Slides from my presentation delivered at the Brighton Content Strategy Meetup on 24th April 2012. In it, I discuss how Content Strategy needs to adapt to online communities becoming more and more important to businesses and individuals...

1. Content Strategy & Community
by @BenjMartin
Originally delivered at the Brighton Content Strategy
Meet-up on 24/04/12

2. A not-so-long time ago, in…
um… the internet… I guess…

3. EPISODE V
THE COMMUNITY STRIKES BACK

7. The worst thing a content manager
can say to a community manager is…
“Hey, would you mind posting a link
to that thing we just published on the
community?”
A good community manager will
always answer “Why?”
@BenjMartin

8. Have idea
for content
Create
content Although this model
has good intentions,
Publish it is ultimately
It on ineffective…
community
Get traffic
and
@BenjMartin conversation

9. With the existence of the community,
content strategy can now afford to (and
should) become more agile…
“You can have content without
community and you can have a
community without content but – and
here’s the fun part- if you have a
thriving community the community
BECOMES the content.”
Source: Darika Ahrens (Forrester, formerly Tempero)
http://tempero.co.uk/content-strategy-vs-community-strategy
@BenjMartin

10. That’s not to say you should just create
content to pander to the community
The community itself is varied, so no
content will ever fully resonate
However, the make-up of the community
can provide guidance as to what
content is the most suitable
@BenjMartin

11. Community Managers and Content
Strategists are frequently guilty of
assuming people knowledgeable as they
are about the subject…
@BenjMartin

12. If you want to effectively leverage a
community for your content, a good (but
vague) rule of thumb is…
Create BROAD-LEVEL content for
traffic and conversation
(it is better to patronise few and inform many than vice versa)
Create HIGH-LEVEL content for
niche audience acquisition and
brand advocacy
(but its still important to appeal to those few who know a bit more)
@BenjMartin

13. “But what content works well on Facebook / Twitter /
Google+ / blah / blah / blah?”
Well, it depends on the subject matter, really, but
here’s a (really) rough guide…
Facebook: Stuff related to Facebook (however
loosely), Photos, Videos (from YouTube), “Top
3/5/10” posts, Polls
Twitter: Stuff related to Twitter (however loosely),
Photos, “Top 3/5/10” posts, grabbing headlines
Google+: Videos and Links (but it’s still kinda too
early to tell)
@BenjMartin

14. HOWEVER, community managers need to remember
that while it’s up to the content makers to create
stuff that it is suitable…
It’s up to you to tell them what actually is suitable
It’s up to you to frame it in properly
It’s up to you to keep the conversation going
It’s up to you to report back on your findings
@BenjMartin

15. As engagement is slowly (but thankfully) becoming
more important than size, and their numbers more
visible, Community Managers have become more at
the mercy of Content Strategists to create decent,
worthwhile content.
This symbiotic need for each other’s expertise has
thus restored “balance to the force”.
@BenjMartin

16. @BenjMartin