A Sound Content Strategy Gives Your Website Direction: Use It Well To Stay On Course

Ever wonder how some organizations keep their website content sharp, cohesive, and on-brand year after year? The secret is not continuous rewrites or updates. It can be as simple as having (and consistently using) a well-developed content strategy.

A thoughtful content strategy (like the ones we create here at Mangrove!) helps your website truly connect with your audiences. It’s why we integrate content strategy into nearly all of the sites we build.

But after launch, many clients wonder what they should do next with their content strategy. Does the strategy need ongoing updates? Who is responsible for it? How should it guide day-to-day content decisions?

These questions are part of what we call “website governance.”

Your content strategy is a valuable resource, shaped by your organization’s values and priorities. Used well (with good governance), a sound content strategy will guide your website for years to come and help you build meaningful traction with your audiences — attracting and engaging new customers, members or readers.

After launch, these are the questions we encourage teams to consider.

Who on your team should carry the content strategy forward?

Website governance – the system of people, processes, policies, and technologies an organization uses to manage and maintain its website – is often overlooked. With content strategy, this typically includes identifying a person or team to steward it forward. Who this is on your team will largely depend on your organization’s internal structure and communications processes. In most cases, a team member who is connected to your broader marketing efforts would be best positioned to take on this role.

The content strategy lead does not need to write every bit of content, of course. They can assign new posts and pages to others on the team, bring SEO and analytics partners in, or even work with AI (thoughtfully) to create new copy. Their role is to keep the strategy up to date and to encourage your teams to consult it when creating new ideas and content for your site. This helps maintain consistency across the site and supports alignment across communications channels.

Most of the nonprofit organizations we work with have one person holding the governance keys. For larger for-profit clients, there is usually a small marketing and communications team managing content.

How can the content strategy help you create new pages or posts?

Think of your content strategy as a guide or a compass — a tool that keeps you moving in the right direction, even as your content evolves over time. You may go off-route every so often, but the strategy helps you stay on course.

When creating or updating new site content, our clients use the content strategy documentation that we provide in order to guide internal decisions:

• Who are we talking to with this content? (audience)
• What story are we telling? (message)
• What value are we providing with this content? (brand)
• What action do we want an audience to take? (goals)
• How should the article or post sound? (tone)

You don’t need to apply every part of the strategy to each piece of content, but using these questions to set a solid foundation helps keep your website clear, consistent, and true to your organization’s voice. For example, even when multiple authors collaborate on a post for your nonprofit blog, consulting the strategy ensures that the resulting copy is cohesive and connected to your mission.

How often should you review the content strategy or make updates?

A sound content strategy is created to evolve alongside an organization.

We suggest reviewing it every year to ensure that it reflects current goals. Better still, review your website’s content strategy alongside your work on other yearly communications planning, annual reports, or other marketing materials.

A larger revision may be helpful every few years, or when larger organizational shifts happen, including:

• New or expanded programs or initiatives
• Changes to your core audiences
• A rebrand and updated visual identity
• A switch in organizational goals or strategic priorities
• Significant updates to your website’s structure or functionality

Keep your content strategy working for you

Though often overlooked, your website content strategy is a significant asset. It reduces guesswork and helps your team share your organizational story more effectively.
Regularly applying and revisiting your content strategy ensures your messaging stays aligned with your goals, reflecting your organization’s identity and the impact you aim to make.

And if you ever need support updating or refining your strategy, we’re here to help.

Photo by Matt Foxx on Unsplash.