scaling the content audit: confabmn 2014

Scaling the Content Audit: Methods for Exploring Your

Content EcosystemMisty Weaver | #ConfabMN

© JS Bracher

Misty Weaver

© JS Bracher

Misty DAWN Weaver

© JS racher© JS Bracher

@content_insight | @meaningmeasure

#ConfabMN #ConAudit #Chunkthatblob

Content audits are a tool and a process for making informed decisions in strategy and design

http://www.flickr.com/groups/explainia/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/murdocke/ Murray Thompson

Your range

Methods for Exploring

M. Lounsbery

Ecosystem

Content Is Alive

Eckhard Jakob

Content

Audiences

InfluencersCompetition

Business

Content Ecosystem

What’s Your Context?

© JS Bracher

3 Dimensions of Scaledrbob http://bit.ly/SzEoeT

we MEASURERonnieb http://bit.ly/1irO8g4

we SIZEJeltovski http://bit.ly/1j37rMs

we CONQUER © JS Bracher

So… Why aren’t we doing a

content audit?

Because

why ARE we doing a content audit?

Match scale with context

Have a destination orientation

Before you start

Why before what.What before how.

-@abby_the_IA

What you need to know

• How much time do you have?• How much money?• How many people?• Can those people stare at

spreadsheets for days?

Pain

Really, before you starthttp://www.morguefile.com/creative/godidwlr

1. Quantitative Inventory

Content without an inventory is like a

library without a catalog

Content inventory: map your assets

Know where you are and see where you’re going

• Refresh• Redesig

n • Migratio

n• Care

and Feeding

• Find quick fixes• Orphans• Duplicates• URL structures• Basic Hierarchy• Missing data

Scale it http://www.morguefile.com/creative/jeltovski

Robots are our friends

http://content-insight.com/

Can an intern do it?

Can an intern do it?What does intern mean to you?

Level up with a technical auditMightyohm http://bit.ly/1oqhQau

Audits help you improve what you have and how you will

improve everything to come

Content models, page tables, templates, checklist and editorial calendars

Scale it

Earl53 http://bit.ly/1imcigj

Can an intern do it?

Be very clear about what you want to collect and catalog and

WHY

Socialhttp://bit.ly/1jA19J8

Social Audits: From dead to connect

Create pathways, build relationships© JS Bracher

Scale it

Jeltovski http://bit.ly/1j37rMs

Can an intern do it?

Make sure they understand the platforms, evaluative needs, and

outcomes.

You are not alone

Competitive & Comparative Audits

FidlerJan http://bit.ly/1oqkD3g

When do you need a competitive audit?

Mind the Gap

• Benchmarks• Differentiators• Audience Insights• Potential Partners

Scale it

Can an intern do it?

3. Qualitative Audit

http://bit.ly/Rr4yiH

Define quality

• Business Goals• Audience Needs and Tasks• Systems and Constraints

You CAN do too much

• calls to action, • links, duplicate content,• headings, subheadings, titles, captions, consistent use of terms, • publish date, author, • event date, location, price, sequence or series, speaker or teacher, • image metadata,• use of Keywords, jargon, overall readability,• scroll length, break points, load time• accessibility, seo, shareability

• Can a person complete a task based on content provided? • Is the content, function accurate?

We all have journeys© JS Bracher

We all have tasksAmanda L. Goodman @godaisies

It is so scalable© JS Bracher

Can an intern do it?

Then so can you!

Call it an audit

THAN DO A CONTENT AUDIT

http://bit.ly/1e84opR

Time for a reframe

http://bit.ly/1i5bz3i

Your mountain is waiting

Thank you, I’ve been @meaningmeasure

Ready to Audit Resources

• Sample Course Syllabus http://www.meaningandmeasure.com/content-strategy-syllabus/#reads

• Kevin P Nichols Inventory and Audit template http://www.kevinpnichols.com/2012/10/kevin_p_nichols_1.html

• How to Conduct a Content Audit by Donna Maurerhttp://uxmastery.com/how-to-conduct-a-content-audit/

• Content Knowledge is Power by Sara Wachter-Boettcher http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/04/29/content-knowledge-is-power/

• Content Insight: The Qualitative Audit http://content-insight.com/resources/content-inventory-and-audit-articles/qualitative-content-audit/

• Building the Mother of All Content Inventories by Sue Davis http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/waltzing_matilda/building-the-mother-of-all-content-inventories/