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Presentation held at "Confab 2011 - the content strategy conference" in Minneapolis, minnesota. In this use case study you can see how we implemented a sustainable, repeatable content strategy by using a mixture of change management, project management, process management and editorial strategies and tactics.
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Implementing a content strategy:An eBay use case
Confab – the content strategy conference, Minneapolis
9 – 11 May 2011
Nikki Tiedtke . EU Senior Content Strategist
Lucie Hyde . Head of Content Mgmt & Strategy - eBay Europe
Contents
1. Our need for a content strategy
2. The context: Business seller communication
3. Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
4. How we did it: From chaos to content strategy
5. Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
4. Examples of deliverables:: Process: workflows and roles diagrams
:: Quality management: Our framework:: Brand opportunity and communication strategy:: Messaging hierarchy and information architecture:: User research and logfile analysis:: Briefing and content templates:: EU editorial style guide
2Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Our need for a content strategy
3Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use caseImages from: http://deutsch.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/14167360/2/istockphoto_14167360-people-icon-set.jpg
The project
Business seller news campaign for about 500.000 business sellers in EU. Sent 2-3 times a year.
The content
Content for 12 websites in 7 languages for different formats and channels (online & offline; Marketing, Website, Customer Support).
The team
25 people from 11 teams in 5 countries (UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and US).
The process
An international team. A complex, multi-lingual and multi-channel communication. A fast-pacing environment. But: No clear editorial process and planning, roles, methods or tools.
The topics
• New selling formats and tools
• New ways of managing inventory
• Policy or legal changes
The business objectives
• Create customer-friendly communication which matches user and business needs.
• Drive awareness and adoption of changes.
• Build a trusted relationship with sellers, help them to be successful.
4Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
The context: Business seller news
Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
Content strategist as usability consultant:
• Identify internal and external user needs, beforedefining processes, strategy and tools.
• Address and help resolve conflicting interests.
Content strategist as change manager and networker:
• Constantly test & refine processes.
• Plan for small step changes to guide teams with differentmaturity levels into content strategy.
• Help build relationships and communication within teams.
Content strategist as content lead:
• Define and plan editorial roles & responsibilities, process and quality standards.
• Create and implement editorial guidelines.
• Define and implement quality standards for content.
• Manage the editorial process, the copywriters and the quality management process.
5
What do
you need?
Content
strategistUser /
Stakeholder
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Contents
1. Our need for a content strategy
2. The context: Business seller communication
3. Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
4. How we did it: From chaos to content strategy
5. Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
4. Examples of deliverables:: Process: workflows and roles diagrams
:: Quality management: Our framework:: Brand opportunity and communication strategy:: Messaging hierarchy and information architecture:: User research and logfile analysis:: Briefing and content templates:: EU editorial style guide
6Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
7
Image from: http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/12/rubber-ducks.jpg
No editorial
guidelines
No editorial
process
Unclear roles and
responsibilities
Siloed teams with
weak relationships
No tools and
templates
No match between
business objectives
and user needs
No quality
management
standards and criteria
No process
documentation
or training
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
How we did it: From chaos…
8
Images from: http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/12/rubber-ducks.jpg and http://www.gettyimages.com
Tweet! We„re
following a content
strategy
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Built strong relationships between teams and identified
stakeholder and user needs.1
2
3
4
5
67
… to content strategy
Defined editorial roles, responsibilities, process,
projectplan, methods and tools.
Tested the content strategy for one publishing
cycle. Refined it. Used it again. Refined it again.
Created editorial guidelines and quality standards based
on brand objectives, usability standards and user needs.
Implemented the editorial guidelines and quality
standards by training 60 EU stakeholders.
Defined and implemented a quality management process for
documenting, measuring and sustaining the quality of content
strategy and editorial copy.
Next: Implementing this approach in more EU teams!
9
Timeline 2010
Jan Feb JulyJuneMayAprMar OctSepAug Nov Dec
2010
Built relationships with teams (11 teams, 5 countries).
Defined editorial process
& tested approach.
Refined process &
tested again.Finalised and
documented process.
Documented usability
standards for web content.
Analysed regular market & user research. Integrated findings into editorial guidelines.
Defined quality standards for content
Created EU editorial style guide based on
usability standards, user research and business
seller editorial guidelines.
Style guide trainings
for EU teams
Created editorial
guidelines for business
sellers.
Refined guidelines.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
10
Timeline 2011
Jan Feb JulyJuneMayAprMar OctSepAug Nov Dec
2011
Refine content strategy based on 2010
learnings.
Define and implement a quality management process for content strategy and editorial copy.
Test & refine with one publishing cycle.
Update and localize EU editorial guidelines.
Provide „refresher“ trainings.
Continuously analyse market & user research. Integrate findings into editorial guidelines.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Create and offer content strategy trainings for EU Marketing & Communication
teams.
Create a global content strategy framework (global style guides, global content quality
management standards, etc).
Contents
1. Our need for a content strategy
2. The context: Business seller communication
3. Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
4. How we did it: From chaos to content strategy
5. Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
4. Examples of deliverables:: Process: workflows and roles diagrams:: Quality management: Our framework:: Brand opportunity and communication strategy:: Messaging hierarchy and information architecture:: User research and logfile analysis:: Briefing and content templates
11Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Deliverables build framework
for a repeatable process.
Can be applied to other
projects and teams.
Enables us to continuously
improve, react fast and
structured within virtual,
international teams.
12
Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
Deliverables
• Process, roles and responsibilities
documentation.
• Publishing and content project plan
• EU editorial style guides based on business
objectives, usability standards and user
needs.
• Style guide and content strategy trainings
for all EU stakeholders.
• SEO strategy
• Content and briefing templates
• Quality management plan incl. quality
standards and criteria.
Discover
Define
DesignDevelop
Deploy
Govern
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
13
Repeat and refine: Continuous improvement
Discover
Define
DesignDevelop
Deploy
Govern
Content Strategy
• Understand business
objectives and user needs.
• Content inventory and audit.
Identify gaps.
• Understand briefing from
stakeholders. Identify gaps.
• Define content
deliverables and
scope effort.
• Define project and
quality management
plan.
• Brief copywriters.
• Create messaging hierarchy &
Information Architecture.
• Translate business objectives into key
messages and call to actions.
• Create “content outline” (rough draft to
be approved by stakeholders).
• Create & review copy for all deliverables
and channels.
• Use quality standards to assess content
quality.
• Translate & localize copy.
• Quality assurance
of final content in all
channels and formats
before publishing.
• Deploy / launch
online pages and
communication.
• Define and manage content
lifecycle (update or end-of-life).
• Quality control: Analyze user
research, log file analysis and
success metrics.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Contents
1. Our need for a content strategy
2. The context: Business seller communication
3. Key learnings: Implementing a content strategy
4. How we did it: From chaos to content strategy
5. Where are we now? Our content strategy framework
4. Examples of deliverables:: Process: workflows and roles diagrams:: Quality management: Our framework:: Brand opportunity and communication strategy:: Messaging hierarchy and information architecture:: User research and logfile analysis:: Briefing and content templates:: EU editorial style guide
14Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Highest Level Major Seller Release Responsibility Map TO BE (Proposed)
Cu
sto
me
r
Se
rvic
eP
rod
uct
Co
nte
nt
ma
na
ge
me
nt
Se
ller
Ma
rke
tin
g
Se
ller
En
ga
ge
me
nt
Se
ller
Pro
po
sitio
n A
Confirm
information
about the
proposition to
be included in
the release.
B 1
Kick off the
process. Set the
direction for the
communication.
C
Write copy for
EU specific
initiatives.
Localise copy
for global
initiatives.
E1
Get the Micro
Sites copy
translated via
L10n
D1
Information
Architecture.
Design the
Micro Site
F1
Put the
translated
content into the
Micro site
G2
Live to Site
Checkpoint Go/
No Go
H
Manage Post
Launch Fixes
G1
QA Content
F3
CS Preparation.
Templates,
scripts,
outbound call
schedule
I
End of life for
obsolete content
J
Post Launch
Review
D2
Information
Architecture.
Design the RM
channel
structure.
F2
Put the
translated
content into the
DM structure
E2
Trans creation of the DM
B 2
Confirm
marketing
response. Brief
contributing
teams.
15
Process: Workflows 1/2
We defined the
overall process
phases first. And then
the detailed steps
within each phase.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
16
Process: Workflows 2/2
Example: Detailed
process steps in a
phase.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
17
Process: Roles and responsibilities
In addition to the process
documentation we defined the
detailed roles and responsibilities for
each process step.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
18
Quality management: Our framework 1/2
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Template for our quality
management plan. Defines the
standard of how we measure quality
at eBay for content projects. Can be
used for every project.
19
Quality management: Our framework 2/2
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Excerpts from our
quality management
definition which we
presented to teams: 1.
Definition and 2. What
documents we use to
assess and control
quality.
Business objectives & editorial strategy
Professional seller proposition:
Be a trusted, reliable business partner for sellers to enable great profits and
sales velocity.
We will present timely, relevant information, that is easy to understand, helpful, and easy to access…
… allowing sellers to take action to change their business and sell more efficiently.
Reasons to believe :
• Targeted & personalised
• Focussed on their key needs
• Clear and plain language
•Scannable page structure
• Visual aids and not just
text
• Easy to use
• Concise
• Reduce clutter
• Call to action
highlighted
• Correct
communication
channel and format
• Optimised for
search engines
• Easy to find on
eBay
Advanced
notice
Excerpt: How we defined
editorial guidelines based on
our business objectives. The
detailed editorial strategy was
much more detailed.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 20
Messaging hierarchy*
21
Secondary
message
Who?
How?
When?
How much?
Primary
message
What?
Why?
* From Karen McGrane, Bond art + science: http://www.slideshare.net/KMcGrane/why-ux-design-needs-content-strategy
Call to action What do I
need to do?
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Information architecture 1/2
22
Messaging hierarchy
defined our information
architecture. From index
page…
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Information architecture 2/2
23
… to single subpage.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
* From an online survey to a sample of business sellers. Sent after communication launch.
Question: Which of the following words or phrases do you think describes all the communications you have received from eBay?
User research: 2009 to 2010 comparison*
Business sellers
Negative feedback
Positive feedback
2010 results
2009 results
2010 results
2009 results
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case 24
25
Logfile analysis
The content strategist
ensures that we measure
key online pages to
understand how
customers use them.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
26
Content template: One example
Just one of many
templates we created.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
27
Briefing templateJust 2 pages of our super-detailed
communication brief which captures user,
business, marketing, content and
customer support requirements.
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
EU editorial style guide
28Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Our EU editorila style
guide was translated and
implemented with regular
training sessions.
From 2009…
29Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
To 2010: our business seller news
30Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
31Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
ADVERT: Come and speak. Listen. Learn.
Content Strategy Applied conference
UK, London, Richmond
1-2 March 2012
Thanks for listening. Questions?
32
Nikki Tiedtke | EU Senior Content Strategist | eBay GmbH
linkedin: http://de.linkedin.com/in/nikkiberlin
Mobile: +49.171.36 24 589
Skype: nikkitiedtkeebay
E-Mail: [email protected]
Implementing a content strategy: An eBay use case
Lucie Hyde | Head of Content Management & Strategy - Localisation -
Web Development, eBay Europe
Mobile: + 44.7870.16 32 80
Skype: luciehyde
E-Mail: [email protected]