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Building and supporting your content strategy team - Confab 2018

Building and supporting your content strategy team - Confab 2018

What makes a content strategy practice successful—not just at the individual level, but at the team level? If you are working as a manager or a project lead, how can you empower content strategists to do their best work?

Learn how to advocate for a thorough, quality-minded approach to your team's work. Understand how to help your team feel confident and supported, so they can share their expertise and extend their influence throughout an organization.

Marissa Phillips

May 18, 2018
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  1. Set the foundation: Your team needs a mission, values, and

    a strong voice. Create frameworks: Clarify roles, build out your style guide, and share best practices.
  2. Set the foundation: Your team needs a mission, values, and

    a strong voice. Create frameworks: Clarify roles, build out your style guide, and share best practices. Tell your story: Educate partners, stay top of mind, and create community.
  3. Describe us in three words What’s going well? What’s not

    working? What’s our mission and what do we stand for?
  4. What’s going well? What’s not working? What makes us stand

    out? Describe us in three words What’s our mission and what do we stand for?
  5. What’s going well? What’s not working? What makes us stand

    out? Describe us in three words What’s our biggest opportunity? What’s our mission and what do we stand for?
  6. What’s going well? What’s not working? What makes us stand

    out? Describe us in three words What’s our biggest opportunity? What’s our mission and what do we stand for? What will we accomplish next year?
  7. Be a guide Use a consistent voice to guide and

    support people through their experiences. Be real Honest, open, and genuine language strengthens relationships and sets the tone for real-world interactions. Be inclusive The words we use account for diversity in people’s situations, languages, and abilities. Team values
  8. …you can still browse the site …you can always sign

    up again Leave the door open for everyone Inclusive
  9. …we have some ideas for your trip to London Provide

    relevant info when people can actually use it Thoughtful
  10. What do people expect from me? How am I measured?

    What should I focus on? Where do I go from here? What does it mean to be a leader on this team?
  11. Skills UI Writing Leadership Content Strategy Communication Design & UX

    Collaboration Product Influence Growth Mindset
  12. Growth Senior Mid Career Developing Early Career Defining content strategy

    needs and deliverables Mentoring Becoming a leader
  13. Growth Senior Mid Career Developing Early Career Leading projects and

    team initiatives Sought out for design and product thinking
  14. Actively participating Contributing to team resources Mentoring and supporting Sharing

    templates and knowledge Leadership Leading trainings and planning events Building our practice and maintaining our culture
  15. Our Team in 2018 Build a brand Be the experts

    on content Focus on strategy
  16. How we want to be seen Inclusive Bold Shape the

    conversation Care about quality Holistic Empathetic Problem-solvers Business impact Build the brand: crafting an elevator pitch
  17. What they said “Focus on what’s different…” “Sell yourselves more.”

    “It doesn’t say much. It’s what you’d write on any generic resume.” “What surprises me most is they all feel a little like marketing speak. How would you describe this to a friend or a parent?” Build the brand: crafting an elevator pitch
  18. We’re experts on what to say and when to say

    it. We develop a point of view by understanding the needs of Airbnb and the people who use it. Then we shape product experiences with content – from style guidelines to button text – that’s consistent, inclusive, and impactful. Build the brand: crafting an elevator pitch
  19. Focus on strategy: our first content strategy sprint What’s Airbnb?

    We have homes and experiences over the world! OK…but is it safe?
  20. Focus on strategy: our first content strategy sprint Guest Messaging

    Framework Value propositions Answers to fundamental questions like, What’s Airbnb and is it safe? Key messages and terms
  21. Our approach Growing and scaling our team Strong managing team

    You should get a consistent experience from every manager on the team. Focus on fewer things Instead of straddling teams, lets align with our cross-functional peers and go deep in one product area. Shared context Your manager should be close to your work and your product team. Proactive communication with partners Make sure people know who their CS POCs are. Clear growth paths Individual contributors have a path besides managing - they can become leads. Managers have a clear path, too. More stability Stay with your team long enough to develop expertise in your area. Managing Philosophy & Structure
  22. • Process • Prioritization • Time management • Saying no

    • Building strong partnerships • Creating templates Best practices
  23. Process Prioritization Time management Saying no Partnerships Templates Control your

    calendar Give yourself uninterrupted blocks of time. Take time on Mondays to adjust priorities for the week.
  24. Process Prioritization Time management Saying no Partnerships Templates Avoid meeting

    overload Ask yourself if you really need to be there. If you’re working during a meeting, it’s not a good use of time.
  25. Process Prioritization Time management Saying no Partnerships Templates Block out

    your days Try to have all your meetings for a given project on the same day - that way you avoid context switching.
  26. Process Prioritization Time management Saying no Partnerships Templates Take breaks

    Go outside and take a walk, catch up with someone over coffee, or find other ways to recharge.
  27. Process Prioritization Time management Saying no Partnerships Templates No, but…

    I can get it to you at a later date I have a template you can use I can ask our support content strategist I can provide guidelines and edit I can consult for an hour I’ll check with our central content team
  28. Process Prioritization Time management Saying no Partnerships Templates The Central

    Content Support Team Who we are We’re a small group of content strategists dedicated to helping our embedded team members do their best strategic thinking by taking on work they can’t cover and stepping in to service unsupported product teams with all their content needs. What we can help with - UX content - Email - Editorial - Brand and copywriting - and more!
  29. Process Prioritization Time management Saying no Partnerships Templates Know your

    POC Figure out how each of you likes to work. Involve us early We can be more strategic if we’re there for the kick-off. Give us time to explore Sometimes we need to go off our own to write. Share concrete feedback Start with the problem or issue, and offer specific suggestions. Build trust Rely on us as core members of your team, and recognize contributions. Collaborating with content strategists
  30. Set the foundation: Your team needs a mission, values, and

    a strong voice. Create frameworks: Clarify roles, build out your style guide, and share best practices. Tell your story: Educate partners, stay top of mind, and create community.