Content Strategy Project: Putting It All Together

In this tutorial, you will learn about Content Strategy Project: Putting It All Together. We cover key concepts, practical examples, and best practices to help you master this topic.

The content strategy project applies all previous lessons to create a comprehensive content strategy for a real or simulated documentation site.

What You'll Learn

You will create a complete content strategy document including audience analysis, content audit, gap analysis, content plan, governance rules, maintenance schedule, metrics, and stakeholder communication.

Why It Matters

Applying content strategy concepts in a real project solidifies your understanding and creates a portfolio piece that demonstrates your skills.

Real-World Use

This project mirrors how DodaTech developed its content strategy. Each component was created iteratively, tested with real users, and refined based on metrics.

flowchart LR
  A[Project Phases] --> B[Research]
  A --> C[Plan]
  A --> D[Create]
  A --> E[Measure]
  B --> F[Audience Analysis]
  B --> G[Content Audit]
  C --> H[Gap Analysis]
  C --> I[Content Plan]
  D --> J[Governance]
  D --> K[Maintenance Schedule]
  E --> L[Metrics]
  E --> M[Stakeholder Report]
  F:::current
  classDef current fill:#f90,color:#fff,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

Phase 1: Research

Step 1: Choose a Project

Select a documentation site to work with. Options:

• Your current documentation at work
• An open source project
• A simulated project (describe the product)

# Project definition template
project = {
    'name': 'DodaTech Tutorials',
    'description': 'Programming and security tutorials',
    'audience': 'Developers and IT professionals',
    'current_page_count': 17357,
    'current_support_tickets': 5000,
}

print(f"Creating strategy for: {project['name']}")
print(f"Audience: {project['audience']}")

Expected output:

Creating strategy for: DodaTech Tutorials
Audience: Developers and IT professionals

Step 2: Audience Analysis

Create 2-3 user personas based on research or assumptions.

personas:
  - name: Priya
    role: Junior Developer
    skill: Beginner
    goals:
      - Learn Python basics
      - Build first project
    pain_points:
      - Too much jargon
      - Missing step-by-step guides

  - name: Marcus
    role: DevOps Engineer
    skill: Expert
    goals:
      - Find specific references quickly
      - Automate deployments
    pain_points:
      - Too many beginner tutorials
      - Hard to find advanced content

Phase 2: Plan

Step 3: Content Audit

Create a sample content inventory with 10 pages. Evaluate and categorize each.

def sample_audit():
    pages = [
        {'title': 'Python Variables', 'accuracy': 9, 'quality': 8, 'views': 45000},
        {'title': 'Python Loops', 'accuracy': 8, 'quality': 7, 'views': 28000},
        {'title': 'Old Tutorial v1', 'accuracy': 3, 'quality': 4, 'views': 200},
    ]
    for page in pages:
        score = (page['accuracy'] + page['quality']) / 2
        if score >= 8:
            action = 'Keep'
        elif score >= 5:
            action = 'Improve'
        else:
            action = 'Archive'
        print(f"{page['title']}: {action} (score {score})")

sample_audit()

Expected output:

Python Variables: Keep (score 8.5)
Python Loops: Improve (score 7.5)
Old Tutorial v1: Archive (score 3.5)

Step 4: Content Plan

Create a 1-month editorial calendar with 8 topics.

Phase 3: Create

Step 5: Governance

Write 5 content governance rules.

## Governance Rules

1. Every page must have a meta description of 140-165 characters
2. Every tutorial must include 3+ code examples
3. Every page must include 5+ common mistakes
4. Content must be reviewed within 90 days of publication
5. No emojis in technical content

Step 6: Maintenance Schedule

Define review intervals by content type.

maintenance_schedule = {
    'tutorial': {'interval_days': 90, 'owner': 'technical_writer'},
    'reference': {'interval_days': 30, 'owner': 'engineering'},
    'troubleshooting': {'interval_days': 90, 'owner': 'support'},
    'how_to': {'interval_days': 180, 'owner': 'technical_writer'},
}

for content_type, config in maintenance_schedule.items():
    print(f"{content_type}: every {config['interval_days']} days by {config['owner']}")

Expected output:

tutorial: every 90 days by technical_writer
reference: every 30 days by engineering
troubleshooting: every 90 days by support
how_to: every 180 days by technical_writer

Phase 4: Measure

Step 7: Metrics Dashboard

Define 5 key metrics and target values.

metrics:
  - name: Content freshness
    current: 64%
    target: 90%
    measurement: "Pages reviewed within 90 days"

  - name: Support ticket reduction
    current: "5000/month"
    target: "3500/month"
    measurement: "Tickets related to documented topics"

  - name: Average time on page
    current: "2.5 min"
    target: "4 min"
    measurement: "Google Analytics"

Step 8: Stakeholder Report

Create a one-page executive summary.

## Content Strategy Executive Summary

### Current State
- 17,357 pages, 64% fresh
- 5,000 support tickets per month
- Average time on page: 2.5 minutes

### Strategy Goals
- 90% content freshness
- 30% reduction in support tickets
- 4+ minutes average time on page

### Resource Requirements
- 1 content strategist
- 2 technical writers
- Automated freshness checking tools

### Expected Timeline
- Month 1: Audit and plan
- Months 2-3: Priority fixes
- Months 4-6: Full implementation

Common Mistakes

1. Making the Project Too Ambitious

A content strategy for the entire site is overwhelming. Focus on one section or content type for the project.

2. Skipping Audience Validation

Personas based on assumptions are unreliable. Validate with real data if possible.

3. Governance Without Enforcement

Writing governance rules without enforcement mechanisms is performative. Include linting and review steps.

4. No Measurement Plan

Without metrics, you cannot prove the strategy works. Define how you will measure success.

5. Presenting Without Context

A content strategy document with no explanation of the Process or trade-offs will not get buy-in.

Practice Questions

1. What are the four phases of the content strategy project?

Research, plan, create, and measure.

2. Why should you focus on one section for the project?

A focused project is completable. Trying to cover the entire site leads to an overwhelming and unfinished strategy.

3. What is the most important deliverable for getting stakeholder buy-in?

An executive summary with the current problem, proposed solution, expected ROI, and resource requirements.

4. How do you validate audience personas?

Through user interviews, surveys, analytics data, and feedback from customer-facing teams.

5. Challenge: Complete the content strategy project for a documentation site of your choice. Deliver a comprehensive strategy document with all components.

FAQ

Mini Project

Complete a full content strategy for a documentation section of your choice. Include audience personas, content audit, gap analysis, editorial calendar, governance rules, maintenance schedule, metrics dashboard, and stakeholder report.

What's Next

Congratulations on completing the content strategy module. Next, explore Information Architecture to organize your content effectively.