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A
New Breed of Writing Professional
Managing
the creation and maintenance of this huge volume of content requires
an understanding of not just Web writing, but of detailed, well-planned,
realistic content development processes.
Those
practicing the new discipline of Web Content Strategy
are being called upon to help Web development teams navigate this
new editorial ecosystem where content not only has to be written,
but also broken up into thousands of pieces that have to be reviewed,
approved, repurposed, edited for search engines, translated, localized,
and generated using a new and complex set of tools and techniques.
Web
Site Content Strategy is Poised for Growth
As
content development projects get more complicated, pushing the
limits of what content management systems can handle, and Web
traffic gets harder to generate and keep, content strategy will
increasingly become an important part of the Web development process.
A study from long-time Content Strategist Gerry McGovern shows
how a structured content strategy increased one site's performance
by 147 percent.
Much
like the practice of Information Architecture was only four or
five years ago, the discipline of Web Content Strategy is now
poised for a period of huge growth in importance and acceptance
as part of the strategic foundation of website design. As McGovern's
study has shown, the payoffs in site performance can be measurable
and significant.
The
Web Content Strategist's Bible
explains how the practice of Web content strategy can be used
to effectively manage the size, scope, and cost of content-heavy
Web development projects.
Presented
in an easy, readable style, the book explains the fundamentals
of Web content strategy using recent examples and the presentation
of best practices. Focusing on asking the right questions and
gathering relevant information needed for efficient project planning
and development.
Topics
include:
- An
overview of Web content strategy for both newcomers
and experienced practitioners
- An
overview of the various roles and players on a Web development
team
- Samples
and descriptions of more than twenty analysis
tools and documents that need to be created in every phase of
a website development project, from planning and analysis all
the way to development and maintenance
- A
complete description of the Web Content Matrix
and how to develop one
- The
basics of Web Content Management Systems and
their role in creating Web content
- Web
content translation and globalization processes
and best practices
Advice for interviewing and getting your first job
as a Web content strategist
Successful
Web content strategists come from diverse backgrounds including,
but in no way limited to:
- Technical
writers
- Journalists
- Project
managers
- Information
architects
- Copywriters
- PR
specialists
If
you have good writing skills, and can plan and organize a project,
The Web Content Strategist’s Bible
will fill in the rest.
Who
This Book is For
- Writers
and editors of all kinds
who want a better, higher paying, job as a part of a
Web site development team
- Working
content strategists
who want to see how things are done elsewhere and expand, and
improve, the perception of Web content strategy as a professional
practice
- Project
managers who want to fully understand the Web
site content development process so they can create accurate,
complete, and workable project plans
What
You Will Learn
- How
a Web site design team functions (page
9)
- How
a Web content strategist can work with, and assist, an Information
Architect or User Experience designer (page
20)
- How
to avoid the three biggest flaws in most project plans for Web
site development (page
27)
- How
to work as a Web content consultant when the project is first
being defined (page 32)
- How
to analyze existing Web site content for possible re-use or
editing (page 45)
- How
to analyze a client’s existing editorial process and make
editorial process improvement recommendations (page
52)
- How
to create and maintain a comprehensive Web site content matrix
(page 61)
- How
to define and create an editorial style guide to be used by
anyone who is creating content for the project to endure consistency
(page 70)
- How
to plan for maintenance, an frequent source of trouble (page
89)
- How
to create and get approval for a policy for archiving Web site
content (page 92)
- How
to create a process that easily handles content translation
and localization (page
94)
- How
Web Content Management Systems work and how to convey that understanding
to a potential client or employer (page107)
- How
to get your first job as a Web content strategist (page
124)
- How
to use supporting academic research to make your content strategy
recommendations stick (page
124)
Content
Strategy Deliverables Explained in Detail
Since
every project is different, The Web Content Strategist's
Bible explains how to build the various deliverables
needed during a content strategy engagement by listing the kinds
of questions to ask and data to collect at each stage of the project.
Discovery
Phase Documents/Deliverables
Content
Project Summary Worksheet
Content Inventory Spreadsheet
Existing Content Audit
Content Datascape
Missing Source Content Report
Content Workshop Agenda
Analysis
Phase Documents/Deliverables
The
Content Strategy Document
Existing Content Analysis
Content Gap Analysis of Current Site
Competitive Content Analysis
Editorial Process Analysis
Making Editorial Process Recommendations
Readiness Analysis
Design
Phase Documents/Deliverables
The
Content Matrix
Editorial Style Guide
Sample Style Guide Table of Contents
Approval Process
Translation Process
WCMS Development Consulting
Build
Phase Documents/Deliverables
The
Content Reviewer Guide
Tracking the Project
Maintenance
Phase Documents/Deliverables
Ongoing
Website Maintenance
Establishing an Editorial Calendar
Content Removal Process Description
Archival Plan and Policy
With
a complete explanation of how to create these cleint-facing documents,
even a brand new content strategist can hit the ground running
and be a contributing team member right from day one.
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