Here's how you can overcome challenges in providing feedback and evaluation in a Content Strategy role.

As content strategists, we're natural storytellers. We create narratives that engage audiences and leave lasting impressions. So, I decided to use this approach for giving feedback. Instead of listing dos and don'ts, I started crafting stories that showcased the strengths of the work while gently pointing out areas for improvement. I would create vivid scenarios to show how a piece of content could connect better with the target audience or how a small change in tone could enhance the emotional impact. By framing feedback as a story, I found that teams were more open, engaged, and excited to explore new creative ideas.

The most critical part of any content creation process is understanding why you’re creating the content, what you’re trying to accomplish with it, and who it’s targeted for. Without a clearly defined strategy, goals, and audience, you won’t know what to measure, how to prove effectiveness, or if you should create more of that in the future.

Overcoming challenges in providing feedback and evaluation in my Content Strategy role involves a few key practices. First, I focus on being constructive and specific, offering actionable suggestions rather than vague critiques. I ensure that feedback is timely and delivered in a supportive manner, emphasizing improvement and growth. Additionally, I foster an open environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns. By actively listening and engaging in two-way conversations, I can address any misunderstandings and build trust. Regularly reviewing and refining my feedback approach helps me stay effective and responsive to my team's needs.

Determining content goals is a very important issue. You may have produced very good content, but because you haven't set a good goal, you face problems and lack of feedback. Determining content goals cannot be done solely by the chief content officer. Everyone on the team should contribute, even remote writers. If you follow the path correctly, you will definitely get good feedback.

The oldie but goodie - sandwich mechanism of giving feedback is there for a reason. You start by saying something positive, then move on to an area of improvement, and finish it with something positive again. Also, feedback must be specific to a sentence or incident rather than be couched in vague generalities.

Here are my quick thoughts on how to add real good value through feedback and evaluation process-- Creating content for crawlers hungry for keywords, and also keeping it interesting to human readers and audiences isn't easy. So empathy for the team who created that concept is important. Maintain the stance of not evaluation, but collaboration. There is always a germ of a big idea! Help the team to recognize that idea hidden inside irrelevant facts and flashy adjectives. Give them suggestions to develop that idea further. So the trick is 'not to focus on what is not good', but to find out 'what could be great'. The art of giving feedback differentiates between a great team leader and just a manager of the team. I hope this helps.

First and foremost, setting the correct tone is essential. Grammarly can help edit based on the type of writing (educational, business, formal) you want to achieve. If the tone is wrong from the start, the whole piece may need rewriting, which can be explained with examples over a conversation or email. Using a collaborative tool like Google Docs' suggestion feature is very effective. You can suggest grammatical changes directly, helping the writer understand. For perspective-based edits, you can add comments to explain the logic. Also, always ask writers to include separate Meta Tags in a section and avoid a condescending tone. By following these steps, you keep the good writers and work towards a common goal with healthy conversations.

As someone who has worked as an editor across various industries, I've come to understand that maintaining a constructive tone in feedback is the basis of a qualitative output and a successful content strategy. Criticism that feels personal can not only affect the psyche of the content creator/author but also hampering the deadlines. My learning curve has underscored the significance of constructive feedback in enhancing content quality and nurturing a positive environment where creators feel empowered to implement improvements confidently. As brand representatives, it's essential to adhere to brand guidelines and substantiate our feedback with examples and suggestions.

Negative criticism rarely sparks creativity. Try to often aim for a supportive and constructive tone. A junior content creator once pitched a blog post idea that felt off-brand to me. Instead of criticizing the idea itself, I engaged the writer with the following open-ended questions: a. Have you considered targeting a slightly different audience segment with this topic? and b. What specific brand values do you want to lay more emphasis on? This approach was collaborative and it led to a refined post that resonated with the target audience while staying true to the brand voice.

Before anything, you must have a coordinated team. This will help you plan and maximize monitoring. The best way is to hold review meetings on a weekly basis. The team members are still hot and there is plenty of time to improve. In all these investigations, you must inform the employer. This is for when you need to extend the delivery time. If the employer is aware of your efforts, he will definitely cooperate, otherwise he will put pressure on you and your team.

One thing I should add is the importance of documenting the feedback and decisions made during these regular content reviews. Keeping a record ensures that all team members can refer back to previous discussions, track progress over time, and maintain alignment with strategic goals. This documentation also serves as a valuable resource for onboarding new team members and maintaining continuity in feedback and improvement processes.

Conduct regular reviews and check-ins to provide ongoing feedback and evaluation of content strategy initiatives. Schedule periodic meetings or reviews to discuss progress, address challenges, and provide guidance and support as needed.

Content review session can be as painless and routine as brushing your teeth. It shouldn't be another aimless meeting. It shouldn't include any old looky-loo in the office who has the time slot open and nothing better to do. It shouldn't be another way for layers of management to micromanage and "check in." Productive content production teams have clear rules for reviewing content, and it's possible to run through a dozen or more pieces in a half an hour if the rules are followed. This technique requires a monarch to run the meeting, to cut off people who talk and say nothing, and to refocus criticism so that it's always productive. This method requires contributors to read all content ahead of time, and come up with actionable edits.

I suggest weekly meetings of a content pillar or all content pillars. This allows to measure the recent content, but also to discuss new ideas and align with other teams.

Encouraging open dialogue creates an environment where people thrive because they're not afraid to air their opinions, where they feel wanted because their opinions are welcomed It helps them feel included promotes healthy competition, creativity, research and hard work because everyone wants their perspective to be top tier and commended.

Don’t ever be afraid to voice to a client what you think is common sense. Business owners are concerned with business things — not content things. They often don’t see the big picture or how their content can work for them. You have to explain it. Seriously. You may think, “This is so basic that they’ll think I’m talking down to them.” But they need you to tell them the basics, as well as the big picture.

Foster Open Communication Encouraging open dialogue ensures that feedback is a two-way street. Active Listening: Pay attention to team members’ concerns and suggestions. This builds trust and demonstrates that their input is valued. Transparent Environment: Create a culture where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feedback without fear of repercussions. Collaborative Solutions Joint Problem-Solving: Engage the team in discussions about challenges and potential solutions. This collaborative approach can lead to more effective and innovative outcomes.

Dialogue and openness in content strategy is key. The best content is born out of a conversation with someone else. Ensuring everyone in the room feels comfortable to suggest ideas is important. It also requires a certain level of self-confidence that everyone in the room needs to have.

Not only in a content strategy team, but also in any other team work we need to have open conversation without biases … I found routine sessions (meeting) where every team member has the opportunity to share her/ his ideas very helpful in reviewing web content & their strategies … Besides, the chance of being supported for creating idea, giving free feedback, and mapping new strategies can encourage team members to be more engaged …

Constructive feedback not only identifies issues but also offers practical solutions, helping team members enhance their work effectively. Here are three ways to ensure your feedback is actionable: Provide specific examples when suggesting changes. For instance, "In this paragraph, try using a more casual phrase like 'Imagine this scenario' to draw readers in." Focus on specific areas for enhancement. For example, "The introduction might lose readers' interest. Start with a compelling question to capture attention immediately." Offer strategies to align content with user expectations. For instance, "Consider adding more visuals and breaking up text with subheadings to make the article more visually appealing."

In my view, feedback must always translate into actionable insights. Instead of merely pointing out flaws, offering practical solutions or alternatives is crucial. For example, if a blog post falls short in engaging its audience, don't just say it's ineffective. Recommend specific adjustments, like refining the tone or tailoring content to better match user expectations. During a content review at an ed-tech firm, we faced this exact scenario and suggested reworking sections to include more relatable anecdotes and clearer calls to action. This approach not only clarifies the path forward but also drives tangible improvements in our content strategy.

Provide Clear Action Steps Feedback should lead to tangible improvements. Specific Recommendations: Instead of vague suggestions, offer clear, actionable steps that team members can take to improve their work. Follow-Up: Check progress to ensure the feedback has been understood and implemented correctly. Measure Impact Track Changes: Monitor how the implemented feedback impacts content quality and performance. Use metrics and KPIs to evaluate success.

Provide actionable insights and recommendations to help recipients understand how they can improve their performance or achieve their goals. Offer specific, actionable feedback that is relevant to the individual’s role, responsibilities, and objectives.

Feedback or an evaluative recommendation shall always be accompanied by an actionable methodology or insight that would pave the way to better improvisation or additions to obtain the desired outcome in an efficient way.

It's very easy to get carried away by the process and not evaluate your own efforts from time to time. Checking good old analytics helps me alot at least once a week for some sac actionable feedback for my content strategy. However, one might need to stick to a bigger time frame coz most platforms take time to show the difference. Once I've gotten the feedback, I isolate what needs to change in our process and instruct our team members and my partner as well via Loom or maybe on our monthly meeting call

In the ever-evolving world of youth and creator content, tools like Loom are lifesavers. Picture this: juggling multiple projects, tight deadlines, and a team scattered across the globe. Loom swoops in, allowing me to record quick video messages, offering feedback, sharing insights, and even brainstorming ideas in real-time. It's like having a virtual brainstorming buddy, always ready to collaborate and innovate. And with alternatives like Vidyard and Soapbox, the possibilities are endless, ensuring seamless workflow and keeping the creative juices flowing.

The data and insights gathered through feedback tools can be invaluable in refining your content strategy. By analyzing the patterns, themes, and areas of focus in the feedback, you can identify areas for improvement, optimize your content creation workflows, and make data-driven decisions that drive tangible results. Such visibility allows for better decision-making and ensures that the final product reflects the collective input and refinement process.

Using feedback tools can make the whole process smoother. These tools help organize comments, track changes, and keep everyone on the same page. With a centralized system, feedback is easy to find and act on, which helps the team work more efficiently and effectively.

Providing constructive feedback can be tricky. Utilize online commenting platforms like Google Docs or collaborative content creation software to pinpoint specific revisions directly on the content. This fosters clear communication and helps creators visualize your edits. Polling tools can gauge audience sentiment towards existing content, informing future strategy. Remember, feedback isn't a one-way street. Encourage creators to use these tools to ask clarifying questions, ensuring everyone's on the same page. Embracing these solutions can help you can streamline evaluations, boost content quality, and foster collaboration within your team.

Listen, it's called CONTENT strategy... I've read a lot here and very little talks about the content. Without compelling content you're not gonna get anywhere - THAT'S THE STRATEGY. So then the next question is, how do you create compelling content? My answer is to find that a-ha moment and then leverage the a-ha into great content. And here's how to do that: 1) empathy - put yourself in the seat of the consumer, understand them and their needs; 2) research - primary and secondary research are required, ask questions, google, read the newspaper; usually by now an a-ha moment has been uncovered, so 3) ideate, iterate, execute, repeat. This last part has been explained in detail in other posts. But basically it's Marketing: 101.

Content strategy creates a user or customer journey using content. A matter of making things line up and work together. This can be hard to explain to content muggles. You might need more than words. Prepare diagrams.

Always bear in mind that the most constructive criticism and/or feedback is the one that encourages room for improvement. Once people are told there’s room for improvement despite their shortfalls, they’re innately empowered to do better substantially.

There's this gecko, right, and he loves to sing. He's convinced himself that he's absolutely incredible. All day long he sings and dances, because in his mind, practice is all he needs in order to make it to the big stage. He's convinced that a AR guy from a big lizard label is gonna pick him up. But, he was actually terrible. And he didn't realise until he heard his singing come echoing back from a canyon one day. It changed him. His whole outlook changed and he realised he needed to do things differently to add value. And that's why no matter how uncomfortable it feels, you have to do the feedback sessions. Just make sure you have a plan for next steps and a clear path for your collaborator / contributor.

Proving feedback in content strategy can be tricky given the subjective nature of what success might look like. Once you have a clear roadmap of what success looks like for your specific team (virality, creativity, sales, some combination of the above), then you can proceed to give feedback that aligns with that goal. Also the adage “how you say something is as important as what you say” comes to mind; any feedback should ideally be constructive instead of demoralizing.