After-action reports: a military-style document you should be using as you wrap up your year in content.
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Because it’s the holiday season, we recently reviewed last year’s holiday after-action report (AAR). You know, the military-style document where you review what went well and what went poorly with the strategy and tactics of your holiday celebrations. Oh, you don’t have one of those?
The AAR is one of the many perks of being married to a military officer. It started as a joke, this formal process of actually writing up successes and failures from the family holiday plans – but then it turned out to be shockingly helpful.
For instance, last year’s AAR noted that we scheduled a crosstown family get-together on the 
same day as the National Christmas Tree Lighting, an event that draws huge crowds and snarls up the entire middle section of Washington DC. My husband got stuck in a black hole of traffic for several hours – which put a dent in holiday cheer. This year, the AAR reminded us of the looming tree-lighting crowds, so we cautioned one set of relatives to avoid downtown on their way over. But…we forgot to tell another set of relatives, who had to hop out of a cab and hoof it across town on foot to make it to dinner. A note for this year’s AAR.
The AAR is a powerful tool for any goal-oriented process, whether the goal is “try to have fun while coordinating holiday logistics and parenting insane toddlers,” or “make content marketing efforts more productive and profitable.” That’s why it’s my #1 tip for your year-end wrap. And once you’ve logged the successes and failures of 2016 efforts, you’ll have laid the groundwork for smart, achievable resolutions in the new year.
Here are a few tips – AAR first – for wrapping up your 2016 year in content.
If you haven’t served in the military or partnered with someone who has, you’ve probably never heard of the after-action report. (The internet tells me it’s also a thing in the videogame culture.) Anyway, the process is simple: you log the successes and failures of your goal-oriented efforts. Did you change the format of any content this year? Frequency? Process? Voice? Design? How did it go? What stumbling blocks did you hit? What fell apart or didn’t make it to the finish line? What successes did you have?
Pour a steaming mug of something delicious, and literally write or type it out as a report. Ask your team members to do their own version, or get together offsite somewhere and compile it as a group.
There’s something reflective about holding a physical thing to read – indeed, research suggests that we comprehend reading material and experience it differently in a physical form. Just one of several good reasons to sign up for an actual, physical publication at year-end. One that I always find value in is the (free) quarterly Chief Content Officer Magazine, an industry rag from the Content Marketing Institute. No kickbacks here – just passing on a resource that I have appreciated and enjoyed!
It’s helpful to know what your competitors are doing. But it might be even more inspiring to see what’s happening outside of the financial industry in terms of content. Who’s telling great stories? Who’s sharing informative videos or making white papers less boring?
Here’s another CMI link, for the 2016 Content Marketing Award winners and finalists, where you can dig for gold. But you can find content ideas anywhere – look at your alumni magazines, or the latest “adventurer” publication from your car dealership.
Thanks to all of you for your support this year, for all the referrals and projects you have sent my way. It is my pleasure to serve you in the creative process and in your efforts to serve your investors.
All the best to you and your families this holiday season – may your after-action reports be full of successes!
Still digging out of year-end projects? Reach out to learn more about how I can help you build your financial brand with engaging and human content.
Posted By
Carolyn
Categories
Compound Return Newsletter, Content Marketing