Connect Labs is a proud sponsor of the upcoming CSForum 2016. We want to educate Australian marketers about the value of content strategy. In the run-up to the October conference, we will be talking content strategy for marketers every week here on the Create.Grow blog.
You probably know how great content strategy is, and how it can have such an enormous benefit for your business. However, it can be really difficult when your boss and team aren't convinced about why you need content strategy. If there’s one thing a successful content strategy needs, it’s complete buy-in from the team!
We’ve already discussed how content strategy is a multidisciplinary approach. If you’re going to be working with developers, designers, UXers, project managers and your own marketing fellows, among others, then you better make sure that they’re on board.
Convincing the boss: the business case for content strategy
The easiest way to get the boss on your side is with a strong business case. There are three broad ideas that you should focus on for the sell:
1. Avoid project mayhem and content catastrophes
You know what messes up big web projects? Content! If content isn’t well thought-out, planned and developed alongside design and development stages, your boss is asking for trouble. Controlled content means a project developed on time and on budget because you’re not waiting for content at the last minute to catch up with everything else.
Think about all the ways having a content strategy will make your boss’ project work better, smoother and more efficiently. Highlight what can be avoided with some forward thinking and content strategy:
- Forcing content into an unsuitable design
- Changing the design to suit the content
- Delaying a website launch for above reasons, or even just because not all bases have been covered and some essential content doesn’t even exist!
2. Focus on your customers and business
Your business relies on your clients, whoever they may be! If you’re in a marketing area, you’ll definitely understand the value of delighting your customers. And even if you’re not in marketing, you’re surely aware of the importance of your customers to your business success.
What content strategy allows you to do is refocus. It’s the perfect opportunity to take the time to ask big business questions:
- Who are your customers?
- Who is your audience?
- What do they want to know?
- How should you talk them?
- What are your business goals?
- What does your audience expect from you?
Every piece of content you create – from blogging to actual website content such as product descriptions and about pages – needs to link back to your audience. Is this relevant to them? Why are we creating this content? Is it important to us, but not the intended audience?
If you’re in content marketing you might be very familiar with these ideas, and hopefully so will your boss. It’s an easy way to explain the benefit of content strategy, but in this case, the content isn’t just marketing material, it's everything!
3. Invest in content strategy, invest in the future
Content strategy is saving your boss (and hopefully, by extension, you) a lot of time and effort in future endeavours. Content strategy is long-term strategic thinking that is laying a glorious framework for your future excellence. The effects will last beyond the initial project website build – your organisation will be better equipped to maintain and curate your content, keeping it in tip-top shape.
Content strategy sets up a system that will work longterm. Your website won't have useless pages that no one ever updates or embarrassingly empty news feeds that were last updated in 2014. Systems and team structures will be in place to ensure the creation of consistently high-quality and meaningful content.
Convincing the team: bribery and other methods
Once you get the nod from the boss, you still have some other team members to impress with your big ideas. The best way to do this is blatant bribery. Cakes, biscuits, lollies and pastries should all do the trick. If this doesn’t work, you’ll have to do it by the book.
Doing it by the book means finding allies. A lot of your team probably shares the same frustrations you do, even if they’re from other departments. On the other hand, people are busy and don’t need things made more complicated for them.
Think about the types of people that might be receptive to a new approach. Most likely, it’s those who are already involved at some level with content. They probably already understand the limitations in the way business is currently being done and the inadequacy of the website. They’re probably also the people who are bemoaning a new website because they’re jaded from the last time a new website was put together. Get these people onside and you’ll find your job a lot easier.
For other members of the team, they’re probably not going to be as heavily involved in the project. For these types, the best approach is to ensure that they understand what they need to do, and when they need to do it by. Do your best to alleviate the burden on them. For example, if they’re going to be subject matter experts for your content, give them guidelines, timelines and good instructions.
Conclusion
Sometimes the hardest part of a project is getting it off the ground and getting people excited. Maybe content strategy isn’t exciting as the latest marketing campaign, but damn if it isn’t useful. And you know, it only makes everything else better for your business.
Content strategy can sometimes be a hard sell, simply because it’s so wildly underappreciated, especially here in Australia. But dare to be a pioneer! Bravely go where no marketer (or anyone else) in your organisation has gone before, and pave the way for future generations of happy employees.
