templates
:: EU editorial style guide
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 6

7. How we did it: From chaos…
Siloed teams with Unclear roles and
weak relationships responsibilities
No editorial No editorial
process guidelines
No process No tools and
documentation templates
or training
No quality No match between
management business objectives
standards and criteria and user needs
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 7
Image from: http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/12/rubber-ducks.jpg

8. … to content strategy
1 Built strong relationships between teams and identified
stakeholder and user needs.
2 Defined editorial roles, responsibilities, process,
projectplan, methods and tools.
Tested the content strategy for one publishing
3 cycle. Refined it. Used it again. Refined it again.
4 Created editorial guidelines and quality standards based
on brand objectives, usability standards and user needs.
5 Implemented the editorial guidelines and quality
standards by training 60 EU stakeholders. Tweet! We„re
following a content
strategy
Defined and implemented a quality management process for
6 documenting, measuring and sustaining the quality of content
strategy and editorial copy.
7 Next: Implementing this approach in more EU teams!
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 8
Images from: http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/12/rubber-ducks.jpg and http://www.gettyimages.com

9. Timeline 2010
2010
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Built relationships with teams (11 teams, 5 countries).
Defined editorial process Refined process & Finalised and
& tested approach. tested again. documented process.
Documented usability
standards for web content.
Analysed regular market & user research. Integrated findings into editorial guidelines.
Created editorial Refined guidelines.
guidelines for business
sellers.
Created EU editorial style guide based on
Style guide trainings
usability standards, user research and business
for EU teams
seller editorial guidelines.
Defined quality standards for content
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 9

10. Timeline 2011
2011
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Refine content strategy based on 2010
learnings.
Define and implement a quality management process for content strategy and editorial copy.
Test & refine with one publishing cycle.
Update and localize EU editorial guidelines.
Provide „refresher“ trainings.
Create and offer content strategy trainings for EU Marketing & Communication
teams.
Create a global content strategy framework (global style guides, global content quality
management standards, etc).
Continuously analyse market & user research. Integrate findings into editorial guidelines.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 10

11. Contents
1. Our need for a content strategy
2. The context: Business seller communication
3. Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
4. How we did it: From chaos to content strategy
5. Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
4. Examples of deliverables
:: Process: workflows and roles diagrams
:: Quality management: Our framework
:: Brand opportunity and communication strategy
:: Messaging hierarchy and information architecture
:: User research and logfile analysis
:: Briefing and content templates
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 11

12. Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
Deliverables Deliverables build framework
for a repeatable process.
• Process, roles and responsibilities
documentation.
Can be applied to other
• Publishing and content project plan projects and teams.
• EU editorial style guides based on business Govern Discover
objectives, usability standards and user
needs.
• Style guide and content strategy trainings Deploy Define
for all EU stakeholders.
• SEO strategy
Develop Design
• Content and briefing templates
Enables us to continuously
• Quality management plan incl. quality improve, react fast and
standards and criteria. structured within virtual,
international teams.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 12

13. Repeat and refine: Continuous improvement
• Understand business
• Define and manage content objectives and user needs.
lifecycle (update or end-of-life). • Content inventory and audit.
• Quality control: Analyze user
research, log file analysis and
Govern Discover Identify gaps.
• Understand briefing from
success metrics. stakeholders. Identify gaps.
• Quality assurance
of final content in all • Define content
channels and formats deliverables and
before publishing.
• Deploy / launch
Deploy Content Strategy Define scope effort.
• Define project and
online pages and quality management
communication. plan.
• Brief copywriters.
• Create & review copy for all deliverables • Create messaging hierarchy &
and channels. Information Architecture.
• Use quality standards to assess content
quality.
Develop Design • Translate business objectives into key
messages and call to actions.
• Translate & localize copy. • Create “content outline” (rough draft to
be approved by stakeholders).
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 13

14. Contents
1. Our need for a content strategy
2. The context: Business seller communication
3. Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
4. How we did it: From chaos to content strategy
5. Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
4. Examples of deliverables
:: Process: workflows and roles diagrams
:: Quality management: Our framework
:: Brand opportunity and communication strategy
:: Messaging hierarchy and information architecture
:: User research and logfile analysis
:: Briefing and content templates
:: EU editorial style guide
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 14

15. Process: Workflows 1/2
Highest Level Major Seller Release Responsibility Map TO BE (Proposed) We defined the
overall process
A
phases first. And then
Proposition
Confirm
the detailed steps
Seller
information
about the
proposition to within each phase.
be included in
the release.
Engagement
B1
G2
Seller
Kick off the J
Live to Site
process. Set the Post Launch
Checkpoint Go/
direction for the Review
No Go
communication.
B2 D2
Marketing
F2
Confirm Information
Seller
E2 Put the
marketing Architecture.
Trans creation of translated
response. Brief Design the RM
the DM content into the
contributing channel
DM structure
teams. structure.
management
C
Write copy for D1 E1 F1
Content
EU specific Information Get the Micro Put the H I
G1
initiatives. Architecture. Sites copy translated Manage Post End of life for
QA Content
Localise copy Design the translated via content into the Launch Fixes obsolete content
for global Micro Site L10n Micro site
initiatives.
Product
F3
Customer
Service
CS Preparation.
Templates,
scripts,
outbound call
schedule
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 15

16. Process: Workflows 2/2
Example: Detailed
process steps in a
phase.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 16

17. In addition to the process
documentation we defined the
Process: Roles and responsibilities detailed roles and responsibilities for
each process step.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 17

18. Quality management: Our framework 1/2
Template for our quality
management plan. Defines the
standard of how we measure quality
at eBay for content projects. Can be
used for every project.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 18

19. Quality management: Our framework 2/2
Excerpts from our
quality management
definition which we
presented to teams: 1.
Definition and 2. What
documents we use to
assess and control
quality.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 19

20. Business objectives & editorial strategy
Professional seller proposition:
Be a trusted, reliable business partner for sellers to enable great profits and
sales velocity.
Reasons to believe :
We will present timely, relevant information, that is easy to understand, helpful, and easy to access…
Advanced • Targeted & personalised • Clear and plain language • Easy to use • Correct
notice • Focussed on their key needs •Scannable page structure • Concise communication
• Visual aids and not just • Reduce clutter channel and format
text • Call to action • Optimised for
highlighted search engines
• Easy to find on
eBay
… allowing sellers to take action to change their business and sell more efficiently.
Excerpt: How we defined
editorial guidelines based on
our business objectives. The
detailed editorial strategy was
much more detailed.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 20

21. Messaging hierarchy*
Call to action What do I
need to do?
Primary What?
message Why?
Secondary Who?
message How?
When?
How much?
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 21
* From Karen McGrane, Bond art + science: http://www.slideshare.net/KMcGrane/why-ux-design-needs-content-strategy

22. Information architecture 1/2
Messaging hierarchy
defined our information
architecture. From index
page…
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 22

23. Information architecture 2/2
… to single subpage.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 23

24. User research: 2009 to 2010 comparison*
Business sellers
Positive feedback
2010 results
2009 results
Negative feedback
2010 results
2009 results
* From an online survey to a sample of business sellers. Sent after communication launch.
Question: Which of the following words or phrases do you think describes all the communications you have received from eBay?
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 24

25. Logfile analysis
The content strategist
ensures that we measure
key online pages to
understand how
customers use them.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 25

26. Content template: One example
Just one of many
templates we created.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 26

27. Just 2 pages of our super-detailed
communication brief which captures user,
Briefing template business, marketing, content and
customer support requirements.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 27

28. EU editorial style guide
Our EU editorila style
guide was translated and
implemented with regular
training sessions.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 28

29. From 2009…
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 29

30. To 2010: our business seller news
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 30

31. ADVERT: Come and speak. Listen. Learn.
Content Strategy Applied conference
UK, London, Richmond
1-2 March 2012
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 31

32. Thanks for listening. Questions?
Nikki Tiedtke | EU Senior Content Strategist | eBay GmbH
linkedin: http://de.linkedin.com/in/nikkiberlin
Mobile: +49.171.36 24 589
Skype: nikkitiedtkeebay
E-Mail: nikki.tiedtke@web.de
Lucie Hyde | Head of Content Management & Strategy - Localisation -
Web Development, eBay Europe
Mobile: + 44.7870.16 32 80
Skype: luciehyde
E-Mail: lhyde@ebay.com
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 32