Content Strategy

A content strategy is a strategic approach to creating, managing, and distributing content. It involves planning and executing a roadmap for content creation, distribution, and optimization. A content strategy provides a framework to create valuable and purposeful content by focusing on the needs of the audience.

A digital content strategy is a high-level plan that guides the intentional creation and maintenance of information in a digital product as a way to achieve consistent experiences throughout the user journey and across all of its digital channels.

A content strategy will usually specify:

• The point of the content (organization objective or user need)
• Who will own, create, measure, and maintain the information
• How and where the content will best meet users’ needs (formats, channels, style, tone, word usage, etc.)
• How the content should be structured, tagged, and organized for findability and contextual visibility
• How the content will be published and fit in the overall experience

Our shared goal should be to ensure that all Wake Forest websites align with the university’s brand standards and use approved design and content styles to effectively communicate our message. By embracing a cohesive digital content strategy, we can create a consistent experience across wfu.edu that reinforces the university’s brand identity while providing users with a more intuitive, engaging, and enjoyable experience.

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The content lifecycle refers to the stages content moves through from creation to retirement. It encompasses the processes of planning, developing, publishing, organizing, maintaining, repurposing, and eventually archiving or removing content.

Managing website content can be challenging when balancing it alongside many other responsibilities. As a result, we often encounter common obstacles that make it difficult to effectively manage the content lifecycle.

Some of the most common challenges include:

• Coordinating content marketing efforts among multiple departments
• Ability to be agile when change is needed
• Consistency with messaging
• Lack of resources and proper training
• Not enough time

How to fix these issues:

• Implement a plan for when and how you’ll review your content
• Make sure all content owners/approvers are aware of the plan and contribute; Include those from other departments whenever necessary
• Set realistic goals for yourself: Start with what is achievable and work your way up from there

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Your digital content strategy should be guided by measurable goals and objectives. By consistently tracking and evaluating your progress, you can determine whether your content is achieving its intended outcomes and identify opportunities for improvement. More importantly, it helps answer a critical question: What role does your content play in accomplishing your department’s goals?

Here’s what you should be thinking about when setting content goals:

• Be familiar with your department’s goals
• Know your audience (and others who may be looking at your site)
• Make sure the content that speaks to your goals is clear and easy to find

Define your goals.

It’s important to understand both your users’ goals and your department’s goals. While these objectives sometimes overlap, they aren’t always the same. Identifying both is essential to creating content that meets user needs while supporting your strategic objectives.

Identify the purpose of your content.

Every page on your site has a purpose. You need to understand what that is in order to create an effective strategy that will provide a positive user experience for your users.

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The most effective way to measure how your content is performing is by identifying KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators. A KPI is a measurable and quantifiable metric used to track progress towards a specific goal or objective. They help us identify strengths and weaknesses, make data-driven decisions, and optimize performance of our digital content.

Wake Forest website editors who have access to Siteimprove should take full advantage of the platform’s capabilities to measure and evaluate their site’s performance. The Analytics module provides valuable insights through features such as Event Tracking, Behavior Maps, and a variety of content performance metrics, helping editors better understand user engagement and make data-informed decisions.

Examples of KPIs

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Website content audits are an essential part of the content lifecycle. They help ensure your content remains accurate, relevant, and aligned with both your users’ needs and your department’s goals. By regularly evaluating your content, you can identify opportunities to improve the user experience while ensuring your website continues to support your strategic objectives.

Even if your marketing strategies haven’t changed, your users’ habits may have.

Before beginning a content audit, take two important steps:

• First, meet with your department’s content and marketing staff to review your goals and discuss how they may have evolved since your last audit.
• Second, gather feedback from the people who use your website most frequently to help inform your content decisions and ensure your site continues to meet their needs.

Here are a few different proven ways to do this:

• Talk to your target audience. If you have access to users who rely on your website, set up a time to have a conversation with them about how they use your website. Some questions you should consider asking are:
  • What content are you looking for on sitename.wfu.edu?
  • Do/did you have any frustrations while using the site?
  • How do they find the content they were looking for?
  • Do you have suggestions on what would make it a better experience for you?
• Online surveys can be beneficial if you ask the right questions. If your primary audience are users outside of the Wake Forest campus (e.g., prospective students, alumni), consider sending them a link to an online survey that would help you collect feedback on how they use your website.
• Compare the feedback you recieve with your current goals and adjust accordingly. Communicate your findings with others in your department to make sure you understand what your content priorities are and that any changes are reflected in other marketing materials for continuity.