How To Build A Content Strategy That Values Your Staff & Stakeholders
Image by ThisIsEngineering

How To Build A Content Strategy That Values Your Staff & Stakeholders

A Place And A Purpose

 It’s rare. To find that role in adult life that fulfils all your youthful aspirations; to achieve a sense of purpose and worth through work. So very few of us can honestly say they achieved this - in those early days when all you’re doing is attempting to get on the career ladder, climb a few rungs; secure your financial independence.

 Sometimes, the aspirations fall by the wayside just in order to survive the melee of working life.

And, because this is true for too many people, an immense responsibility lies with employers, to ensure each and every one of their employees - and anyone else who has a stake in the success of their organisation - are provided with as optimum a working environment as possible.

 So, how does that translate?


A Clear Corporate Message

 Of course, everything within a well-defined working environment, begins with a clear, authentic and effective internal corporate message for employees and stakeholders.

 And it should also begin with valid expectations.

 Expectations from both employers and from employees:

An employment contract is not about the unquestioned control of hierarchy; more, it’s about collaboration between single staff members, teams and managers, to reach logical consensus based on set project propositions, which are implemented through respectful protocols.

 

Internal Culture

 The strength of any corporate message determines how well the gifted people within that organisation are then permitted to excel and add to the strength of the structure’s positioning within its sector.

 The importance of an all encompassing unified internal culture - versus micro-climate cultures developed by individual managers that may be toxic - can't be emphasised enough.

 And actually, when the manager isn’t necessarily the smartest person in the room, an employer knows they are doing something right for the future growth of their company, in terms of both innovation and insights.

 Using the skills of inspirational employees and stakeholders, as well as having well defined educational structures in place to bring on young employees or those with transferable skills, is key to achieving ROI on HR initiatives.

 “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to”

 Richard Branson 

 

The Action - Internal Engagement For Everyone

 How is this corporate approach utilised within an effective content strategy?

 Well, the 'Usual Suspects' certainly need to be in place: 

  • A comprehensive intranet system that delivers news on new company initiatives and staff benefits, including potential for career growth.
  • Importantly, an internal community & social hub that emphasises the inclusive element of that firm around notions of family, friends and colleagues.
  • An educational hub that contains protocols around health & safety; conduct; appraisal and performance; access to further qualifications through internally developed (and therefore bespoke) modules and certifications - and there are so many additional elements that can be added to this multifaceted list.
  • A user generated internal content platform, either in the form of real time forums or/and signed-off multimedia content, which should be open to submission from all members of staff, regardless of their role or seniority, i.e.: maintenance, admin; juniors, specialised team members, managers, C-Suite/directors.

 No organisation is just about the service or product it delivers, although obviously these are important.

A unified and inclusive working environment will ensure retention of the very best staff and an internal, superior, content strategy is the foundation that can secure this. 

Ingrid Smith is a UK based senior content strategist, storyteller & mentor


INGRID SMITH

Senior Fintech Marketing & Content Strategist|Thought Leader|B2B & B2C Business Developer & Project Manager. I offer solutions to elevate your content strategy & marketing aims.

3 年

Much thanks for liking Andy Cunning - do share if you’re happy to.

回复

要查看或添加评论,请登录

INGRID SMITH的更多文章

  • UK GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS

    UK GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS

    In response to the cost of living crisis, UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak today officially introduced a windfall tax on…

    1 条评论
  • Why Advocacy Should Be Prioritised In Any Content Strategy

    Why Advocacy Should Be Prioritised In Any Content Strategy

    Perception Even as so many of us acknowledge personal notions of purpose and worthy aspiration, it can be very easy to…

  • How to make C-Suit Clients Authentic Thought Leaders

    How to make C-Suit Clients Authentic Thought Leaders

    There’s a misconception that a corporate thought leadership content strategy can be ‘bought in’ wholesale. By…

    2 条评论
  • How To Start Out As A Content Strategist & Storyteller

    How To Start Out As A Content Strategist & Storyteller

    A long time ago many of the current best content strategists were professionally trained journalists. Not the grubby…

  • One Friend to Another

    One Friend to Another

    A white male friend asked a black female friend what she thought of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement - this was her…

  • How a business can establish a leading position

    How a business can establish a leading position

    Success for any enterprise lies in aiming to establish a leading position in its field. Be the best at what you do by…

  • The High Street Needs To Offer More!

    The High Street Needs To Offer More!

    As Debenhams faces almost certain demise and Arcadia enters administration, rumours of the death of the quintessential…

  • The things that bind

    The things that bind

    I find myself unable to avoid pervading thoughts around disinformation (so-called fake news), duplicity, and artificial…

  • SIPPs versus ISAs: an investment guide

    SIPPs versus ISAs: an investment guide

    Individual savings accounts (ISAs) and self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) are both tax-efficient wrappers that can…

  • A guide to income drawdown

    A guide to income drawdown

    The private pension investment landscape changed fundamentally with the introduction of Pension Freedoms…

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了