This talk isn’t so much about content strategy as it is about what makes good content. I often give this talk to people who are content creators, subject matter experts, or higher-ups that I’d like to have a better grasp on how good content makes things better. A great starting place, perfect for folks who work with content as part of their job, but don’t consider themselves “web people.”

1. and You
Amanda Costello
College of Education and Human Development
University of Minnesota
@amandaesque
(time to get excited!)
Content Strategy

2. Hello
My name is
Amanda

3. millenials

4. Kids These days

5. Your users

6. your future users
• 9 out of 10 high school
seniors have access to a
mobile device;
• 71 percent of seniors have
looked at college websites on
their mobile devices.
Source: Noel-Levitz 2014 E-Expectations Report

7. Percentage of Visits on Mobile Devices
0
12.5
25
37.5
50
SUA Homecoming Spring Jam
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
your current users

8. Online Content!?

9. “Content strategy plans for the
creation, publication,
and governance of
useful, usable content.”
- Kristina Halvorson,
Content Strategy for the Web
“Anything that conveys
meaningful information to
humans is called ‘content’.”
-Erin Kissane,
The Elements of Content Strategy

10. Appropriate
Good Content is

14. useful
Good Content is

15. Questions
#
Icons from Flaticon, users SimpleIcon and Freepik (freepik.com)
What the web does
What people do

16. user-centered
Good Content is

18. Faculty
Instructor
Professor
Teacher
lolwut

19. consistent
Good Content is

20. People!

21. clear & concise
Good Content is

22. www.plainlanguage.gov
• Plain Writing Act of 2010. Law requires
federal agencies to use “clear
Government communication that the
public can understand and use.”
• 3 additional executive orders cover the
use of plain language in regulations
(EO 13563, EO 12866, EO 12988)

23. Medicare Fraud Letter
“Investigators at the contractor will review the facts in your case
and decide the most appropriate course of action. The first step
taken with most Medicare health care providers is to reeducate
them about Medicare regulations and policies. If the practice
continues, the contractor may conduct special audits of the
providers medical records. Often, the contractor recovers
overpayments to health care providers this way. If there is
sufficient evidence to show that the provider is consistently
violating Medicare policies, the contractor will document the
violations and ask the Office of the Inspector General to
prosecute the case. This can lead to expulsion from the Medicare
program, civil monetary penalties, and imprisonment.”

24. Medicare Fraud Letter
“We will take two steps to look
at this matter: we will find out if
it was an error or fraud, and we
will let you know the result.”

25. supported
Good Content is

26. Content Strategy model

27. z.umn.edu/csmap

28. What can You do?

29. Check your content
• Appropriate
• Useful
• User-Centered
• Clear
• Consistent
• Concise
• Supported
by Erin Kissane

30. learn more
Kristina
Halvorson
Ginny
Redish
Karen
McGrane
Steve
Krug

32. you’re not alone

33. Let’s be in touch
amandac@umn.edu
@amandaesque
Thank you!
I can drink lattes forever.