So, you have figured out how your content is going to be structured. Now it’s time to go back to the original considerations. If you have no clue what I’m talking about, then read the first part: Content Strategy Part 1.

Content Format

Content format refers to the way you will deliver your content. Example: Text, audio, video etc. Your core message needs to relate to the content format. If you have a lot of products and want to display them you will need to use graphics and less text for the most of your site. If you want to supplement your products with how-to-guides, you may want to incorporate video tutorials too.

You need to make sure that the content formats you have chosen are easily achievable. If you haven’t budgeted for videos then consider a step by step guide using text and pictures instead.

Next consider how portable you want your content to be? That is, will users be able to share and link to your content? Note: Ensure your content complies with your SEO goals, so if you link content to a page ensure that the content and the page cover the same topic. Remember irrelevant content is bad SEO.

Menu Labelling

What are the main menus and sub menus going to be called? We suggest you keep the following in mind:

• The labels need to support your businesses key messages
• Make sure the labels are in the right context, there is consistency and clarity when choosing menus labels

Linking Strategy

This is the navigation within your site. What will link where and so on? Careful attention needs to be given to your linking strategy. All content that is planned to be linked should be done so carefully and only to related content.

CMS Content Types

In most cases your content goes hand-in-hand with a content management system (CMS). A good content management system should be able to set up a default template to be used by all the pages in your site. It should also be able to easily make adjustments to pages that need separate templates to the rest of the site.

A good CMS should have an area where the user (which is you) can add their own metadata and other SEO functionalities. A good CMS will have a comprehensive workflow embedded so that you can clearly distinguish between content, menus, articles and files. All the information on the site should be easily manageable and easy to find.

Content Channels

This refers to the medium of content delivery. This may seem like an obvious answer, the web, where else? But there are a world of possibilities out there such as will you have a mobi site? Will users have the ability to subscribe via RSS feeds and receive updates in their email inboxes? Will you submit online press releases, create a blog or participate in social media, forums and the like?

From the content audit you were able to discover your current site’s full inventory. This is where you get to use that information. On your content audit spread sheet, where you’ve listed what content you have and where it can be found etc, add new content recommendations that you found were necessary as well as the content structure you’ve just created. This will tell where your content will be organised on your new site together with any new content requirements.

Now you need to identify where your new content is coming from. This entails defining your contributors list, which may be divided according to the following categories:

• Original content – content created by and for our organisation. To create your own content you will need to do your own research finding source material and ideas.
• Co-created content – often time’s big brands will make use of industry professionals, bloggers, digital agencies, podcasters and other entities already in the business of writing online content.
• Licensed content – using generic articles that can be relicensed is often not a good idea for your business’s image however using stock photos that can be bought for a small fee is ok if you’re not going to hire a professional photographer for your website graphics.
• User-generated content – this usually falls along the lines of forums and social media. So user generated content would work better on your facebook page than on your actual website.

How Do We Get From the Completed Content to Launch?

That should be easy with a fixed content schedule. Things to consider when setting up a content schedule:

• The amount of content required. What are your new content needs?
• Are the requirements within the budget or timeframe that was initially set up?
• The time it will take to get the various items approved.
• When can the final, approved drafts be sent in for production?

Your Content is Launched...Now what?

It’s not difficult for content to quickly become out dated, inaccurate or irrelevant after you have published it.

The simple solution to this dilemma is to constantly re-evaluate and update your content on a regular basis. Digital agencies, often provide content management services; for instance, scanning the latest trends in design, technology and news to provide insightful ideas to update your content.

How do These Recommendations Affect our Business?

A website restructuring could have the following the impacts:

• Brand and messaging – you may have decided to use an array of content formats when setting up your content strategy. How will these different media affect your branding or messages?
• Scope - in terms of budget and resourcing.
• Changing workflow and responsibilities – more staff might need to be employed or new responsibilities given to existing employees.
• Changes to databases and other technologies – you might find that your current CMS is inadequate and will need to turn to another or you might need a CMS to develop your new website.
• New topics or reworked content – your existing content might already be out dated or irrelevant. How will updating your products or company details affect your customers?
• Did you engage in a social media campaign? – Who will be responsible for the regular updates and user feedback?
• The use of online marketing – will you use external providers for SEO and public relations?

After the content audit, content analysis and content strategy you must have a mountain of paperwork documenting your plan of action. You’ve set the foundation and now it’s time to lay the first brick. The next article will be covering the publishing schedule. Here is a link to the first part: Content Marketing 101: Content strategy Part 1.

This article was inspired by the book Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson, 2010.

Sound Idea Digital is a full service digital agency | www.soundidea.co.za
Julian Karstel is a Digital Marketing Consultant for Sound Idea Digital | @JulianKarstel | Julian@soundidea.co.za

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