Getting Content and Agile to Work Hand in Hand
I’m a content strategist, and I work with teams that include agile developers, user experience designers, testers, product managers, and data experts. People would have called me a journalist or editor a couple of years ago. My team would have had copyeditors, proofreaders, graphic designers, and printers back then. But things have changed a lot. Job titles and how we work are different now. As content strategists, we’ve had to adapt because we’re now working on projects that are all about creating products and are strongly influenced by development. These major changes are shaking up the traditional ways we handle content.
Agile methods can help content strategists break free from old-fashioned work habits, and developers and designers can lend a hand. But how can they better understand what content means and make sure they’re on the same page as the people who create it?
I’ve singled out four areas – constant improvement, the final product, teamwork, and clear communication – where developers and designers can meet their content colleagues halfway. This way, they can help content creators adapt to the agile way of working while also getting a better grip on what content culture is all about.
Constant Improvement
Many content creators may believe that the idea of “iteration” doesn’t really apply to them because traditionally, content isn’t released in pieces – it’s typically expected to be complete from the start.
However, if content teams take a closer look at their work in the context of agile methods, they’ll realize that they already adapt and adjust regularly to changing situations. The world of content creation has quite a few similarities with an agile environment. Consider these situations:
In both content creation and agile development, requirements and constraints can change quickly, and deadlines can be seen in much the same way as “sprints.”
To help content teams grasp the concept of agile iteration, think of content as building blocks. Each piece of communication contributes to a larger message, and that message becomes more refined, focused, and optimized over time. Content creators already use data to gather information about their audience, platforms, and engagement – in a way, they’re already in the business of iteration.
So, how can developers support this approach? Here’s a simple way: when you’re building something new, don’t settle for using placeholder text like lorem ipsum. Instead, kindly request that your content colleagues produce an initial version of the actual content that will be in the final product. This is especially straightforward if you’re following a content-first strategy. But even if you’re not, starting with early content iterations helps bring focus and sends a positive signal to everyone involved. It lets them get a better picture of the end product and, most importantly, provides your team with a starting point to challenge stakeholders like marketing, sales, and data scientists for their feedback. Sometimes, their feedback might be just a series of questions.
For example, on a crucial page meant to drive conversions, stakeholders might ask, “Is this where our super-important Call to Action (CTA) is located? Have we tested this with A/B tests? How does it compare to our competitors?” Or, “Hey data science folks, could you check the data tracking on this page when you have a moment? I need accurate data to measure its popularity. Thanks.”
Rather than viewing each step in the content-production process as an end in itself, consider them as individual steps toward your final goal. This mindset promotes early and continuous development, regular progress, incremental pieces of output, and sustainability – all of which are the foundations of the agile approach.
Furthermore, by using team collaboration or project management software to create, plan, review, edit, and publish content, important stakeholders can have a clear view of the fluid and iterative content production process.
This approach places content at the core of development and user experience. Even when using other strategies, like the waterfall model, make sure to establish content milestones early and allow stakeholders to see the progress. This open, documented approach is also effective when content is not directly linked to a new project but is part of an ongoing, day-to-day process. It sets a strong precedent and demonstrates how iteration can be easily tracked on both the development and content sides, giving an early focus on regular milestones.
Final product
Content strategists should easily see how agile principles relate to their work: regular updates, sustainable development, attention to detail, and good design. What’s more challenging is figuring out how to fit content into product-development framework.
My preferred strategy is a content-first approach because it’s rooted in the basics. The tiniest building blocks in any development or design project are words, images, and punctuation marks. Everything else stems from these elements. While other approaches have their merits, most website visitors don’t come for an elegant user experience, admire complex code, or marvel at artistic design. They come for the content.
Even in projects following a more structured process like the waterfall model, a content-first “lite” approach can be highly effective when content is given early and prominent attention during the planning stage.
Regardless of whether you’re using an agile or waterfall method or a combination of both, the key is to get content and user experience in sync right from the start and make this collaboration a fundamental part of the project.
Furthermore, a content-first approach isn’t limited to new projects. Existing products can benefit from an overhaul by breaking down the content production process into its smallest components and then improving it with things like optimized calls to action, more impactful writing, or dynamic imagery.
A content-first strategy isn’t just about creating content but also about setting clear boundaries, taking ownership, and having a sense of control. It means making content a central part of the agile process right from the start, rather than adding it as an afterthought once design and development are in motion. This approach gives content managers a better understanding of the agile world, allowing them to adapt their processes and workflows. I’ve witnessed projects struggle when different departments clash because of their competing interests.
I remember a recent experience when a food brand had a thriving digital presence and I decided to give a content-first approach a shot. But soon, I found myself trying to coordinate over multiple people, each with their own opinions on transitioning the product from print to digital. It became quite chaotic.
领英推荐
Looking back, I realized that having a dedicated project manager could have streamlined communication and managed stakeholder expectations better. If you ever find yourself struggling to bring together the various aspects of a complex content and development project, it’s never too late to step back and get a broader perspective. You can involve the product or project manager, head of content, or head of development to regain clarity and tackle the challenges.
Whether your project fully embraces a content-first strategy or uses a lighter version, understanding and integrating content into the product development process fosters a sense of ownership and commitment on both the development and content sides. This mutual approach can lead to early benefits for both teams.
Teamwork
I have had the pleasure of building my own development teams. They always seemed calm, professional, focused, and respectful, which was quite different from many full time engineering or management teams I’d been part of. As my career progressed, I had the privilege of building my own teams.
Whether you’re starting a team from scratch or taking over an existing one, giving individuals ownership is the key to creating strong, thriving, and successful teams. My preferred strategy for achieving this is to assign end-to-end ownership to each piece of content. This means the person who creates the content also manages the review, optimization, and publishing process, which includes working closely with developers and designers. By involving content creators in agile practices like stand-up meetings, discovery sessions, planning meetings, retrospectives, and group discussions, they gain a more comprehensive and invested perspective on how things work.
This sense of ownership motivates and instills trust in individuals in an agile way. It also benefits developers and designers by exposing them to content-related skills and insights. In the end, it helps the team move towards self-organization in an agile fashion. Self-organization allows teams to create their opportunities, boosting individual and collective confidence and encouraging people to push their boundaries regularly.
In this environment, motivation and trust thrive, ensuring that the primary focus remains on your team members. If there’s one thing you must get right, it’s your people – everything else will naturally fall into place.
Clear communication
You might expect that communication, being at the heart of content, would be a strong suit for content creators. But sometimes, dealing with unfamiliar language like tech or design jargon can be a bit overwhelming.
In such situations, patience goes a long way. Promoting daily communication between developers and content creators is an excellent way to help each group understand the challenges the other faces. It also shows how agile methods can benefit content.
Here’s a tip that might be new to content creators: consider adding morning stand-up meetings to your routine. These brief daily check-ins are a chance to address challenges, and they boost individual accountability and team collaboration.
What’s even better is when developers invite relevant members of the content team to their stand-up meetings. I’ve noticed how both sides are quite open to understanding each other’s challenges. Having content creators participate throughout a sprint allows them to see the entire release process from start to finish, helping everyone align their goals.
As a developer, if you interact, share, and engage with your content team, it breaks down the “us and them” barrier. Before you know it, you’ll be fully introducing content creators to the agile environment.
Agile principles promote regular teamwork and direct conversation, making it easier to identify and solve problems.
Of course, it’s better to prevent issues than to fix them, but in large organizations with many moving parts, communication can sometimes break down, especially during challenging times. So, what should you do when things start going wrong?
When face-to-face discussions aren’t enough, you might need a more convincing reason for a change in communication. The best approach is to gather specific examples of the issues your team faces with content. Solutions can often be found through clear documentation of obstacles, resource problems, and impact assessments, especially when it relates to return on investment.
In agile communication, it’s essential to prioritize personal connections over strict processes and cooperation over conflict. While there may be times when confrontation becomes necessary, we should always aim to stay positive and learn from both our failures and successes.
A Call to Action
Adaptability is in our DNA. It’s not only vital for our survival but also helps us thrive. In the ever-changing world of business, as technology, platforms, preferences, and how people consume content evolve, we – developers, designers, and content strategists – must find ways to stay on the cutting edge of our fields.
In the past, content and its delivery method were seen as separate entities, coexisting but not always harmoniously. However, our interdependence has brought us closer together. I believe that the modern agile development approach, which is open, collaborative, people-centered, and adaptable, provides a framework for content work to refine itself, experiment, and learn.
Taking this step to align content with agile practices can revitalize both your development and content teams, perhaps even sparking a revolution in how you work together.