in it 
TOGETHER 
co-creating your 
content strategy 
sara wachter-boettcher 
confab barcelona 2014 
flickr.com/photos/proimos/6635587829
Before 
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Content audits 
Strategy statements 
Style guides 
Content models 
CMS requirements 
Workflow charts
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After
Here’s your 
style guide!
Here’s how the 
content works!
‘‘ I audited all 9,456 pages of your 
current site, and I have a plan for 
how we can cut everything by 40%! 
— A very hopeful me
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What I wanted 
to create.
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What they 
saw instead.
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What it all 
ended up as.
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We can’t tame 
everything.
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WITH > FOR
Co-creawhation?
things that 
3 actually work
Do, don’t 
1 just talk.
Find something to 
rally around.
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Mix things up.
creative manager 
economist 
editor 
comms director 
designer
Build a shared 
perspective.
the user’s journey
content we have
content we need
activities build 
ALIGNMENT
Things to remember: 
1. go in with a goal 
2. provide guideposts 
3. choose input or output
Ask, don’t 
2 just tell.
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Being right 
is easy.
Helping others 
learn is hard. 
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‘‘Let’s look at your content. What do 
you think is working? What’s not?
the site 
the vision 
the user journey 
the snacks 
the criteria
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Habits, 
not rules.
before 
after
Practice, 
not training. 
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involvement leads to 
OWNERSHIP
Things to remember: 
1. validate their answers 
2. make sharing feel safe 
3. build muscle memory
Interpret, 
3 don’t invent.
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the artist
the content strategist 
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People, not 
puppets.
‘‘ We can have one team that’s the 
responsive team and this team just 
goes on and makes the site responsive 
… The organization would have 
learned nothing from this exercise. 
— Livia Labate, Marriott 
Responsive Web Design Podcast
‘‘ Because we have so many people 
today that are contributing to these 
sites, how are we going to get to a place 
where they feel equipped to do that? 
— Livia Labate, Marriott 
Responsive Web Design Podcast
Lend shape 
to ideas. 
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‘‘Does this reflect what you said? 
Is anything missing?
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Reframe 
constantly.
‘‘Where do you see this fitting into 
the priorities we talked about?
clarity furthers 
COMMITMENT
Things to remember: 
1. be a guide, not a genius 
2. find what feels right 
3. help others shine
so what’s our 
JOB again?
flickr.com/photos/cedwardmoran/633158834 
Not just 
making.
Not just 
fixing. 
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We guide 
progress. 
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flickr.com/photos/hitchster/5895019230 
Diagnose 
problems.
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Make big stuff 
less scary.
flickr.com/photos/dingatx/4794442002 
Help everyone 
feel capable.
Moltes gràcies, 
Barcelona! 
sarawb.com 
@sara_ann_marie 
rfld.me/content-everywhere 
flickr.com/photos/proimos/6635587829 
Flickr images used via Creative Commons Attribution license unless otherwise noted.

In It Together: Co-Creating Your Content Strategy