How to Get Buy-In and Make Content Strategy Happen
Insights from Sara Wachter-Boettcher's talk
Sara Wachter-Boettcher is a content strategist, author of the book "Content Everywhere" and an editor at A List Apart. Over the years she has learned some key tactics for implementing a successful content strategy.
Do, Don't Just Talk
Don't do meetings. Meetings are a big waste of time. You should do work sessions or workshops instead. You want to make sure every interaction with people has a rallying point that produces actual results. You can build a shared perspective by going over content together.
You want to mix things up and do activities that build alignment. Break out some Post It notes and use them to organize content, or arrange your user journey map. These will get people involved in building useful content and content strategy material.
Things to remember:
1. Go in with a goal.
2. Provide guideposts by scheduling each session with set time limits.
3. Choose input or output. Each activity should be in one direction.
Ask, Don't Tell
It's easy to deliver a report that says their content is garbage. That makes people defensive though. You don't want your housekeeper to say your house is disgusting.
"Let's look at your content. What do you think is working? What's not?"
Asking questions opens the opportunity to acknowledge something needs work. You can do a content audit party to get the process started. Grab some snacks for everyone and go over the website.
Habits are more effective than rules. Like brushing your teeth every night, you can make content a habit.
Try a re-write workshop. Put some printed out pages on the wall. Give out green and red Post It notes. Write things that work on the green ones. and things that don't on the red ones. Then have each person partner up and workshop the content.
You have to keep working at it and practicing. It's easier if you break down content into pieces and get people to think about chunks smaller than web pages. Try having them fill out a worksheet with blanks for three different lengths of summaries. Get them together in a room instead of left alone to work on these at their desks. More involvement leads to more ownership.
Things to remember:
1. Validate their answers.
2. Make sharing feel safe. Bring people together and make them feel comfortable.
3. Build muscle memory. You are doing things that help them practice and get better at it.
Interpret, Don't Invent
You want to be a conductor instead of an artist. Humans are tricky to manage, and you need to work within their skills and motivations. You can simply shape their ideas and re-frame them as needed.
There's no need to force content down their throat and tell them what to do. People feel ownership over what they have created, and you want to work with that instead of against it.
Things to remember:
1. Be a guide.
2. Find what feels right.
3. Help others shine. Give them credit for the work and ideas.
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