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3-2-1 Friday: How to write one-page content strategies, reporting, and asking for edits

20 May

Welcome to today’s issue of Efikó, a weekly newsletter by me, Dozie Anyaegbunam, with a focus on content marketing, writing, social strategy, and living your best life. THANK YOU for being here! I appreciate you!

Hey superstars,

How’s your week going?

I have a theory…Parenting is the easiest way to catch the flu.

The whole house has been going through some mini flu pandemic. Dodo brought it from school. The wife caught it. Then Ronan.

Now my throat feels like a thousand ants are marching through.

May hasn’t stopped laughing at me. I used to boast that my daily Vitamin D regimen would keep me immune from flu and the cold.

All that is in the mud now.

Well, it kept me immune from a couple of other outbreaks at home.

Back to content.

3 Things I learned This Week

i.

Most content strategy documents or decks are over seven pages long.

But sometimes, you need to present your strategy on a page. Either because you have an impatient boss or you are presenting to a client who’s said they can only spare a few minutes because of other commitments.

Here’s an outline that allows you to cover all the essential elements:

  • A high-level overview of your plan, goals, and how it’ll help the business growth goals

  • The audience you’ll be writing for

  • Your publishing cadence

  • The sort of traffic you’re looking to earn from content (organic search or pure social play)

  • Your key performance metrics

  • Timeline and budget

You might end up spending more time discussing some or each of these bullet points during the presentation. But this allows you quickly give whoever you’re presenting to a helicopter view of your content strategy.

ii.

Reporting your work is a great way to show the value you bring to the business. It’s also a great way to control the internal content marketing narratives. Monthly, quarterly, or weekly, it all depends on where you work and who you work with.

I report monthly. And then share bi-weekly updates on Slack with my boss. Here are a couple of things that show up in every report I share:

  • I share the goals for the quarter and the progress made

  • Every number I share must have some context

  • I also share where I am struggling and my lessons…and then ask for help if necessary.

The key lesson here is you need to own your story. Take responsibility. And document your journey.

iii.

I often get asked to provide feedback on draft articles. Now, I am not knocking anyone. But here’s a better way to ask for specific feedback on a piece:

  • Do you need the draft checked for grammar, flow, or tone of voice?

  • Do you need feedback on your writing style?

  • Do you need a subject matter expert to confirm if the article's thesis is correct?

Specificity not only helps the editor. But ensures you get the best out of the editing process.

2 Things I am Thinking About

i.

Money without peace of mind isn’t wealth.

ii.

If you hate a person, then you’re defeated by them.

Confucius

1 Book Recommendation

Tunde Leye’s Afonja series is an excellent way to binge on Nigerian historical fiction. The trilogy chronicles the story of Afonja and the collapse of the Oyo empire. He currently has released Afonja - The Rise & Afonja - The Fall.

Content Writing Jobs - May

All the best, folks. Could you please share with any of your friends/colleagues who might find this helpful?

If you would love me to review your writing and give you feedback, you can book a time here. Or just hit the reply button.

Thanks for reading this far. I am grateful!

Be good out there. If you can't be good, be careful

I’ll be back on 5/27.

Dozie

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