Content Strategy for the Web  ## Metadata - Author: [[Kristina Halvorson]] | [[3. Resources/Authors/Kristina Halvorson|Kristina Halvorson]] - Full Title: Content Strategy for the Web - Category: #books - Kindle: [Open in Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LGGJHE) - Document Tags: [[Marketing]], [[Writing]] ## Document Notes ## Highlights - Ensure that your website content maps back to key business objectives and user goals. Create a web editorial calendar that specifies when and why new content will be published. And, moving forward, stop creating so much “just-in-case” content. ([Location 233](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=233)) - WEB CONTENT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, it needs to meet users’ needs and support key business objectives. ([Location 324](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=324)) - useful, usable content requires user research, strategic planning, meaningful metadata, web writing skills, and editorial oversight. It requires people. With experience. And insights. And judgment. It requires planning. And input. And time. And money. ([Location 448](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=448)) - Done well, content can build your brand, close the sale, improve retention, and win loyalty. Done poorly, it will cause you to lose your audiences’ attention and trust. ([Location 451](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=451)) - web content that’s useful, usable, and enjoyable is one of the greatest competitive advantages you can create for yourself online. ([Location 517](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=517)) - strategy is the practice of planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content. ([Location 547](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=547)) - The main goal of content strategy is to use words and data to create unambiguous content that supports meaningful, interactive experiences. ([Location 573](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=573)) - effective web writer must understand the basics of user experience design, be able to translate information architecture documentation, write effective metadata, and manage an ever-changing content inventory. ([Location 602](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=602)) - engine optimization is the process of creating, editing, organizing, and delivering content (including metadata) to increase its potential relevance to specific keywords on web and site search engines. ([Location 605](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=605)) - Metadata strategy identifies the type and structure of metadata, also known as the “data about data” (or content). Smart, well-structured metadata helps publishers to identify, organize, use, and reuse content in ways that are meaningful to key audiences. ([Location 609](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=609)) - The goal of the analysis phase is to define the objectives, assumptions, risks, and success factors for the project content—and get all of the project stakeholders to agree to them. ([Location 642](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=642)) - content do we need to create? Why? ([Location 657](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=657)) - How will the content be structured? ([Location 660](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=660)) - will users find the content? ([Location 663](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=663)) - will we get from here to launch? ([Location 666](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=666)) - s next once the content is “out there ([Location 669](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=669)) - content strategist is responsible for overseeing the successful identification and fulfillment of all web-related content requirements throughout the project life cycle. ([Location 733](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=733)) - A content inventory is nothing more than a spreadsheet that captures information (such as page title or URL) for each web page or content module you’re responsible for creating, reviewing, or caring for. ([Location 838](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=838)) - of the questions you might want to answer in your qualitative analysis include: • What does the content say? • Is the content accurate? • Is the content useful? • Is the content used by your audiences? • Is the content written professionally? • Is the content user-friendly? ([Location 921](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=921)) - Why are you doing this project? • What’s in your communication ecosystem? • How does content happen? • Who are your users, and what do they want? • What are your competitors up to? • Who else influences your users’ opinions? • Do current events affect your project? ([Location 1048](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1048)) - analysis document—also called the strategic foundation—ends up serving as a stellar reference guide for the project. It clearly spells out the project’s purpose, scope, business goals, and user needs. It can help focus resources appropriately, prevent scope-creep, and identify additional opportunities. ([Location 1077](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1077)) - s important to understand that your analysis findings are not your content strategy. In fact, the strategic foundation document shouldn’t even include any recommendations for the future content. It simply summarizes and analyzes the resources, research, and circumstances that inform recommendations about the creation, delivery, and governance of your web content. ([Location 1080](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1080)) - What is the business trying to achieve with this content? • What do our users want and need from our content? • How will we measure the success of our content? • What can we do with our available time, talent, and budget resources? ([Location 1095](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1095)) - the Difference Between Goals, Requirements, and Tactics ([Location 1104](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1104)) - can spot a business goal a mile away. It has impacts on the organization far beyond whatever your content project could achieve. A business goal includes phrases like: “increase revenue,” “increase market share,” “create employee efficiencies,” “improve the customer experience,” and so on. ([Location 1114](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1114)) - Tactics are specific features, functions, or activities. ([Location 1120](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1120)) - objectives always: • Are specific to this project, but are comprehensive enough to apply to large parts (if not all) of your web content. • Help to accomplish your overall business goals. • Take into account your project requirements and restrictions. • Help you measure and define project tactics. ([Location 1155](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1155)) - metrics, or key performance indicators (KPIs), take your project objectives one step further by establishing how you’ll know if your project objectives are achieved. ([Location 1175](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1175)) - project has risks. Identify them early, so you can do what you can to mitigate them. ([Location 1185](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1185)) - The success of their projects (and yours) depends on sending consistent, cohesive messages to your target audiences, no matter where they are or when they receive them. ([Location 1193](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1193)) - brand. Your brand is what users think and feel about your organization. ([Location 1199](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1199)) - Find out what your audience thinks about your organization today, and what they expect from you. (This is your existing brand.) • If you’d like your users’ perceptions to change, define how. • Identify your organization’s competitive advantages and positive unique qualities. • Create a plan to improve your users’ perceptions by playing off your key strengths and unique qualities. ([Location 1209](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1209)) - it’s important to find out all of the other channels currently used or planned to communicate to your users, ([Location 1244](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1244)) - you may be an expert about your product or service, you most certainly cannot read your users’ minds. ([Location 1328](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1328)) - • Click-throughs • Page views • Site visits (or user sessions) • Unique visitors • Conversion rates • Abandonment rates • Attrition • Loyalty, frequency, and how recently users have visited the site ([Location 1367](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1367)) - The style guide, or a specific plan to create the style guide, must be delivered with your content strategy. ([Location 1538](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1538)) - If you’re doing a content strategy, and the information architecture is being done by someone else, you still have work to do. IAs usually focus on structure and functionality, while content strategists focus on the overall story and page-by-page content details. ([Location 1677](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1677)) - In a world of information overload, content curation is a valuable service that can be offered by any organization with a point of view, be it product-focused, service-oriented, or other. ([Location 1875](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1875)) - Which content needs to be created. • Who is responsible for each and every piece of content. • How the source content maps to new content requirements. • Where the content will be stored and delivered throughout the creation process. • How the content will get done on time and on budget. ([Location 1910](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1910)) - • Has the amount of content changed from the statement of work? • Is the amount of content doable within resource constraints (including time, budget, and people power)? • How much time is required for the various types of approval? • When can the development team begin accepting final content for production? Can the deliverables be staggered? ([Location 1924](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1924)) - If you have a future release planned in the near term (within a year), what content will be on it (high-level)? • How do you know when to make changes? Or, how to set rules for content updates? • What kind of maintenance does your content need? • Who is going to take care of your content? ([Location 1952](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1952)) - Brand and messaging. ([Location 1967](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1967)) - Scope. ([Location 1969](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1969)) - workflow and responsibilities. ([Location 1971](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1971)) - to databases and other technology. ([Location 1972](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1972)) - topics or reworked content. ([Location 1974](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1974)) - or social media content. ([Location 1976](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1976)) - collaboration or alignments. ([Location 1979](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=1979)) - Analyze. Synthesize. Create. Review. Edit. Review again. Approve. Publish. Maintain. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. ([Location 2005](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2005)) - A content workflow is designed with the following three focus areas in mind: • Process. From start to finish, how does content travel through your organization and onto the web? • Tasks. Which tasks are required to make the content useful, usable, and enjoyable to your audiences? • People. Who is responsible for ensuring the content is accurate, timely, on brand, contextual, and so forth? ([Location 2020](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2020)) - a starting point for your workflow. (Author’s note: This could be any kind of content request or requirement, either spontaneous or scheduled.) Figure out a logical place for the workflow to end. (Author’s note: Some might say this is when content is delivered online; I would argue it shouldn’t end until content is archived or destroyed.) Identify all players from beginning to end of the workflow. (Author’s note: This should include not only content stakeholders but also information architects, designers, developers, and anyone else who may need to weigh in on any content requests.) Sketch the tasks. Identify interaction patterns among players and tasks. Allocate time frames for tasks. Identify notification patterns: who needs to know what at any given stage of the workflow. Identify approval patterns. Determine all the “what ifs” that may knock your workflow off its path. Once all roles are identified, tasks are sketched, and notification and approval patterns are identified, examine your workflow to see if it can be simplified. ([Location 2041](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2041)) - How does content happen? ([Location 2062](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2062)) - does content happen? ([Location 2079](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2079)) - When does content happen? ([Location 2088](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2088)) - who’s doing what? ([Location 2106](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2106)) - Ask requesters... ([Location 2122](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2122)) - providers... ([Location 2137](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2137)) - Ask creators... ([Location 2142](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2142)) - Ask reviewers and approvers... ([Location 2156](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2156)) - Ask publishers... ([Location 2162](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B002LGGJHE&location=2162))