A Better Way To Build a Content Strategy

mlns='> Rebuilding the plane while it's in the air isn't it [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( Weekly News 1.14.22 Connect With CMI [The Essential Content Marketing Glossary: 50+ Terms You Need To Know]( It can be hard to dive into content marketing's nuances and complexities without understanding the basic principles, techniques, and tactics. Our glossary for content marketing-related terms can help. [Read more]( By Jodi Harris More of the week's best stuff: - [Is There Such a Thing as the Best Word Count for SEO?]( by Ann Smarty - [How To Set Up a Content Scoring Process for Better Decisions]( by Lindy Roux - [How'd You Make That Flipping Awesome B2B Content for ServiceNow?]( by Ann Gynn - [You Could Build a Content Strategy While 'Flying' It – But Here's a Better Way [Rose-Colored Glasses]]( by Robert Rose  A Better Way To Build a Content Strategy Are you trying to build your plane while flying it? I don't know where that phrase originated, but the "building the plane while flying it" metaphor endures in digital strategy. It's usually invoked when established processes or procedures change. These days, it feels like companies are building a whole lot of airplanes. Some version of this expression comes up in nearly every meeting about developing a new content program. Inevitably, the to-do list from the content strategy meeting includes redefining roles and responsibilities, adjusting editorial approaches, setting new workflows, and implementing new technologies. That's when frustration sets in. Teams realize they can't shut anything down while they work to implement all the new ideas. They still need to publish articles and blog posts, write program materials, launch campaigns, and feed content to existing channels using the technologies currently in place. The real frustration doesn't arise from the challenge of building the airplane while flying it. It comes from the inability to create new planes because they're too busy flying the old ones. My advice? Don't try. When I hear someone cite the airplane cliché at the end of a content strategy process, I suggest a spin on the metaphor. Don't try to build another airplane while you're flying the existing one. Instead, let your existing planes fly while you build an airplane factory. I recently helped a B2B financial services client work through this exact situation. They'd planned to tap existing digital and PR teams to modify the newsroom on the company website to create a content marketing destination. But neither the newsroom nor the website itself suited the content marketing strategy. Everything from the website hierarchy to the audiences it attracted to the technology platform it ran would stand in the way of the new content goals. It was as if the company was saying, "We expect you to bring us into the jet airliner age. But you can only do that by repairing and upgrading our propeller plane while it's in the air." In this week's [Rose-Colored Glasses]( (my new weekly column), I explain how the company eventually gave the new content marketing strategy a better chance to soar. And how you can, too. I hope you'll read the column and let me know what you think – in the comments or [by email](mailto:cmi_info@informa.com). I'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, remember: It's your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute You're getting this exclusive article from Robert Rose as a perk of your newsletter subscription. Do you have colleagues or friends who would benefit from Robert's weekly updates? If so, please invite them to [subscribe]( here.   Sponsored Content Looking To Get More Results Out of Your SEO Efforts? Find everything you need in one toolkit with Semrush. Audit websites, discover and analyze competitors, find new keyword opportunities, track locations, and way, way more with the Semrush SEO Toolkit. [Just go to www.semrush.com to get started today. »](  More From CMI Join Us at ContentTECH Summit 2022! As marketers and content strategists, how do we ensure that our businesses are integrating the right content and marketing technology innovations? And how do we prepare for the new challenges and opportunities they may bring? If these questions are top of mind for you and your organization in 2022, join us for ContentTECH Summit, where you’ll learn about the latest technology tools and strategies to create, manage, deliver, and scale content experiences for your customers. [Watch Video »]( [Register Today »](   Become a Master of Content Learn from the best of the best in our new webinar series, Masters of Content. 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