Content Strategy¶
How we decide what to write, when, and for whom — and how we know if it worked.
The Planning Process¶
At the start of each quarter, we run a planning ritual that connects ProActive's active business priorities to the editorial calendar. It takes about two hours and produces a locked plan for the quarter.
The process has five steps:
Step 1 — Business Context Check¶
Before looking at the topic backlog, we answer three questions: - What is ProActive actively selling or pitching this quarter? (content should support open conversations) - Which sectors are generating the most conversations right now? (amplify market signals) - Are there regulatory events, sector news, or seasonal hooks this quarter? (reactive opportunities)
Step 2 — Performance Review¶
From Q3 2026 onward: review what worked last quarter. Which topics generated engagement? Which underperformed? Did any piece trigger an inquiry or speaking invitation? Any topic that generates a business inquiry gets elevated priority next quarter.
Step 3 — Priority Setting¶
Three filters applied to the topic backlog: - Business alignment — does this topic directly support an active sector conversation or referral channel? High/Medium/Low. - Sequencing logic — Phase 1 topics establish the foundational arguments that Phase 2 and 3 topics presuppose. Don't publish a depth piece before the entry-point piece exists. - Capability — do we have the infrastructure to produce this well? Academic journal pieces wait for the academic writing system to be built.
Step 4 — Quarter Portfolio¶
Output is a locked table: 2–4 pieces, each with a target venue, audience, mode, and business hook.
Step 5 — Distribution Plan¶
For each piece, the repurposing cascade is planned before production begins. Every article generates LinkedIn posts. Some generate newsletter content, speaking material, or proposal language.
Current Quarter Plan¶
This section is sourced live from the Content Strategy document — it updates automatically whenever the source is updated and pushed.
Business Context¶
- Re-establishment phase. First two articles (POPUP-2026-01, POPUP-2026-02) in final production.
- No active sector intelligence yet — first quarter operates on strategic sequencing only.
- No performance data yet — will establish baseline this quarter.
Q2 Portfolio¶
| Slot | Topic ID | Working Title | Target Venue | Audience | Mode | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2-01 | Topic 1 | When Healthcare Workers Can't Speak Up | ProActive Blog + LinkedIn | HR / OH&S | AI-driven | April 2026 |
| Q2-02 | Topic 2 | Beyond Investigation | Canadian HR Reporter / OHS Canada | HR / Lawyers | AI-driven | April 2026 |
| Q2-03 | Topic 13 | Accountability Without Blame | ProActive Blog | Lawyers / HR / Executives | Collaborative | May 2026 |
| Q2-04 | Topic 18 | Conflict Capability | LinkedIn long-form | HR / Executives | AI-driven | June 2026 |
Rationale: Topics 1 and 2 are already in production (Stage 4). Topic 13 directly addresses the primary objection to ProActive's approach ("no blame = no consequences") — essential before other pieces land. Topic 18 introduces the signature ProActive concept that subsequent pieces reference.
Q2 Distribution Plan¶
| Project | Primary | LinkedIn Extractions | Newsletter | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POPUP-2026-01 | ProActive Blog | 3 posts (silence = systemic signal; three registers of pain; psychological safety as structural) | Excerpt for first newsletter | Opening talking point for healthcare sector presentations |
| POPUP-2026-02 | Canadian HR Reporter or OHS Canada | 3 posts (investigation paradox; procedural fairness vs justice; relational accountability defined) | Feature in first newsletter | Core framework for any speaking engagement |
| Topic 13 | ProActive Blog | 2 posts (accountability defined; what relational accountability produces) | Excerpt | Objection-handling resource for sales conversations |
| Topic 18 | LinkedIn long-form | 2 short-form posts (conflict capability vs. conflict resolution; capability as organizational competence) | Feature | Full session topic |
Q2 Baseline KPIs¶
No targets yet — Q2 establishes the baseline that Q3 targets will be set against.
| Metric | Source | Track From |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn post impressions | LinkedIn Analytics | First post |
| LinkedIn post engagement rate | LinkedIn Analytics | First post |
| LinkedIn article views | LinkedIn Analytics | POPUP-2026-02 cross-post |
| Blog page views per article | Website analytics | First blog post |
| Time on page (blog) | Website analytics | First blog post |
| Inquiries mentioning content | Richard / Suzanne note | Each client intake |
| Speaking invitations | Richard | Quarter end |
How We Measure Success¶
There are three tiers of measurement.
Tier 1: Reach (are people finding it?) LinkedIn impressions, blog page views, article views.
Tier 2: Engagement (is it resonating?) LinkedIn engagement rate, saves, time on page, quality of comments, direct messages referencing content. A "save" on LinkedIn is the strongest signal — it means someone wants to return to it.
Tier 3: Business impact (is it working?) Inquiries mentioning a specific piece. Proposals where content was referenced. Speaking invitations. Referrals from professionals who follow ProActive's content.
Q2 2026 establishes the baseline. From Q3 onward, each quarter sets targets based on the previous quarter's actuals.
Non-Negotiables¶
Every piece published under the ProActive brand must:
- Carry at least one element of ProActive's theoretical framework visibly
- Target an audience ProActive can actually serve (sector, geography, scale)
- Carry Richard's intellectual authority — a piece without it is worse than no piece
- Align with ProActive's brand principles: No Blame, Normalize Don't Pathologize, Behaviors First