Keys to content strategy: Discovery
In the legal world, discovery refers to the compulsory disclosure of relevant documents. In the consulting world, disclosure also important, but it is usually spotty and not in writing. Instead of disclosure, we have discovery.
A good discovery process looks a little like the Discovery Channel line-up.
Mythbusters
First up, we have to bust some myths.
Who is the actual decision-maker? Is it the senior executive sponsoring this project? Most often, it is the person that the senior executive listens to. Sometimes, that’s the consultant; often, it’s an employee whose job title in no way indicates any potential influence.
The decision process rarely resembles the official org chart.
Deadliest Catch
Our road to a successful project is fraught with peril—and the perils, like the Bering Sea, are constantly changing.
Every project is different. Superficially, they have a lot in common—same industry, same legacy content problems, same budget limitations. But an approach of “just do what you did for customer X” doesn’t work. Instead, we need to understand all of the subtleties of a specific customer—especially their corporate culture and their risk tolerance—before making any recommendations.
The technical solutions are often similar, but change management issues and in-house skill sets affect recommendations, budgets, and sometimes even results.
Even when we put in the same technology, the projects don’t look the same.
Hoarders
All of us like to hoard things. Some of us hoard knowledge.
New content strategy often means new tools and new ways of doing things, and this can be as painful as decluttering a house.
Most people hate change and will resist it.
Understanding the level of change resistance is a key part of discovery.
Shark Week
Not all of the people we work with have our best interests in mind. Some of them think we look like a tasty snack.
Where are the bodies buried? Is someone determined to sandbag the project and if so, why? Some projects run smoothly; others are filled with political land mines. It’s critical quite early on to figure out who is who. And bring a shark cage.
Don’t be shark food.
Gold Rush
Gold. Gold nuggets. Gold fever.
If you want your project approved, show ROI.
Naked and Afraid
Every content strategy project starts with huge unknowns. The key to success is to fill in our gaps in knowledge as fast as possible.
At least we get to start with clothing.