How would you handle conflicting suggestions from executives and subject matter experts in content creation?

Handling conflicting suggestions from executives and subject matter experts in content creation requires diplomacy and strategic thinking. First, listen to both sides to fully understand their perspectives and reasoning. Then, evaluate the suggestions against the project’s goals, audience needs, and overall content strategy. Facilitate a meeting where both parties can discuss their viewpoints and seek common ground. Highlight data-driven insights and best practices to support your recommendations. Ultimately, aim for a balanced solution that aligns with the organization's objectives while respecting the expertise of both executives and subject matter experts.

Bring the executives and SMEs together to discuss their concerns and explore collaborative solutions. The SME can explain technical details in a clear and concise way for the target audience. The executives can communicate brand objectives in a way that aligns with the SME's expertise.

Focus on Goals: Keep the project goals at the forefront of the discussion. Content should both achieve brand objectives and be accurate and informative. Compromise is Key: Be prepared to compromise. Finding a middle ground often leads to the most effective content. Content Flexibility: If feasible, consider creating tiered content with varying levels of detail to cater to different audiences (e.g., an in-depth guide vs. a social media post).

You could suggest a two-tiered content format. The first tier can be an executive summary that highlights the main points, strategic insights & key takeaways. This section should be concise & visually engaging, using bullet points, infographics & clear headings to quickly convey the essential information. The second tier can be a analysis that provides in-depth information, data & expert insights. It can include technical details, case studies & comprehensive explanations that appeal to the niche audience seeking detailed knowledge. Ensure that both sections are well-integrated & flow logically from one to the other. Readers who start with the high-level overview can easily transition to the detailed analysis if they wish to delve deeper.

When implementing feedback, I find it's especially important that the changes being implemented are being communicated widely and often, referring back to the agreed upon path forward.

Audience Research (if possible): If resources allow, conduct audience research (surveys, focus groups) to understand their preferences and knowledge level on the topic. This data can inform decisions on the level of detail and brand messaging needed.