Content should only be published to the web if it has a clear owner and if it has an expiry or review date. The following practices describe how to ensure that content stays relevant, useful, and accurate.
Use this playbook whenever you are publishing new content to the web, or moving a new online service live.
Process
Before publishing content:
- Content needs to have an owner assigned by name. This owner is responsible for the content and ensuring that it is kept accurate and timely.
- Content needs to have an expiry date. Prior to the expiry date that content is subject to a review.
- ?Criteria for review dates?
Reviewing content:
- A good practice is to hold a monthly content review meeting. Any content that expires in that given month should be reviewed.
- Questions to ask during the review:
- Has anything changed?
- What is new that needs to be added?
- Can this content be deleted?
- Is anything incorrect?
- Who has been using this content, and are they getting what they need? (See analytics).
- Once the review is complete, update the content (if required) and reset the expiry date.
Principles
- Responsibility drives content quality. Content must have a clear purpose and owner.
- Self-service also improves content. Content authors must have direct access to content for editing.
- Content needs don’t map to the organizational structure. Sometimes you need to work cross-departmentally on content.
- Review the writing for the web playbook to help create more effective content, apply the editing steps when reviewing content.