Creative Content Kit: A Method to Ideate and Create Content Strategy

Creative Content Kit is a four-step process for creating content strategy, inspired by "The System of Publishing" theory (Bhaskar, 2013). Each stage contains a set of cards with methods, content types, platforms and tools.

The deck of 65 cards is made for content professionals and non-specialist to ideate, test and solve content problems. It provides a helpful visual structure to ease communication in planning alone, with your team and clients.

The first stage, Model, consists of cards with methods and tools that help you define the reason why your content needs to exist. You will start with the cards about Audience and progress to work with the cards about Product, Brand or Business.

The second stage presents Content types that you can choose to include in your editorial approach. With the information you gather from the previous stage, you will think about what types of content you need to address your audience, aligned with your product/service, brand or business. There are no rules to pick one type or the other, but as you go through the cards, you will know which is a priority for you.

Platforms are the channels and frames that will represent and distribute your content. They represent how and where your audience will experience it: videos on Facebook, photos on Instagram, short texts on Twitter, etc. At this stage, you will check your editorial ideas and goals to define which platform best suits it.

Finally, you want to ensure your strategy will Reach your audience, to make sure content is not lost or ignored. You can then make use of practical tools, tips and tactics regarding exposure to capture their attention.

HOW TO

The cards have numbers, a title, a subtitle – guiding you to make your choices – and body text that will indicate what you can start doing with call-to-action bullet points.

Start by thinking about your content problem, the number of people involved, and overall investment. The four steps will serve as a guide, and you will organise and choose the cards according to your needs.

There is no limit for the use of cards although it will have an impact on the time you will spend at each stage.

Ana Bender recently achieved academic Distinction at London College of Communication (University of the Arts London) for distilling and packaging MA Publishing's expertise at managing content into a deck of cards, the Creative Content Kit.

She is an experienced transdisciplinary Strategic Designer with a demonstrated history of working in the Creative Industries. Currently, she works independently based in London with a strong network in Brazil.