How do we do a Narrative Content Audit?

 

We are typically under NDAs when we work on projects that involve Narrative Content Audits, so we often times cannot show any of the results from these jobs, but we can however, try to talk you through the process so you know what to expect. We perform these audits in either Spanish or English, depending on the needs of the client.

 

Step 1. Brand Story

 

The first step in undergoing your Narrative Content Audit is, naturally, to have a brand story. If you do not have one we can perform that service in addition to an audit, but the story must come first.

Without a story in place, we cannot perform an audit on your content and online presence currently and we cannot create recommendations on how to align it. So it’s vitally important to have a story – to know who you are, your archetypes, your plot, etc., so that we know what we’re looking for and how those elements are currently present or missing.

After a thorough series of interviews to distill your brand’s essence as told through the eyes of collaborators, audiences, and shareholders, we offer narrative elements, branding design, communication recommendations, and an implementation guide for how and when to use your new narrative.

By the time we’re done with the project, you will have a map of who you are as a brand and of your audience(s) that goes so far beyond what superficial, demographic data you may have been working with previously. Once you see the difference that having your communication and content strategy anchored on a narrative does, you’ll never be able to approach your communcation the same way again.

Step 2. Audit Existing Content

Once we know your story we dedicate ourselves to doing a deep-dive through your content (this includes anywhere where you brand currently lives online, including website, social media platforms, applications, etc.) and establishing the Status Quo.

What does your content look like now? What tone of voice is it using, does it resemble something your new archetypes would say? Does it convey your values, plot, and more? These are just some of the questions that we seek to answer during the Status Quo phase of your audit.

 

Step 3. Recommendations

 

The next phase is the most important, and will make up the bulk of your final Audit presentation guide.

Once we have done a deep-dive through your content we strategize on the recommendations we can provide you that give you clear, concise, and easy-to-implement changes to your content to align it with your story. Some are simple, such as typography and color changes to invoke the archetypes, while others, like rewriting content or producing videos, may take more time, but they are all intended to be well within reach.

The final guide we provide you with includes content examples as written by our master copywriters, for both websites and social media as necessary so that your marketing department has examples to follow and pull inspiration from. Likewise, we include things like “look & feel” guides for content, so that relevant teams know how to align their content visually as well.

All of the recommendations in the guide can be easily understood by any relevant team within the company, and will be a useful reference for years to come as new content is conceptualized or executed.

 

Step 4. Present

 

Once the Audit is complete, we present to the client and they have a chance to ask questions, seek clarification, or give us thoughts. While we do allow up to 2 revisions to the guide, at the time of writing no revision has ever been requested.

Armed with your New Lore Co. deliverables, we will show you how to implement them properly so you genuinely feel like you live and breathe your new narrative, genuinely and fully, in every aspect of your brand. This Story Living is where your brand will see the greatest impact with your audience.

An authentic story will permeate every aspect of your communication with your audience and be your greatest weapon in standing out from your competition. 

Ready to see what a proven Content Strategist can do for you? Contact us to begin the conversation. We’re ready to embark on this journey with you.