More Related Content Similar to Making content matter spectrum 2012 (20) Making content matter spectrum 20121. Rochester
April 22-23, 2012
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY
3. I’m becoming a content curmudgeon
I spend a lot of time looking at content
I do it for work
And, because it’s there and I can’t help it
It’s not hard to find confusing content, or
content that’s just weird
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6. Is there a procedure
somewhere in here?
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9. But all I’m doing is
renewing a book,
or trying to…
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12. Website
PDF available on website
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17. Oh my!
What?
Some of my information?
Immediate access?
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18. What do they do?
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19. Can you distinguish among these
business solution categories?
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20. How badly do they want me to vote?
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21. How can this possibly happen?
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22. Good content doesn’t
just happen.
You need to plan for it.
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23. Your plan must consider…
What content?
For which initiatives and projects?
For whom?
What do you want them to know/do?
How can the content help the users, and your
organization?
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
24. Document your plan
Include answers to your questions
State exactly what you will need from whom,
at which phase
Resources
Time
Provide timelines for what you need and for
what you’ll deliver
Write it in terms everybody on your team
understands
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
25. Implement your plan
For individual projects, it can be as simple as
a kick-off meeting or phone call
For changes to your entire documentation
approach, you need to practice persuasion
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26. Persuasion is all about
relationships
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27. Sell your plan
Create a connection
Be authentic
Be honest
Be reciprocal
Excellent book. I highly recommend it!
Dickinson, Arlene. Persuasion. HarperCollins, 2011.
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
28. How will what you are
proposing help your
company?
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29. Authenticity
Be true to yourself
Be sure of what you want, believe in it
If you don’t seem sure of yourself, you’ll be
hard to believe
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30. Honesty
“Listen, we really screwed up on that last
project, so I think we need to make some
changes…”
Tell the truth to others about what you are
asking
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver
Admit it if you don’t know something
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
31. Reciprocity
What’s in it for them?
If you don’t know, figure it out
Be specific about how your content plan will
help your organization
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
33. Content initiatives must be…
Understandable and relevant to business
executives
Connected to business outcomes
Introduction of new products and services
Improved customer loyalty and satisfaction
Increased gross margins
Increased market share
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34. Demonstrate how
content initiatives
contribute favorably to
these outcomes
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35. There is no foolproof way
to measure content
effectiveness
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36. How to measure?
Lots of info available on
Web content
Marketing content
Know what you want to measure
Knowing what will help you to decide how
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
37. Here are some tips
Don’t worry about exact numbers
Define what you’re measuring
How do you define content
Identify the content’s function
Describe the content’s characteristics
Assign values to content functions &
characteristics
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
38. Then, you’re set to measure
Measure in different ways
Establish a baseline
Measure regularly
Watch your budget
Get your peers to help you
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
40. Making your content matter
Understand that your content has value
Understand that no matter how hard you try,
your content may fall short
Do everything in your power to maximize its
value
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
41. Making content matter means…
Asking the right questions
At the right time
Posing them to the right people
In the right way
Exercising persuasion
Connecting content initiatives to business
outcomes
Measuring your efforts
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
42. Making content matter
means finding the
answers to your
questions
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
43. Content. Users.
Strategy
Context. Tactics.
© Parallax Communications 2012 Content first.
46. Rochester
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Editor's Notes . The key elements of making your content matter