Content Strategy for the Web

1. Content strategy is crucial for effective web presence

Content strategy plans for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content.

Define content strategy. Content strategy is the practice of planning for content creation, delivery, and governance to ensure it meets both user needs and business objectives. It encompasses text, data, graphics, video, and audio across various online platforms.

Importance of content strategy:

• Aligns content with business goals and user needs
• Ensures consistency across channels and platforms
• Improves user experience and engagement
• Reduces content-related costs and inefficiencies
• Supports SEO and findability efforts

Without a content strategy, organizations often struggle with outdated, irrelevant, or inconsistent content that fails to engage users or drive business results.

2. Start with a content audit to understand your current state

Before you ever begin to brainstorm about which content you need, you must understand exactly what you have.

Conduct a content audit. A content audit is a comprehensive inventory and assessment of all existing content across your web properties. It provides valuable insights into the current state of your content and serves as a foundation for future content strategy decisions.

Key components of a content audit:

• Quantitative audit: Catalog all content items, including URLs, titles, and metadata
• Qualitative audit: Assess content quality, relevance, and effectiveness
• Specialized audits: Evaluate specific aspects like SEO, metadata, or localization

The audit helps identify content gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for improvement. It also provides stakeholders with a clear picture of the content landscape, making it easier to build a case for content strategy initiatives.

3. Analyze your content ecosystem before making recommendations

Your web content doesn't exist in a vacuum. Organizational goals, real-world resources, who your users are, what your users want, competitor activities, and many other factors all affect whether or not your web content will be successful.

Conduct thorough analysis. Before making content recommendations, it's crucial to understand the entire content ecosystem. This includes internal factors like organizational goals and resources, as well as external factors such as user needs, competitor activities, and industry trends.

Key areas to analyze:

• Business objectives and user goals
• Current content creation and governance processes
• User research and personas
• Competitor content analysis
• Content delivery channels and technologies
• Legal and regulatory requirements

This comprehensive analysis ensures that your content strategy recommendations are grounded in reality and aligned with both business needs and user expectations.

4. Develop an actionable content strategy with clear objectives

A strategy is a holistic, well-considered plan for obtaining a specific goal or result.

Create a comprehensive strategy. An effective content strategy should provide clear, actionable recommendations for content creation, delivery, and governance. It should be based on the insights gained from your content audit and analysis.

Key components of a content strategy:

• Content objectives aligned with business goals
• Defined target audiences and user needs
• Content types and formats
• Voice and tone guidelines
• Metadata and SEO recommendations
• Content creation and approval workflows
• Governance and maintenance plans

Ensure that your strategy is realistic and achievable given your organization's resources and constraints. Include specific metrics and timelines to measure success and demonstrate value to stakeholders.

5. Create a robust content workflow and maintenance plan

Content doesn't just happen.

Establish content processes. Developing a clear content workflow and maintenance plan is crucial for ensuring the ongoing quality and relevance of your content. This involves defining roles, responsibilities, and processes for content creation, review, approval, and ongoing maintenance.

Key elements of content workflow and maintenance:

• Content request and ideation process
• Creation and revision workflows
• Review and approval procedures
• Publishing and distribution processes
• Regular content audits and updates
• Archiving and deletion policies

Implement tools and systems to support these processes, such as editorial calendars, content management systems, and collaboration platforms. Regularly review and refine your workflows to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

6. Measure content effectiveness to demonstrate value

Measure what's happening and how improvements affect content performance, and you'll win the support and funding necessary to give your audiences the content they deserve.

Implement content metrics. Measuring the effectiveness of your content is crucial for demonstrating its value to stakeholders and informing ongoing strategy improvements. Develop a measurement framework that aligns with your content objectives and business goals.

Key content metrics to consider:

• User engagement (time on page, bounce rate, pages per session)
• Conversion rates and goal completions
• Search engine rankings and organic traffic
• Social media shares and engagement
• Customer feedback and satisfaction scores

Use analytics tools and user research methods to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Regularly report on content performance and use insights to refine your content strategy and tactics.

7. Shift organizational mindset to prioritize content as a business asset

Until we commit to treating content as a critical asset worthy of strategic planning and meaningful spend, we'll continue to churn out worthless content in reaction to unmeasured requests.

Advocate for content. To implement an effective content strategy, organizations must shift their mindset to view content as a valuable business asset rather than a commodity. This requires education, advocacy, and sometimes organizational change.

Steps to elevate content's importance:

• Demonstrate content's impact on business goals and user satisfaction
• Educate stakeholders on the complexities of content creation and management
• Advocate for dedicated content roles and resources
• Integrate content considerations into all aspects of web projects
• Develop and enforce content governance policies

By positioning content as a strategic asset, organizations can allocate appropriate resources and prioritize content quality, ultimately leading to improved user experiences and better business outcomes.

Last updated: November 11, 2024