CHAPTER 10 The Two Faces of Content Strategy: Balancing the Needs of Users and Editors
Then, we prepare for it all to change.
Workflow should always be iterative. It depends on ability and current
staffing. There’s a need for constant revisions, and these revisions must
be built into the process. Whether content is created using Agile or Lean
methods, or any other existing or created process, it must be reviewed
periodically. Check the machine for leaks. Tune it up. Repurpose the parts
that aren’t working.
And when things get tight, start prioritizing tasks. That is, if you didn’t
prioritize from the get go.Don’T TRY To Do iT all
Let’s make this clear from the beginning: not every client or project team
will be equipped to handle every part of a project. Assigning roles and deter-
mining strategy may require more than just a knowledge of the content and
a handful of user outcomes. It will require understanding the skill set of
each user. And it will require understanding when to say enough is enough.
Believe it or not, we don’t need to throw our full methodology at
every project. The first time I realized this was when I worked with a
small non-profit organization funded entirely on donations. They had
no money for a project, yet I still dove straight in with the full package:
full content inventory, full audit and strategic plan, detailed wireframes
and website map, editorial calendar with weekly updates. We had agreed
to donate our time, and I felt strongly about the organization, so why
wouldn’t I give it my all?!"# # " # " # # "