Content Strategy Plan (Team Project-200 points) with Content Modeling & Sample Content (Individual-200 points)
After the content audit, the most important step in rethinking the effectiveness of an organization’s content is to create a content strategy plan. This plan will create alignment between organizational goals, audiences, content channels and content models to ensure that an organization’s content will be delivered at the right time in the right format through the right channel and to the intended audience.
Specific steps for creating a Content Strategy Plan
To develop a content strategy plan that creates a workable path for an organization to improve its audience reach, you will complete the following steps:
- Create effective MAST content goals that are closely linked to organizational goals and their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (team task)
- Select specific personas from your content audit that represent the types of audiences most directly linked to achieving the organization’s goals (team task)
- Identify content channels that have a proven track record for reaching your target audience as you aim to help the organization achieve its goal (team task)
- Work on content modeling that shows how structured content in specific genres would be created (individual task)
- Create sample content that follows the structure of the content model developed for the organization (individual task)
- Assemble a sample editorial calendar that shows all tasks, processes and deadlines associated with the implementing and continuing the content strategy plan (team task)
Team and individual tasks will be combined into a complete plan. Team tasks and individual tasks will be graded separately. Additional information on how to complete each of the above steps is available on the weekly pages of our course website and in your textbook.
The Content Strategy Plan (written report format - team - 200 points)
The content strategy plan will be compiled in the format of a written report. Teams will use the Content Strategy Plan Template to help them write this professional report. The final version of the report will also contain content modeling and sample content created by individual team members (to ensure a complete document delivered to your organization), although these two sections will receive a grade separately.
*Your team report about the content strategy plan needs to include the following content:
- PART 1
- Goals
- Audiences
- PART 2
- Social Media Content Model
- Sample Social Media Content
- Blog or Webpage Content Model
- Sample Blog or Webpage Content
- Email Content Model
- Sample Email Content
- Google Ads Content Model
- Sample Google Ads Content
- Social Media Content Model
- PART 3
- Editorial Calendar / To-Do List
- Social Media Accounts
- Website Accounts
Content Strategy Plan - report format - grading criteria
Your Content Strategy Plan will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Content
- Identifies the purpose of the content strategy plan
- Incorporates MAST Content Goals with an explanation of how these connect to organizational goals
- Includes a general description of target audience groups and 3 persona profiles
- Describes the selected channels and genres for the plan with a rationale for choosing these
- Includes content models and samples for all selected channels and genres
- Has a detailed editorial calendar
- Incorporates a section with a list of social media channels and websites for the organization.
Genre
- Uses professional style appropriate for the genre
- Connects each section with transitions to help readers follow the structure of the document
- Employs formal register effectively to produce clear and concise technical prose
Layout and Visuals
- Employs effective document design with consistent, user-friendly, and visually appealing layout
- Includes relevant visuals and other forms of multimodal communication (tables, charts, screenshots, etc)
- Ensures flow of report with introduction, explanation, and proper placement of visuals
- Provides appropriate captions
Content Models and Sample Content (written/visual/audio/video format - individual - 150 points)
After the team collaboratively decides on the types of content models that best fit the organizations content goals, each individual team members will create one content model and sample piece of content that exemplifies the application of this model.
Content Models and Sample Content - grading criteria
Your content models will be evaluated using the following criteria
- Emphasizes meaning over presentation [fields define the meaning of the content (e.g., title, description, author) rather than the visual layout (e.g., paragraph, numbered list)]
- Breaks down the content into appropriately sized chunks, or is it incorporated into large, unified blocks of text
- Shows modularity: elements that repeat across pages (like titles, subtitles, hashtags) are modeled as standalone, reusable components
- Exemplifies adaptability to new content types or content channels without forcing you to redesign the entire schema
Your sample content will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Closely follows the content model
- Is effective for reaching the organization’s goal
- Is appealing to the target audience
- Fits the selected channel’s format and genre requirements
- Follows basic rhetorical and visual design principles
Final presentation of takeaways about content strategy plans and audits (individual - 50 points)
During our Finals week, each student will present their takeaway from the content audit and strategy plan work. The presentation will include 1.) Showcasing your content model and sample content 2.) Explanation of your design process and reflection about the choices made during that process 3.) Overall takeaways about content strategy 4) forward looking explanation on how you could establish yourself as a content strategist ( see Content Strategy Ch. 14 for more details).