40. Content Governance: This ain’t no democracy! with Chris Willis

Aside from you, your company’s most valuable asset is its brand. The brand is the thing that your customers think about when they think about your company’s products or services. The customer experience is a direct reflection of this sentiment. Often, the tools we build every day are the direct interface between our customers and our company’s brand.However, too often, the content that ends up in our software is inconsistent and sometimes total crap. We don’t often think about the correct error message copy when writing user stories. Or how the tone and voice of our help documentation will affect how our company’s brand will be perceived by the end-users. But the fact is, it matters. It matters a lot more than we might expect. This week, we chat with Chris Willis, content governance expert and CMO at Acrolinx. Acrolinx has built its business around powering content governance with AI to help its customers generate the perfect copy no matter who is writing it or what it’s for.But what can you do if you don’t have access to software to help manage how your teams write content? Chris shares some tips and advice on how we might b able to manage this important monumental task.Topics: • 02:50 – What is content governance? • 04:44 – The copy in your software relates directly to the brand and the user experience • 05:54 – How do we quantify “good copy” • 06:33 – What is the level of governance that allows us to be self-sufficient? • 07:51 – We’re moving towards a digital-first consumer relationship • 08:24 – Customer experience (CX) goes way beyond just software and websites • 08:52 – There are tons of touchpoints that need to be aligned as one voice • 10:55 – How do we turn brand into actionable and executable guidelines • 14:51 – Content that comes through the governance process drives business results • 22:04 – How do we manage all of this without AI? • 22:58 – If we’re active we look at the things that are incorrect about the copy • 25:26 – It often comes down to the culture of the organization • 26:23 – Create microcopy ahead of the software production process • 26:58 – If we don’t define guidance ahead of time people will write whatever they want • 27:55 – Can we tap into our team’s OCD? 28:19 – Separate art from the brand • 29:08 – We didn’t hire software engineers to write copy. It’s not their job. • 31:29 – Content guidelines can’t stay on a whiteboard. They need to be shared. • 35:17 – We need to educate our team on why • 37:57 – Proactive vs retroactive governance • 39:58 – Our content may change based on context Helpful Links: • Acrolinx • Content grows up. The Active Content Governance playbook • “Content is King” – Essay by Bill Gates 1996About ChrisChris Willis is Acrolinx’s Chief Marketing and Pipeline Officer, responsible for all aspects of the company’s marketing strategy. He brings over 20 years of experience growing companies in the technology sector. Before joining Acrolinx, Willis held leadership roles in marketing, creative, technical, and business development at companies including Perfecto, Pyxis Mobile, KPMG-CT, ModelGolf, and Cambridge Technology Group. In his spare time, Chris enjoys networking with other CMOs and keeps active by coaching CrossFit at Powdermill CrossFit in Acton, Massachusetts.—– Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode.