Theresa May And The 7 Principles of Agile Content Strategy.

Theresa May learned the hard way that a content strategy must be agile. If continuous quality improvement is the longterm aim, in the shorter term it is essential to stay reactive, adaptive and pro-active.

An agile strategy encompasses every aspect of content, including design, development, analysis, presentation, measurement, evaluation, production and management. The aim is to increase flexibility and resilience.

Agile is not a quick fix or about working faster, but about saving time by not focusing on the wrong issues. You can build strategies on seven core principles and use the mnemonic device Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y to remember them:

1. Questioning

The content team must learn to question everything: nothing is set in stone. Agile working is about examining the status quo and when possible, finding ways to do things more efficiently.

Regular, short stand-up meetings serve both to review output, as well as to identify and discuss how to improve going forward.

2. User-centric

The top priority must be to satisfy your target audience by delivering relevant and valuable content at regular intervals.

In agile project management, the key stakeholder is known as the product owner. It is usually someone with a clear understanding and vision of what needs to be built — a sort of proxy for end-users and customers.

In agile content management there are no proxies. We monitor the audience and engage with them on social media.

3. Ambition

Agile content teams are ambitious. They must pay continuous attention to excellence, including highly engaging content, a positive user experience and good design.

It’s more about an iterative approach, based on both internal and external feedback, than getting it right the first time.

4. Listening

It is essential to be able to prioritize and evaluate feedback from the public.

Social listening does not measure the impact of a single post or video. It is the process of monitoring conversations around key words or brands, in order to identify opportunities for creating content for those audiences.

5. Invest

It is crucial to provide support and resources to keep team members motivated. Talented people are your most important asset.

6. Teamwork

Because agile encompasses every aspect of content, teams must be multidisciplinary. Storytellers, graphic artists and developers must work together to ensure an optimum user experience.

7. Yardstick

You need a benchmark. It is crucial to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing to learn from both their successes and mistakes.

When data is not immediately available, you may sometimes have to go with gut feeling. Of paramount importance are the actionable web and social media metrics that help us to focus on the right strategies.

Metrics correlate specific actions with specific results, which is why it is important to measure quickly and to measure often.

Returning to the recent general election in the UK, the impression is that May’s campaign was very tightly choreographed, with no flexibility or room for spontaneity. Mrs. May’s speeches and appearances in cheese factories targeted primetime TV bulletins and newspapers.

In contrast, Jeremy Corbyn’s public walkabouts, media interviews and decision to participate in the official candidate debate were more video and social media friendly. The Labour team used Facebook and Twitter to engage and listen; the Tories used social media channels to address voters and to attack Labour.