[Templates] Use My Time-Tested Content Strategy Deliverables

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As an independent consultant, former editor at CBS, and former content marketer at Justworks, I’ve spent the past 10 years immersed in setting content strategies for businesses.

The content strategy is the fun part! Today, I love helping clients create and use content to achieve their business goals. 

But as an independent consultants, so much more than the work itself goes into a client engagement. With each content strategy project, I was also dedicating hours and hours to building the: 

  • Project scope

  • Client fee

  • Proposal

  • Deliverables

Even if you’re not self-employed, I’m sure you can relate. Meetings, internal buy-in, designing decks… it all adds up.

So last year, I templatized as much of my content strategy offering as possible. Now, my clients get a more polished, organized engagement with me. I spend less time on building decks and more time deep in the strategy setting. Win-win!

I shared my content strategy framework here. Now, I’ve also decided to share the actual deliverables I use. I’ve created a toolkit with templates for the content strategy deliverables I use in projects ranging from $5,000 to $13,000 over 4-8 weeks.

The TL;DR:

You can now download a toolkit with ready-to-go templates for everything you need to build a content strategy.

Have questions or thoughts? I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me an e-mail at adrienneksmith9@gmail.com.

The content strategy deliverables i use MOST OFTEN

Like I mentioned above, I use these content strategy deliverables for client projects ranging from $5,000 to $13,000 over 4-8 weeks. But I think they also apply to anyone working full-time to set their employer’s content strategy.

Sometimes I use my full wheelhouse of deliverables. Sometimes, I just use a few. It depends on the scope of the project and how much leg work the client has already done.

content strategy deliverables.png


To reflect the fact that I mix-and-match these deliverables, I’ve broken my toolkits up into my 3 most common projects:

  1. The ultimate content strategy, which covers the gamut: quantitative and qualitative research, a team workshop, strategy setting, and content planning.

  2. The complete content strategy, which skips some research work assuming it’s already been done, but keeps the rest.

  3. The content strategy deck, which simply takes a first stab at the editorial direction I recommend.

MY GO-TO CONTENT STRATEGY DELIVERABLES

PITCHING + KICK OFF

1. Pricing matrix that I fill out, based on the client’s needs. If you’re not an independent consultant, skip this deliverable.

2. Proposal outlining my scope, fee, and general timeline. If you’re not an independent consultant, skip this deliverable.

3. Kick off + timeline, where we get specific on project details once I’ve signed with the client.

RESEARCH + INSIGHTS

4. Content audit of all existing content. I bet you $5 you have more than you think.

5. Competitive analysis that reviews how others approach content.

6. Team workshop uncovering what your company has to say, in 2-3 hours.

7. Workshop agenda to keep everything organizes.

8. Insights workbook to consolidate all the things you’ve learned.

9. Insights presentation to share your content strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.

Occasionally, I’ll also conduct a content analysis, persona development, or customer interviews. But the above are my bread and butter I find most informative.

STRATEGY SETTING

10. Strategy! Document what success looks like, what your content looks like, and how you’ll use it.

ACTIVATION

11. Content roadmap to put deadlines to everything you need to do to ramp up.

12. Editorial calendar to sketch out what content you’ll create.

13. Tool set up, which takes more time than you think!

Occasionally, activation also includes writing guidelines or voice & tone guidelines. However, I usually recommend companies tackle those after they’ve gotten comfortable working within their new strategy.

Create these deliverables on your own, and you’ll go a long way towards organizing your own comprehensive content strategy. Want a head start with my templates? Check out my toolkits here.