W H I T E PA P E R

Content Strategy: 20 Tips for

Powerful Story-Driven Branding &
Communications
by KAREN BUCK

First published as part of the 2010 American Marketing Association’s Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education.

Creating meaningful messages is still central to e ective communication. Yet too often
communicators get focused on the latest tools (Twitter much?) or slick creative, and lose sight of
their goals and strategy.

This paper will focus on tips for organizing a story-based content strategy across your organization’s communication channels
— old media, new media and even social media. We’ll use case study examples from our work at Nazareth College to illustrate
higher-ed-specific tips.

There are many leading thinkers in content strategy, including Kristina Halvorson and Rachel Lovinger. This paper scratches the
surface, and we’ve included a resources section at the end for those who want to learn more. /
What this is about: Content strategy
The emerging discipline of content strategy may seem like shiny packaging for things that communications professionals have
been doing for years.

By giving it the name “content strategy” and pulling its pieces into a process, we’re trying to right a wrong: Too often, content is
an afterthought. We do it when we absolutely have to. This is especially true on our websites, where lorem ipsum placeholder
copy lives well into the final drafts, FPO stock imagery fools everyone into thinking the page will look that good using the same
old archive photos, and copywriters toil in isolation from information architecture, design and production teams. And you
thought a content management system (CMS) was going to solve that problem? Wrong.

When we say “content,” we mean to include text, charts, images, video and audio, in formats such as print, social media,
email, web, syndication, etc.

“Content strategy” blends the roles of many content-related disciplines including creative direction, editing, copy writing,
information architecture, search engine optimization and so on. Content strategists create plans that include the why, how,
when and where for content development, and they also make sure that content 
has a plan for ongoing maintenance.

TIP 1
Take control of your message
Content strategy recognizes another trend in consumer expectation, and that is that you have a meaningful story to tell in
sophisticated, cross-media ways. But that story won’t engage audiences unless you take the time to create a plan for a strategic,
unified effort.

Your plan needs to include benchmarks for frequency and timeliness. And you’ll find that will probably require you to shift
resources and staffing to function — constantly producing and launching new content across media channels.

TIP 2
Take help where you can get it
Who makes a good content strategist? Someone who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. Someone who can balance
competing interests, including the interests of target audiences vs. the organization, and the interests of deans vs. admissions.
Someone who can problem-solve and offer solutions, and is tactful enough to keep the group happy. Maybe that’s not you?
That’s OK. Find the right person. An outside agency or consultant can help your in-house content strategist set up a content
strategy, but the person in charge really needs to be in-house to be informed and responsive.

What is your story?

TIP 3
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Know your goals
Your work in marketing communications should be in service to some larger institutional goals. Do you know what they are?
Some typical higher ed goals:

. Increase geographic diversity of applications to address demographic changes in traditional recruiting areas.

. Build new math and science facility to expand capacity for health care and science enrollment.

TIP 4
Know your project objectives
In a nutshell: Why are you doing this? If you can’t answer this, don’t proceed until you can define an answer. All marketing
communication tools should focus on objectives that help you accomplish goals — otherwise, how can you possibly measure if
you’ve been successful? Some possible objectives:

. Expand program information available online so that prospective students who aren’t reached through face-to-face recruiting
can self serve.

. Create online giving tool that reflects the ease-of-use available in the corporate world.

TIP 5
Avoid demands
“We need a blog,” “My program needs to be on the home page,” and “The copy should be shorter” are all features and tactics.
They are not goals or objectives in and of themselves. Don’t dismiss these requests, as they won’t magically go away. Keep
asking why, and think of creative ways to incorporate these features that will be relevant, strategic and build good will with
your stakeholders.

TIP 6
Know what you’re trying to say
Create a focal point for your content strategy by gathering any definition your institution has on brand and messaging. This
could be something like a brand platform, key messages, proof points and calls to action/conversions. If nothing like this exists,
then you should strongly consider developing them before your work continues. How else will you measure the messaging
value of existing and newly created content?

TIP 7 /
Define a tone
Most institutions know the value of a rule-based style guide as part of brand and identity projects, but fewer have invested in a
demonstration of the right tone. Just like Eat This, Not That, it’s often simpler to define the rules by talking as much about what
you don’t want as what you do, and to use liberal examples and even rewrites to demonstrate.

From Halvorson’s book, Content Strategy for the Web:

“To introduce the voice and tone qualities you’re recommending, a good approach is to offer contrasting values. For example:

. Professional, not academic.

. Confident, not arrogant.

. Clever, not cutesy. …”

Know your existing story

TIP 8
Do a content/story audit
If you’re new to an institution, or recently promoted to a leadership role, it’s critical to find out what content is out there.
Gather/identify all of your materials, and review them in a systematic way. This should include “finished” tools as well as raw
materials such as interview notes or video footage.

For web-specific content strategy, a spreadsheet to map URLs, page title, author/owner, multimedia assets, as well as detail
notes on overall quality (accuracy, usefulness, style adherence, etc.) can be extremely valuable. For technically advanced
content strategists, you might also include search engine optimization and analytics findings in your audit.

TIP 9
Find out who you’re dealing with
Frequently, authors and creators of communications tools have created something on a whim, because it was possible, or a
passing need suggested it. Find out who created each page, brochure or ad, and why they created it. Did it go through an
approval process, and if so, how? Can you, the content strategist, suggest a better way to address the need?

TIP 10
Audit for quality AND quantity
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Now that you’ve got the massive spreadsheet and piles, it’s time for a little analysis. Are your stories any good? How does your
content stack up with your competitors? With best practices? Are there emerging trends or events you should consider? Is it in
support of an institutional goal, objective or key process? Does it incorporate your 
brand voice and tone? Add a column to your
spreadsheet and give it a rating.

TIP 11
Identify the gap between what you have and what you need
Here’s where you make a plan based on your assessment. What are the stories that are missing? What could go away? Where will
your audience find your content? How will these stories shape your communications overall? How will new content be
developed? How long will it take, and what will it realistically cost? What happens once it’s launched? Do you need to change
business processes to be more effective with your content?

It’s important that you report your findings back to your stakeholders before you proceed with changes based on them. Remind
stakeholders what your goals and objectives are and what your audit has revealed, then make recommendations about what
changes and additions are necessary. Note how you’ll measure the success of your work.

Building what you need: Cultivating stories

TIP 12
Create a beat system
At Nazareth, our marketing and communications department included two media-relations experts. Before we employed a
content strategy, we knew a little bit about everything, and were focused on placements outside the institution.

But we weren’t cultivating relationships, or the power of our own communications program. We were reacting to requests. We
established a beat system so that one person became the point person and expert for the school. That person serves as a resource
within the marketing department, as well as facing out to the rest of the institution.

We meet with deans every month, and high-need department-heads every two months. At those meetings, we discuss what’s
going on in their schools/departments, whether it’s research, new publications by faculty, workshops, whatever their story is
all about. We’ll do additional reporting and follow-up with sources identified by the dean.

TIP 13
Be open in interviews
Compelling stories come from unexpected places. Prepare for your interviews, but don’t ask questions so close-ended that
responses are curt replies and confirmations. Explain to interviewees that while you’ve done research and know a bit about
them, that you’d like them to respond as if this wasn’t an official conversation, but casual dialogue.

/
Instead of a question like “Did you enjoy it?” try “How did it make you feel?” Crafting questions that don’t obviously connect to
the “point” of your interview can yield interesting results: “What’s the one thing you’ve done here that you’ve never thought
you’d do?” or, for faculty, “How did you pick your area of academic research?”

TIP 14
Photos are worth 1,000 words
Photography, illustration, video and multimedia are powerful storytelling tools, but many institutions don’t plan for them as
strategically as writing a 500-word essay. At Zehno, we create detailed photo plans that include style references, shot lists,
setups and prop suggestions. How can the photo tell the story for you? For your next photo shoot, plan for more than a cliché
higher-ed portrait.

TIP 15
Image and note libraries outlive individual sta members
Being strategic about content means knowing what you have at your disposal so that you can be efficient with new initiatives.
That’s the purpose of doing a content audit at the beginning of your engagement as a content strategist, and for keeping on top
of new content on an ongoing basis. At Zehno, each client has a binder where all interviews are located in print form for
reference, organized around topic or department. When new interviews are completed, staff members are responsible for
updating the central library.

We also maintain an image library for each client, accessible via the office network. (It would be nice if we got around to adding
searchable metadata to the images, but the cobbler’s children have no shoes.) Nazareth and Zehno do periodic updates of a
hard-drive to ensure that both the institution and the agency have the full library of available images.

At both Zehno and Nazareth, the account/beat manager is responsible for knowing general coverage of interviews and assets,
and serves as a content resource for individual projects.

TIP 16
Conquer politics
Our experience with the relaunch of the Nazareth home page taught us a valuable lesson about the perils of institutional politics.
The new format of the homepage created spaces for story-driven videos, features, photo galleries and department spotlights.

Our intention had been to hold small forums with the individual schools and departments to explain our content strategy. In the
rush to launch, these meetings did not happen, and our strategy was not clear. The result? Stakeholders wanted editorial control
over what was included and how it was written. We had lost an opportunity to be seen as valued experts instead of order-takers.

To move past that, we’ve used the beat system at Nazareth to cultivate relationships with deans, faculty and staff, which in turn
cut down on confusion of who to contact with story/content ideas. The beat system has helped us, as content strategists, to
better understand the mission and the goals of the individual schools and departments. We’re better prepared to be
collaborators, and not reactors. Our stakeholders feel that we’re interested and working for them — we’re their advocates. /
Do something with all this work
TIP 17
Use collaborative tools
Sharing your story knowledge with the wider communications team doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does take some
education. At Zehno, we use Basecamp as a project management tool for our work with Nazareth, and use Google docs as a way
to share content lists, editorial plans and story ideas organized by key messages.

Another tool to consider adopting is a “page table,” a format developed by Melissa Rach at Brain Traffic. A page table focuses the
purpose and messaging of content that should appear on a page, and provides hierarchy instructions to the writer. It’s like the
love child of an outline and a wireframe.

TIP 18
Create an editorial matrix and calendar
You’ve got raw stories and content and channels. Put some focus to your work by creating an editorial matrix that shows
channel, frequency and author, cross-referenced by key messages that the story/content re-enforces. Execution in each
channel may require specific expertise such as SEO, web writing or video production. Consider the form, expertise and lead
time needed to develop the story for prime time, and create a schedule with as much detail/milestones as your team needs to
make it to the finish line. Make sure that all new content also has a plan for governance — when should it be removed, updated
or reviewed, and by whom?

At Nazareth, after beat meetings with deans, we enter information into our Story Matrix and discuss at the weekly creative team
meetings to decide channels:

. What needs a press release/media advisory?

. What should be a web story?

. What should be an alumni magazine story?

. What should we promote via social media?

. All of the above?

TIP 19
Recycle/repackage
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Research by Philip Kotler suggests that multiple channel marketing is more effective than single-channel or one-off efforts.
Cross-media communications adopts this approach often employing multiple impressions of the messages and stories. You’ll get
tired of your message much more quickly than your target.

At Nazareth, our story matrix takes into account different venues and timing for new stories. For a story push on the renovation
of our Arts Center, that strategy included:

. A feature story on home page

. YouTube videos (during construction and post-opening)

. Photo gallery on home page (construction, performances, post-opening)

. Alumni magazine story (construction coverage and post-opening coverage)

. Blog entries (during construction and post-opening)

. Multiple Facebook/Twitter/Flickr/YouTube

Stories that are developed for the undergraduate admissions magazette, The Frequent Flyer, are published in print and on the
web (often with web extras for added value to print readers), and then are recycled into social-media and the overall web home
page as appropriate.

Curating and re-packaging existing content can be the most efficient way to create on-message, story-driven tools. During
editorial planning meetings for new issues of the Flyer, the first place that we reference is the overall editorial matrix and stories
planned for the alumni magazine and website to see what we can repurpose. Each issue of the magazette also highlights existing
photo galleries and YouTube videos.

TIP 20
Get fresh!
The most memorable content approaches are about ideas and content in multiple, integrated forms, not just words or images.
That’s why you have to plan up front to ensure strategic, engaging outcomes.

In higher ed, it’s easy to get stuck in the same old models. We look to our peer institution work for examples and adopt them.
But if it’s time to stand out from the crowd, then it’s time to look outside of higher ed for some aspirational content approaches.

At Zehno, we collect consumer publications, magazines, links and plain-old ideas and are constantly scanning the environment
for new approaches to the “same-old” tools. A recent favorite has been Good magazine — which uses information-graphic
techniques to provide content in visual, accessible, interesting ways — and its Good Sheet collaboration with Starbucks.
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To sum it up: Once you get your content strategy house in order, you’ll find you have more time to explore creative, fun ways to
make your institution’s differences shine.

Resources
Adaptive Path

Basecamp Extranet

Contentini Blog

Kristina Halvorson, Content Strategy for the Web

Formulate Your Content Strategy in 10 Simple Steps

Good Sheet

A List Apart

Lucid Plot: Content Strategy and User Experience

Scatter/Gather: Ideas and Opinions from Content Strategists at Razorfish