SWOT analyses aren’t the only tool I can use.
I was most surprised by the versatility of the SWOT analysis. I’ve used this tool several times as a designer, looking for ways in which what I contribute to a business can help them in the long run. Its application to content seems obvious now that I’m aware of it, with content creation becoming a method to overcome found weaknesses.
I was definitely excited by the last paragraph of Regina Preciado’s article underlying five reasons a customer accesses your content. The idea that experiencing content builds trust with your customer (or readership) is another way content management adds value to an organization. The ways to improve content were also helpful (I need to curb a dependent language habit), but I think the driving point here was that the tactics discussed are meant to be tools that allow authors to build in value for future transition.
Content strategy needs to be marketed.
Most meaningful to my career now was the idea that content strategy has to be marketed to stakeholders. Understanding the business needs and creating a great strategy won’t be enough to convince executives. Both of the podcasts (Business Value of Content Operations at Any Scale and Finding the Value when Selling Structure) discuss ways in which organizations might see value in content organization and strategy. Essentially, a marketing strategy to pitch the content strategy is needed.
Currently, my role utilizes a series of outdated systems and processes to accomplish year goals. Through these podcasts I’ve learned I need to reframe how I ask questions (focus on step by step roles rather than asking a blanket “who’s responsible for…?”) and embrace regulatory oversight as helpful in my selling rather than a hindrance. While not directly part of content strategy, I learned I need to shape my selling points for optimizing our current processes around five business drivers: operational efficiency, expanding territory, time to market, risk management, and customer loyalty. Of these, risk management and a type of customer loyalty (our team might call this “external stakeholder buy-in”) are most important to my supervisors and team executives. I won’t see any forward momentum with my strategy needs if I focus only on the current lack of efficiency. I must sell (and develop) my strategy for their needs, not just mine.
Speaking to the content I handle itself, Chapter 8 within the textbook helps me understand how the curriculum content I interact with isn’t that different from every other type of content. While I cannot optimize the content myself, I can review the content on behalf of the content creators and set up planning meetings with each of them to help colleges and departments implement their own strategies.
Photo by Dee @ Copper and Wild on Unsplash