When redesigning your Drupal website, one of the most important things to consider is content. And while we all dream of large budgets and lots of time to invest in a fancy process, sometimes it’s just about getting from point A to point B. With any content strategy plan, there are key points where your team might breakdown or derail on your way to your final destination — launch. This talk will focus on addressing these potential problem areas, offering up tools, tips, and documents that can help at each stage.

1. avoid a redesign train wreck
GET CONTENT FROM
POINT A TO B
LYNN WINTER | lynnwintermn

2. Lynn
Winter
Digital Strategist
lynnwintermn

3. MINNESOTA _ MOOSE

4. What is content strategy?
The means of getting the right
content, to the right people, in the
right place, at the right time.

5. What is content strategy?
The means of getting the right
content, to the right people, in the
right place, at the right time.
SUBSTANCE STUCTURE WORKFLOW GOVERANCE

6. but this is not a talk
about content strategy.
SUBSTANCE

7. Getting from point A to B
How do we remove roadblocks,
produce our best work, and still
get done on time?

8. Getting from point A to B
How do we remove roadblocks,
produce our best work, and still
get done on time?
Simplify the
content ecosystem
Create user
centric content
Manage
internal politics
Provide tools
for non-writers
Establish a content
creation process

9. Simplify the
Content
Ecosystem
User
Centric
Internal
Politics
Tools for
Non-writers
Creation
Process
the Content
Ecosystem

10. What is the challenge?
The current breadth and depth of
content is unknown and hasn’t been
managed. The volume alone will
overrun the project.

11. SET REMOVAL
STANDARDS
Before determining
what to do with
existing content,
define what makes
content valuable.
INVENTORY
PROJECT SCOPE
This analysis might
include channels,
domains, content
types, & components.
REMOVE
CONTENT
Early in the project
you should remove
as much content
from the scope as
possible.
1. 2. 3.
HOW TO SIMPLIFY THE CONTENT ECOSYSTEM

12. Recommend potential standard to consider
Define them together when setting the
original strategy
Set removal standards
Create a set of standards to determine the value of
content. These are specific to the organization, project,
and their users.

13. VALUE SCALE

14. Does it support your org’s goals?
Does your user need the content?
Are users visiting the page?
Is the content updated regularly?
Is it getting in the way?
Should you be the expert?
Is this the right channel?
Is the content inclusive & accessible?

15. DOES IT SPARK JOY?

16. Determine what type of inventory is needed
Use the process to fill in gaps of knowledge
Divide up the work
Inventory project scope
Take stock of all content that you need to consider
within the project scope.

17. ECOSYSTEM MAP

18. ECOSYSTEM TEMPLATE

19. COMPONENTS INVENTORY

20. TITLE STATS TYPE OF
CONTENT
URL
PUBLISHED
WHAT WE DO WITH IT
NOTES
AUTHOR
CREATED DATE
LAST UPDATED DATE
CONTENT INVENTORY

21. Explain the value of removing content but now
and long-term
Recommend what content should be removed & why
Divide recommendation into two rounds
Reduce scope by removing content
It’s critical to remove as much content as possible
early that doesn’t map to your strategy.

22. CONTENT REMOVAL
SPREADSHEET

23. MIGRATION PLAN

24. Create User
Content
Ecosystem
User
Centric
Internal
Politics
Tools for
Non-writers
Creation
Process
Centric Content

25. What is the challenge?
We don’t know who our users are
and what they need so we create
content for who we think they are or
for what we want them to care about.

26. DOCUMENT
WHAT WE KNOW
Start by identifying
what you currently
know about your
users.
RESEARCH
YOUR USERS
Identify your gaps in
knowledge and reach
out to the users you
don’t know.
SUMMARIZE
USERS NEEDS
Based on your
research, identify
and prioritize user
needs.
1. 2. 3.
HOW TO CREATE USER CENTRIC CONTENT

27. Find people within the organization that
interact with your users
Summarize what you know about your users
and identify your gaps
Document what you know
Tap into what you already know about your users.
What do they need from you?
Who are they?
Where do you reach them?
What challenges do they face?

28. Users Needs Template

29. Online Surveys
Focus Groups
Data Review
User Interviews
User Testing
Research users
Find the best way to
reach your users

30. User Types
Template
Summarize
findings
Pull together all
your knowledge
into user types

31. Manage
Content
Ecosystem
User
Centric
Internal
Politics
Tools for
Non-writers
Creation
Process
Internal Politics

32. What is the challenge?
If not heard, internal voices will derail the
project at the start, in the middle, or impact
the long-term success of the project.

33. GAIN THEIR
PERSPECTIVE
Seek direct
communication with
key voices to add
them to the project.
DETERMINE
STRATEGY
TOGETHER
Confirm the project
strategy together to
get everyone on the
same page.
CONFIRM WITH
REAL USERS
During the project,
review data and test
with users to help
stakeholders
understand choices.
1. 2. 3.
HOW TO MANAGE INTERNAL POLITICS

34. Small time/budget investment
You can speak to individuals or groups
It’s an opportunity to gain knowledge
about the company, their users, and the
marketplace
Gain their perspective
Talk to key stakeholders to hear (and include) their
perspective on the project.

35. STAKEHOLDER
INTERVIEW TEMPLATE

36. Make it clear that their voice (from interviews)
has been added to the conversation
Make sure to bring real data and voices in
when setting the strategy
It should be written and approved
Get approval of strategic direction
It is important to determine the overall strategy
together before diving into the work.

37. Who are they at their core?
What is their business model?
Where are they in their
marketplace?
Who are their users? What
do they need?
What are the project goals, risks,
and measurements of success?
STATEGIC BRIEF ITEMS

38. Determine what data or type of testing will
best address concerns
Make sure you know what questions to ask
to get the best results.
Stakeholders don’t need the raw info, but
instead a good storytelling summary.
Support choices with data
Provide user data and testing results to confirm
decisions and mitigate concerns from stakeholders.

39. HEATMAP

40. TREEJACK TESTING

41. USABILITY TESTING
NOTES TEMPLATE

42. Provide Tools for
Content
Ecosystem
User
Centric
Internal
Politics
Tools for
Non-writers
Creation
Process
Non-writers

43. What is the challenge?
There is little to no budget to hire writers
and the internal staff either doesn’t have
the experience or time to write.

44. SIMPLIFY PAGE
CREATION
Breakdown the needs
for individual pages
into a few key items
to simplify the work.
GATHER BETTER
CONTENT
Create tools & systems
to allow co-workers to
deliver better quality
content.
HIRE CONTENT
ASSISTANCE
Consider how to
affordably hire a
contractor for part
of the project.
1. 2. 3.
HOW TO PROVIDE TOOLS FOR NON-WRITERS

45. Keep the template simple
Focus the template on the purpose of the page
and don’t let it become a checklist
Imagine your content within your new components
Simplify page creation
Use a simplified version of Page Tables to help content
creators get past the blank page and start writing.

46. Who needs the content?
What are the goals?
What are the user
questions?
What content supports
the goals & user needs?
What’s next?
PAGE PRIORITY TEMPLATE

47. Create 1 - 2 page condensed content editorial
guide. Update it every 6 months to only include
what is the most critical
Build content submission forms for content
creators outside the writing team
Gather more quality content
Create cheat sheets and forms to guide your team
into providing more quality content.

48. CONTENT
SUBMISSION FORM
EXAMPLE FROM IEEE

49. Create your content style guide
Create sample pages of top content
Hire help
If you can’t afford a full-time writer, consider what
you can do with part-time help.
Copy edit approved newly created content

50. Establish a Content
Content
Ecosystem
User
Centric
Internal
Politics
Tools for
Non-writers
Creation
Process
Creation Process

51. What is the challenge?
We know we need to start writing but not
sure where to start and no single person has
stepped up to own the process. Now we
have spent too much time figuring a process
and timeline instead of writing.

52. Identify one
person to lead
Be realistic about
time & availability
Keep the plan
and tools simple
HOW TO ESTABLISH A CONTENT CREATION PROCESS
Write the plan
down & share it
Implement with
authority
Hold your team
accountable

53. CREATE CONTENT STYLE GUIDE
The guide helps staff write content
to support the strategy & brand.
GATHER MEDIA ASSETS
Create a common repository.
CREATE A WORKFLOW
Identify what steps (& people)
need to approve content.
1.
2.
3.
CHOOSE A LOCATION
Where content should be created.
SET DEADLINES
Identify the ultimate due
date and work backwards.
CREATE CONTENT
Use produced documents & tools.
4.
5.
6.
TEST CONTENT
Test for readability, findability,
comprehension &
accessibility.
7.
PROCESS WORKSHOP OUTLINE
MONITOR PROGRESS
Support & hold people accountable.
8.

54. EXAMPLE OF CLIENT
PROCESS

55. LEAD A WORKFLOW WORKSHOP
Show an example
of a possible
workflow.
Start with one
content type.
Imagine what you
want the new
workflow to be.
Map it out.
Create a post-it
note / Trello card
for each step.
Assign people
to each step.
Identify risks &
bottle necks.
Offer solutions.

56. READABILITY
The ease in which a user
can consume and
understand written text.
FINDABILITY
A user’s ability to find
content & act on it.
ACCESSIBILITY
Testing in order to
consider people of all
abilities and their
needs.
USER TESTING OPTIONS
COMPREHENSION
The ease in which a
user can process text,
derive meaning, & give
it greater context.

57. read-able.com

58. Getting from point A to B
Simplify the
content ecosystem
Create user
centric content
Manage
internal politics
Provide tools
for non-writers
Establish a content
creation process

59. lynnwintermn.com
Lynn Winter, Digital Strategist
managedigital.ioI
QUESTIONS?