I gave this presentation at the Gilbane conference back in 2005. I've certainly gotten more visual since then, but the information in here is still largely true.

1. Content Strategy:
The Essential Precursor to CMS
Gilbane Conference on Content Management Technologies
April 2005, San Francisco
Hilary Marsh
www.contentcompany.biz

2. Does content management
keep your CEO up at night?
Actually, it does…
although the CEO may not realize it.
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
2

3. Why do we buy CMSs to
manage content?
5. Relieve IT of production responsibilities
4. Compliance
3. Enable consistent, accurate, up-to-date
information
2. Make use of what the Web can enable
But the top reason is
1. Content is the way our organizations meet their
top business objectives
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
3

4. Content is how business
strategy is executed
•
•
•
Customer retention
Raising awareness in the marketplace
Cross-selling multiple products
Content management is more than just a good idea.
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
4

5. So what, about content
strategy?
•
Most organizations have never had one
–
wasn't seen as necessary pre-Internet
•
They don't know they need one
•
Huge political roadblocks
–
–
–
–
my content, my information, my vehicles, my pages
what's in it for me to contribute?
what's in it for me to use someone else's content?
why are my communications suddenly being controlled?
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
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6. Start with the
“what” and “why”
What content needs to be managed, and why?
Relate to business's strategic goals
Show risk of not managing content, and the value of
doing so
• business gains
• risk reduction (SOX, legal)
• cost and time savings
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
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7. Anatomy of
an effective content strategy
Part 1: inputs
1.
2.
3.
4.
Content audit — what’s there now?
Gap analysis — what’s missing?
Stakeholder interviews — how do things work
now?
Leadership buy-in — are the goals important to
the organization, and is the Web an important
channel to reach those goals?
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
7

8. Anatomy of
an effective content strategy
Part 2: output
1.
2.
3.
4.
Content plan — how often will specific types of
content be updated?
Staffing plan — who will play what roles (author,
editor, approver, etc.)?
Governance structure — who will be in charge?
Metadata strategy — how will content appear in
the right places? what is common
taxonomy/vocabulary across business lines?
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
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9. Anatomy of
an effective content strategy
Part 2: output (continued)
5.
6.
Archiving strategy — where will content go, how
will it get there, and how long will it stay?
Opportunities for content reuse
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
9

10. Anatomy of
an effective content strategy
Part 3: implications
1.
2.
3.
4.
Content management requirements — how will a
CMS enable all of this?
Information architecture/content organization —
how will information be findable by the people
visiting the site? (involves user research)
Usability by target audience, not just creators
Search engine optimization — content must be
visible to search engines, structured correctly,
title tags, user-friendly URLs
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
10

11. More than just a Web solution
(although few organizations have really conquered
Web content strategy and management issues)
•
•
•
•
Email marketing
Print
Call center applications
Intranet
Each has different team, culture, reporting structure
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
11

12. CMS is the “how”
A content management system is the technology that:
• enables the rules established by the content
strategy
• empowers organizations to use the Web flexibly
and powerfully
• enables IT to focus strategically instead of being
expensive data processors
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
12

13. Why don't we talk about
content strategy more often?
•
•
•
•
•
Difference between content strategy and CMS
requirements is not clear
Not sexy like technology
Looks like spending money vs. investing
Hard to quantify value
Communications/content not valued enough
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
13

14. Language issues
Semantics make it difficult to translate content
strategy into CMS requirements
•
•
•
IT folks say "workflow," content people say
"editorial process" — don't understand each
other's worlds
There isn't always an articulated process for
publishing, and certainly few standards across
the organization (no reason to, until now)
Much content is created by a small group for a
specific audience — under the radar
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
14

15. Change management issues
•
•
•
Culture shift from "knowledge is power" to
"sharing knowledge is power" — why? how?
Content reuse requires willingness to
collaborate — people feel threatened. Need to
establish trust....in some cases, for the first time
Subject matter experts are not writers —
can't just institute decentralized publishing
overnight.
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
15

16. Content strategy must
precede CMS selection
•
•
If not, CMS efforts may be wasted
– adoption
– understanding/correct usage
– time/cost savings realized or not
– continued evolution, additional value
It's very expensive to buy a CMS that only IT uses!
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
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17. Technology
enables the solution
These are business issues with business solutions.
Technology enables those — in fact, they could not be
easily solved without it.
But technology is not, itself, the solution
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
17

18. My info
Hilary Marsh
Content Company, Inc.
http://www.contentcompany.biz
hilary@contentcompany.biz
hilary@contentcompany.biz
april 11.2005
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