community management grows up: moving beyond content calendars
TRANSCRIPT
Community Management Grows UpMoving Beyond Content Calendars
Created for and presented at PodCamp Toronto 2014
@jeremywright / @joncrowley
• Community Management Today• Why It All Sucks• Imagine A World Where…• Your Content Sucks, But You Can Fix It Super Duper Easy• Getting Your Content Out There Like A Boss• Beer For Questions
Today’s Agenda
This One Time, At Brand Camp
• It’s restrictive• It’s messy• Endless revisions, because it’s
treated as 31 separate creative elements
• Last minute changes are unavoidable
The
Proc
ess i
s Bro
ken
The Content Calendar
Today, I post about this!
How CM’s See the Calendar
Tomorrow, I post about this!
How CM’s See the Calendar
Wednesday, I post about this!
How CM’s See the Calendar
How Strategy Sees the Calendar
Okay, I need 15 words on family dining.
How the Copywriter Sees It
Now I need 20 words on an art exhibit…
How the Copywriter Sees It
Ugh, and 10 words on some concert, yay!
How the Copywriter Sees It
That works.
How the Client Sees the Calendar
A little wordy, but fine.
How the Client Sees the Calendar
Maybe a little impersonal, but I’ll leave it.
How the Client Sees the Calendar
This works.
How the Client Sees the Calendar
This is kinda like a post from last month?
How the Client Sees the Calendar
Wait, I haven’t seen any product posts yet?
How the Client Sees the Calendar
Client Sends Feedback
“I feel like this is repetitive and off strategy, please revise.” - client
Client Sends Feedback
“I feel like this is repetitive and off strategy, please revise.” - client
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a process and tools that worked for ANYONE,
nevermind everyone?
A Whole Newwwww World!
Imagine a world where…
Client understands the entire process and value, not just the end result
Client isn’t nitpicking on details (ahem, especially ones they’ve already approved)
Every member of the team knows where they’re headed, together
Every single post is building towards something
Creative doesn’t just mean copywriter (and the copywriter gives a damn)
A Brand is a Story
A Brand is a Story
A Brand is a Story a Collection of Stories
Sepa
rate
The
In
gred
ient
s
• Content Planning• Content Writing• Creative• Community
Management• Client Approvals
• Blocking Charts are yourfriend
• Creates framework forfuture content
• Allows you to align (internallyor with client) on prioritiesand number of posts percontent pillarCo
nten
t Pla
nnin
g
• Should be easier to write• Should allow for greater
flexibility• Should be FUN• Should be reusable• Should be responsive
Cont
ent W
ritin
g
• Plan the narrative• Copywriter writes similar
topics (saves 30% of time)• Posts can “expire”• Allows for greater CM
flexibility• Requires less onboarding of
new CMs
The
Cont
ent
War
ehou
se
• Content without narrativeis death
• Narrative drives engagement• Measure each narrative
across all your channels• MOAR FROM JON!
Build
ing
a Na
rrativ
e
The
Cont
ent W
ind
Tunn
el • Funnels limit, tunnels increasevelocity
• Get obstacles out of the way
• Abandon the idea of howfar out you’re planning
• Focus on constantly improving your narratives
• NOTE: This approachrequires different clientbilling structures ;-)
Strategy
NarrativeResponsive
Structure
Responsive Content Ruh!
The Real Time Elephant in the Room
Content Continuum
Canned Content Just-in-Time Content
What the spectrum looks like
Canned Content Just-in-Time Content
• Client approvals still matter• Things change, rapidly• Low latency is expensive• The community manager knows
the pulse of your tribeTh
e M
eaty
Mid
dle
Approvals will almost always matter. Make peace with it.
Things will change very, very quickly. You will need to adapt.
You probably don’t always NEED real time speed. Perfect the 95% of the time you can
get away with less.
No one will know the pulse of you community better than the community management
team.
How do you develop content?
• Communities are made of stories. So are brands.
• Pick 5 key stories, and map out how they progress each quarter.
• Make posts that reference events, but create MULTIPLE options, so that gametime decisions can be made.Na
rrativ
e Bu
ildin
g
Brand X says
“quality matters”
Brand X says “here is the heritage and
tradition behind our quality”
Brand X says “This is our team. Their
craftsmanship and passion
drive us”
Brand X says “this video will show you the painstaking
process behind our product”
Completely Fictional Narrative Progression
• Your story needs to be interconnected, but each piece needs to stand on its own.
• The narrative you build can be more important than the specific
order or timingBu
ildin
g th
e Pu
zzle
You have a plan of what needs to happen.You have a warehouse of approved
content. You have a person who knows what will work, and when.
You don’t NEED anything else. Get out of your own way.
So: how do you do it?
Click to edit Master title style
@joncrowley / @jeremywright
Thanks! See, we don’t
hate ALL calendars!