A tool to help cull your content
If you’re like most companies, you have too much content. And you probably know you need to cull a bunch of it. But where to start?
Use this checklist to help you find ways to trim down your overgrown content.
Social media channels
Sometimes, you can cut out entire channels of content.
Only stay active on social media channels where you can say “Yes!” to everything in this list. Then cut out the rest.
- We regularly post content on this channel.
- We have a substantial or growing audience on this channel.
- Audiences engage with content on this channel in ways that bring value to the company.
- Most of our content on this channel is still current (cut out what isn’t).
- Most of our content appropriately reflects our brand (cut out what doesn’t).
Website content
Websites often become a dumping ground for content that serves no identifiable purpose. Just because someone felt it was once important, doesn’t mean it still is (or ever was).
Only keep web content if you can say “Yes!” to everything in one of the two lists below. Then cut out the rest.
- There is both an audience need and business value for this information.
- It’s still current and accurate.
- There is just enough information, without being too much.
- It continues to get a significant number of visitors.
–OR– - There’s a legal or regulatory requirement for this content. (Then you’re stuck with it, but make sure it doesn’t get in the way of your other content.)
Individual blogs and articles
Sometimes we just keep producing content and adding it to the pile without ever looking back. But your business priorities, and even your audiences, may change over time.
Sometimes we just keep producing content and adding it to the pile without ever looking back. Click To TweetOnly keep articles if you can say “Yes!” to everything in this list. Then (you know the drill by now…) cut out the rest.
- This article is less than two years old OR continues to get a significant number of visitors.
- This topic is relevant and interesting to our audience as we currently understand them.
- This article appropriately reflects who we are as a business today.
- The quality of this article aligns with our brand.
Keep our Reduce & simplify your content: Downloadable checklist close at hand for easy reminders of what to cut.
Further reading
How to design an effective content toolkit
Content toolkit: Decision trees
