Margot Bloomstein

@mbloomstein

Congres Web Redactie

#congrescm

November 20, 2014

BASE YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY

ON A MESSAGE ARCHITECTURE

Social media is an opportunity.

But tools merely empower a

message.

Sorry, Marshall

McLuhan.

Medium transmits

message—but

demands it, too.

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 4CC Sam Korn, via Wikipedia

Gnothi sauton

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 5

Know thyself.

We invest in knowing our users,

but how well do we know our

own brands?

If you don’t know what

you need to communicate,

how will you know if you succeed?

How do you know where to put

resources, time, and talent?

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 7

First things first.

Why blog, conduct a content audit, add

video testimonials, Tweet, Instagram,

consolidate site architecture, switch to a

new CMS, Pin, or go “mobile first”…

if you don’t know what you need to

communicate?

Tools enable how

we conceive ideas,

perceive our world,

and see ourselves

You cannot not

communicate.

Paul Watzlawick

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 11

What is content strategy?

Planning for the creation, delivery, and governance

of useful, usable, and brand-appropriate content.

If you don’t know what

you need to communicate,

how will you know if you succeed?

How will you know where to invest

your time, budget, and creativity?

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 13

Steps along the way…

Message architecture

Content audit/inventory

Content model

Editorial style guidelines

Metadata guidelines

Governance guidelines

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 14

What’s a message architecture?

A hierarchy of communication goals

that reflects a common vocabulary.

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A little thing with big impact.

How could we prove this is a car not

like anything else out there? It’s a small

car, but it’s premium. You get a Porsche

911 ride for a fifth of the cost. It’s got

history… but in Europe.

You need to give people content to give

them history.”

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 17

A little thing with big impact.

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 18

Message architecture

Premium technology

• Assertive; ready to perform as a driver’s car

• Proactive and supportive of spontaneity

Classic design

• Experienced and savvy

Cheekiness

• Smart, “punny,” hip

• Fun, gleeful

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What did the content need to do?

• Offer fast, easy access

• Encourage personalization

• Convey local relevance

• Facilitate sharing

• Communicate quirkiness

• Allow for easy, infrequent updates

• Support a few structured content types

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If these emails are boring you

and you don’t mind missing out

on all the lip-smackin’ stuff

we’ll be sending in the future,

simply send a message to owner-

unsubscribe@insiders.miniusa.com

and include “Unsubscribe” and

your favorite fruit in the

subject field.

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 25

Message architecture drives a

consistent user experience

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Photographic angles

Dark backgrounds

Bold headlines

Thick stroke weights

…and design

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Nomenclature and labels

Content types and media

Content elements

Calls to action and instructional copy

Sentence structure, diction, and tone

…and content

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 28

Not all channels are right for all goals.

Academic and serious? • Annual reports

• Articles on your site

• Articles on other sites

• Blogs

• Books

• Branded tools

• Case studies

• Digital magazines

• eBooks

• Email newsletters

• Facebook posts

• Games

• In-person events

• Infographics

• Licensed/syndicated

content

• LinkedIn posts

• Microsites

• Mobile apps

• Online presentations

• Podcasts

• Print magazines

• Print newsletters

• Research reports

• Twitter

• Videos

• Virtual conferences

• Webinars/webcasts

• Whitepapers

Per Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs 2013 Content Marketing Survey

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 29

Not all channels are right for all goals.

Fun and engaging? • Annual reports

• Articles on your site

• Articles on other sites

• Blogs

• Books

• Branded tools

• Case studies

• Digital magazines

• eBooks

• Email newsletters

• Facebook posts

• Games

• In-person events

• Infographics

• Licensed/syndicated

content

• LinkedIn posts

• Microsites

• Mobile apps

• Online presentations

• Podcasts

• Print magazines

• Print newsletters

• Research reports

• Twitter

• Videos

• Virtual conferences

• Webinars/webcasts

• Whitepapers

Per Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs 2013 Content Marketing Survey

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 30

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 31

Premium

• Lindt embodies quality, in product, marketing, & company interactions

• Approachable: Quality indulgences are more accessible

• Trusted in brand and quality

Empowering

• Entrepreneurial: Innovating, championing individuals and successes

• Market driving: strategic and proactive

• Professional and consistent through experience and being responsive

Community-minded

• Engaged with the Lindt family

• Customer-oriented

• Socially conscious

Message architecture

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 32

Message architecture drives a

consistent user experience, visually

and verbally.

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Lush layout and elegant typography

• Spread-to-spread sightlines and flow

• Wider borders

• Layered background images

• Italic titles with initial drop caps

• Serif body copy

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Imagery of individual impact

• People engaged with product and offsite

community service—not just product or just results

of service

• Team breadth and diversity of role, gender,

ethnicity, and age

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Accessible, informative copy

• First-person plural

• Frequent rhetorical asides

• Shorter sentences

• Clear, concrete explanations

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Message architecture

Content audit

Content types

Content model & matrix

Editorial style guidelines and calendar

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Editorial calendar:

Schedule topics to manifest

the message architecture

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What are our goals in getting there?

• Engage in a tangible, hands-on way

• Encourage debate and conversation

• Identify points of disagreement

• Prevent seagulling

• Force prioritization

• Encourage ownership & investment

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• Who we are

• Who we’re not

• Who we’d like to be

Go with your gut!

~20 minutes

Step 1

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Who we are Who we’d like to be

Be aspirational. What needs to change?

Step 2

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• Form groups: what goes together?

• Prioritize the goals or groups

• Tell the story of those aspirations

Step 3

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Words are valuable,

but meaningless without

context and priority.

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Casual, but not informal.

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Streamlined but elegant.

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Traditional, but edgy.

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Why do this?

• Gain standards by which to conduct a qualitative

audit. What is “good” anyway?

• Determine keywords for SEO

• Plan content types to meet communication goals

• Prioritize CMS modifications to support them

• Reallocate budget and resources across channels

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 53

But first things first:

What are you trying to communicate?

What content do you have and what do

you need to do that?

@mbloomstein | #congrescm 54

Thank you.

Margot Bloomstein

@mbloomstein

margot@appropriateinc.com

slideshare.net/mbloomstein

amzn.to/CSatWork

All images property of their owners or © Margot Bloomstein as noted.