Presented at the Content Strategy Summit, August 19, 2014. You're starting to incorporate content strategy into your organization, building up (or elbowing your way into) a process that shepherds content from concept to implementation. And yet: there are bottlenecks and broken tools, slowdowns and workarounds. Despite the big ideas and deliverables, the process of producing and publishing content is still awfully messy. Luckily, you've got the skills to improve it. The content strategy work you're already doing can help identify and untangle the knots in your team and workflow, and lead to a more sustainable content production process.

1. Polishing Your
Content Publishing
Process
Content Strategy Summit
August 19, 2014
Lisa Maria Martin | @redsesame

2. Who likes coloring?

3. Process?

4. The Writing Process
h"p://phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1732

5. Famous Writers’ Sleep Habits
& Literary Productivity
h"p://www.brainpickings.org/wp-­‐content/uploads/2013/11/sleepproducBvitywriters_1500_1.jpg

6. The Daily Routines of
Famous Creative People
h"ps://podio.com/site/creaBve-­‐rouBnes

7. (Let’s watch a movie)

9. h"ps://twi"er.com/deathbearbrown/status/494649174928142336/photo/1

10. We want a
repeatable,
sustainable
process

11. because we want
repeatable,
sustainable
results.

14. The Process™

15. The Process™

16. The Process™

17. The Process™

18. The Process™

19. If only publishing content
were this easy.

20. Content strategy was supposed
to make everything perfect.

21. Our workflow still
has challenges.

22. h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/magical-­‐world
Slowdowns

23. h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/leecraven/4667899925
Unexpected gaps

24. Workarounds

25. h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/kryshen/3860353364
Broken tools

26. h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/vivekjena/2992102316
Crayons, man.

27. Spend time
on content,
not firefighting.

29. Use your skills.

30. You’re already thinking about:
Communication
goals

31. You’re already thinking about:
Communication
goals
Production

32. You’re already thinking about:
User needs

33. You’re already thinking about:
User needsAuthor

34. You’re already thinking about:
Inventories &
audits

35. You’re already thinking about:
Inventories &
auditsProcess

36. You’re already thinking about:
Tools &
channels

37. You’re already thinking about:
Tools &
channels
Writing & editing

38. You’re already thinking about:
Sustainable
pages

39. You’re already thinking about:
Sustainable
pages
workflows

40. Content
strategist,
strategize
thyself.
h"p://explodingdog.com/Btle/whywhatshouldibedoing.html

41. The Process™

42. Real talk o’clock
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/68397968@N07/14118666380

43. The Process™

44. The (Actual)
Process™

45. The (Actual)
Process™

46. The (Actual)
Process™

47. The (Actual)
Process™

48. The (Actual)
Process™

49. The (Actual)
Process™

50. The (Actual)
Process™

51. The (Actual)
Process™

52. The (Actual)
Process™

53. The (Actual)
Process™

54. Map
your
reality.
h"ps://medium.com/i-­‐love-­‐charts/a-­‐map-­‐of-­‐the-­‐introverts-­‐heart-­‐4db2d8c9cf48

55. • Roles &
responsibilities
Pay attention to:
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/calsidyrose/4925267732

56. • Roles &
responsibilities
• People
Pay attention to:
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/calsidyrose/4925267732

57. • Roles &
responsibilities
• People
• Timing
Pay attention to:
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/calsidyrose/4925267732

58. • Roles &
responsibilities
• People
• Timing
• Tools
Pay attention to:
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/calsidyrose/4925267732

59. • Write it.
Make it visible:
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/7886707854

60. • Write it.
• Draw it.
Make it visible:
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/7886707854

61. • Write it.
• Draw it.
• Share it.
Make it visible:
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/7886707854

62. What do we
learn?

63. Is there a disconnect?

64. Is your team out of order?

65. Are your resources scarce?

66. Are you using the wrong tools?

67. Blame the CMS!

68. Blame the CMS!Don’t

69. Now what?

71. Mind the gaps.
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/bvi4092/14253264351

72. Advocate for a better process.
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/48685334@N00/4564784920

73. Advocate for a better process.
• Approach
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/48685334@N00/4564784920

74. Advocate for a better process.
• Approach
• People
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/48685334@N00/4564784920

75. Advocate for a better process.
• Approach
• People
• Resources
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/48685334@N00/4564784920

76. Advocate for a better process.
• Approach
• People
• Resources
• Tools
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/48685334@N00/4564784920

77. Iterate and change.
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/8658017263

78. Be patient.
h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/amagill/7798874692

79. Fix your process
now.

80. Do better work
later.

81. Enjoy coloring.

82. Thank you.
Lisa Maria Martin | @redsesame