Content Strategy for Mission-Driven Organizations

Professionals in higher education have a better chance to create successful content strategies than their peers in profit-driven industries. Why? Because as mission-driven organizations, we can look beyond simple financial ROI to build content strategies around our core missions, helping us enlist more allies and allowing us to focus on initiatives like accessibility and inclusion, which often get put on the back burner in profit-driven businesses. But mission-driven strategies don’t just happen. In this talk, learn how to translate core organizational missions into tangible content strategies that your stakeholders already agree on, whether they know it or not.

Transcript

1. Content Strategy for Mission-Driven Organizations Devin Asaro | @copydev
2. I’m not really a higher ed content strategist (But I play one at my agency) @copydev
3. @copydev Centerline Digital Raleigh, NC Where I work
4. Actually, I work over here
5. @copydev With this guy…
6. @copydev Tech + Higher Ed Our Clients:
7. How we sell content strategy is very different for each @copydev
8. https://unsplash.com/photos/8jNATlZXhgk Content strategy is a process, not a product @copydev
9. Why is higher ed willing to invest in content strategy? @copydev
10. @copydev Content strategists are an academic bunch https://unsplash.com/photos/8jNATlZXhgk
11. @copydev What is a mission-driven organization?
12. @copydev Well, technically all organizations have some sort of mission (even just making money)
13. A mission driven organization is one whose internal goals are naturally in alignment with the themes of their external communication. My definition: @copydev @copydev
14. @copydev The Typical Corporate Reality Business Goals User/Customer Needs
15. @copydev Narrative Mystery Layer Business Goals User/Customer Needs The Typical Corporate Reality
16. @copydev Narrative Mystery Layer Secret content strategy Business Goals User/Customer Needs The Typical Corporate Reality
17. @copydev Narrative Mystery Layer Secret content strategy (But let’s just call it marketing) Business Goals User/Customer Needs The Typical Corporate Reality
18. @copydev It’s not a spectrum… Mission-Driven Profit-Driven
19. xz @copydev Find you an org that can do both
20. How do we create our core values? @copydev @copydev “ ” Jonathon Colman Sine Qua Non: Core Values & Content Strategy
 yaythis.me/2d3h7R0 discover
21. @copydev IT’S MORE LIKE… Less Mission-Driven More Mission-Driven Less Profit-Driven More Profit-Driven Higher Ed Nonprofit
22. @copydev IT’S MORE LIKE… Less Mission-Driven More Mission-Driven Less Profit-Driven More Profit-Driven B Corps (And more!)
23. @copydev Not all mission-driven orgs do good
24. @copydev IT’S MORE LIKE… Less Mission-Driven More Mission-Driven Less Profit-Driven More Profit-Driven The Content Strategy Sweet Spot
25. @copydev IT’S MORE LIKE… Less Mission-Driven More Mission-Driven Less Profit-Driven More Profit-Driven Content Marketing Danger Zone
26. @copydev Content strategy looks deeper than external communications (Which is why we hate being called content marketers)
27. @copydev IT’S MORE LIKE… Less Mission-Driven More Mission-Driven Less Profit-Driven More Profit-Driven Apathy Danger Zone
28. @copydev Mission-driven orgs talk the talk and walk the walk
29. @copydev Let’s talk about how to define your content strategy mission
30. @copydev A good content strategy mission is part official and part anecdotal.
31. @copydev Start with what you have
32. @copydev If you really don’t have anything…
33. STEAL https://unsplash.com/photos/8jNATlZXhgk @copydev
34. @copydev ADAPT https://unsplash.com/photos/5GFLBfzkeCU
35. @copydev Or…
36. “This exercise encourages tactile engagement with brand attributes… It also helps us identify conflicting priorities” @copydev Margot Bloomstein
 Content Strategy at Work appropriateinc.com/book/ Card Sorting: Message Architecture
37. CARD SORTING Card Sorting Results Who We Are Who We Want to Be Who We’re Not Enables Real-Time Data-Driven Actions Tried-and-True Trusted Software Deliver Insights Integrates Easily Manageable Comprehensive Resilient Low-Latency Large-Scale Improves Data Economics Enables Faster Decisions Cloud Infrastructure Secure Affordable Innovative Cloud Agile Cutting Edge Responsive Smart Essential Cloud Delivery Transformative Flexible Self-Optimizing Expert Time-Intensive High-Volume Expensive High-Touch Complex Traditional Hardware Insightful Thought Leadership Visionary The cards were grouped into three categories based on present day realities, future aspirations, and potential negative perceptions. Not all cards in the exercise were sorted — however, the items below are representative of the makeup of the whole field of concepts.
38. Real-Time Deliver Insights Enables Faster Decisions Responsive Essential Transformative Self-Optimizing Speed CARD SORTING Card Sorting Results Tried-and-True Trusted Comprehensive Large-Scale Secure Reliability Manageable Improves Data Economics Affordable Practicality Seamless Integration Software Resilient Low-Latency Cloud Infrastructure Cloud Agile Cloud Delivery Flexible Flexibility Innovative Cutting Edge Smart Expert Insightful Thought Leadership Visionary Expertise For both positive categories (Who We Are and Who We Want to Be) we have grouped the concepts into 5 relevant buckets. While this is just one way of slicing the concepts, it helps illustrate potential themes that can be used in developing a messaging framework. Who We Are Who We Want to Be
39. CARD SORTING Theme: Speed Are we there yet? Not really – 2/7 Real-time Deliver Insights Enables Faster Decisions Responsive Essential Transformative Self-Optimizing Who We Are Who We Want to Be While “speed” emerged as a major theme of the cards sorted into positive categories, most of the cards were sorted into the “Who We Want to Be” category, indicating that this theme is more aspirational than actual. We need to ask, does this theme accurately represent our current state? Should it be included in our messaging as a primary theme?
40. @copydev But let’s assume you’ve got something to work with…
41. @copydev It might look something like this… Via San Francisco State University
42. @copydev GO GATORS!
43. @copydev GET IT?
44. “Object mapping provides a… framework to move from strategy to design” @copydev Sophia Voycehovski
 “Object-Oriented UX” - A List Apart
 alistapart.com/article/object-oriented-ux Object Mapping
45. @copydev Extract Noun Phrases • Environment for learning • Respect for scholarship • Cultural Mosaic • Residents of the Region • Diversity (x5!) • Social and Cultural Awareness • Academic Freedom
46. @copydev Extract Adjectival Phrases • Broadly accessible • Academically rigorous • Creative • Scholarly • Collegial • Cooperative
47. @copydev Work with stakeholders to define your terms… • How do we embody this as an organization? • How does/should our content embody this? • How does/should our content further this?
48. @copydev Ask enough questions, you’ll get more terms
49. @copydev Prioritize. Make decisions.
50. “…these mad libs tell a story about strategy, goals, users, and content—and they're extremely useful for getting disparate groups of stakeholders to focus and align quickly.” @copydev Sarah Wachter-Boettcher
 Content Strategy Mad Libs http://bit.ly/2gdbtwG
51. @copydev Our Intranet will helpempower employees by delivering content that helps them understand our vision, getting the simple work done effectively and efficiently, while enabling people to contribute and share knowledge. To accomplish this, we must configure a SharePoint platform that is simple yet scalable, user friendly, and governed. This will make users feel informed and valued, making them more likely to engage with the core mission of DCRI, which will help DCRI thrive. Long-form:
52. @copydev Use exercises like this to dig deeper into how stakeholders define mission-critical terms
53. @copydev Our Intranet will help employees thrive by delivering content that empowers them to get the simple work done effectively and efficiently, while enabling them to contribute and share knowledge. Short-form:
54. @copydev Our Intranet will help employees thrive by delivering content that empowers them to get the simple work done effectively and efficiently, while enabling them to contribute and share knowledge. “Morale is really low. We’re hoping to give our employees something that will help them feel connected to the organization and one another.”
55. @copydev Our Intranet will help employees thrive by delivering content that empowers them to get the simple work done effectively and efficiently, while enabling them to contribute and share knowledge. “Things that should be simple, like looking up a colleague’s contact info take minutes. It keeps me from doing my real work.”
56. @copydev Our Intranet will help employees thrive by delivering content that empowers them to get the simple work done effectively and efficiently, while enabling them to contribute and share knowledge. “We’ve been around for a long time. Our older employees are retiring and we don’t have an effective platform for them to share their institutional knowledge.”
57. @copydev Use your strategy statement as a gut check, especially on long projects.
58. @copydev Prioritize action over documentation
59. @copydev Use your mission to your advantage
60. Get the Slides: bit.ly/csmission Devin Asaro | @copydev