peterbamuhigire/strategy-channel-architecture

Strategy: Channel Architecture

Designs a hub-and-spoke channel architecture — defining the conversion hub, assigning platform roles, mapping the customer traffic flow, and allocating content production effort. Based on Schaffer's platform role framework (Maximize Your Social, Wiley, 2013) and adapted for the Uganda/East Africa market.

Cross-reference: 05-social-media-strategy (overall strategy context), 10-content-pillars (what content to produce per platform), owned-media-strategy (hub development and owned channel depth).

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Use when

• Designs a multi-platform traffic flow system for a client — defining what role each platform plays, how audiences move between platforms, and how content flows through a hub-and-spoke architecture. Output is a channel architecture map the client can use to allocate effort and budget. Invoke when a client needs to rationalise their platform presence, is spreading effort too thinly, is launching a new social media programme, or needs a clear answer to "which platforms should we be on and what do we do on each one?".
• Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.

Workflow

1. Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
2. Follow the section order and decision rules in this SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
3. Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.

Outputs

• A structured markdown document, plan, playbook, or strategy ready for client-facing or internal use.

References

• Use the inline instructions in this skill now. If a references/ directory is added later, treat its files as the deeper source material and keep this SKILL.md execution-focused.
• Read references/launch-channel-sequencing.md when channel roles must support a timed launch, event, or campaign sequence.

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Required Input

Before generating any output, ask for the following. Do not proceed until all six inputs are provided.

1. Client business name — trading name and any common abbreviation
2. Industry and business type — e.g., retail clothing, professional services, restaurant, NGO, SaaS
3. Country and city — defaults to Uganda/Kampala if not specified
4. Primary goal — select one: awareness / leads / sales / community / retention
5. Current platforms — list every platform the client is active on, with approximate follower count and monthly reach if known
6. Primary target audience — age range, location (urban/rural, city), income level or professional status
7. Available weekly content production time — hours per week the client or their team can dedicate to content
8. Hub preference — where should enquiries and purchases be directed? (WhatsApp Business / website / Google Business Profile / landing page / email list / physical location)

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Output Structure

Produce the channel architecture map in six sections, in this order.

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Section 1 — Hub Definition

State the client's primary conversion hub clearly before any spoke assignments. The hub is the owned asset that converts — every platform drives traffic toward it.

Hub options (in order of EA priority):

| Priority | Hub | Best fit | |---|---|---| | 1 | WhatsApp Business | Service businesses, retail, any client where personal conversation drives conversion | | 2 | Google Business Profile | Location-based businesses — restaurants, clinics, shops, salons | | 3 | Landing page | Lead generation campaigns, event registrations, single-offer products | | 4 | Website / blog | Content-driven businesses with consistent publishing capacity | | 5 | Email list | Businesses with a regular newsletter, product launches, or subscription model | | 6 | Brick-and-mortar location | Retail clients where footfall is the primary commercial outcome |

Important EA note: Many Ugandan and East African SMEs have no website or maintain an outdated one. Do not assume a website is the hub. Ask explicitly. If the client names a website but it has not been updated in six months or has no clear call to action, recommend WhatsApp Business or a landing page instead and note the reason.

Output format for this section:

**Hub:** [Hub type and platform name]
**Hub URL / Contact:** [Link, phone number, or address]
**Rationale:** [One or two sentences explaining why this hub fits the client's goal and audience]
**Primary Call to Action:** [The single action all spokes should drive — e.g., "Message us on WhatsApp to book", "Visit our Google Business Profile to get directions"]

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Section 2 — Current Channel Audit

For each platform the client has provided, produce a one-row audit table. If the client cannot supply engagement rate or monthly reach, note "Unknown — recommend pulling from platform insights" and proceed.

| Platform | Followers | Monthly Reach | Avg. Engagement Rate | Primary Content Type | Primary Audience | Current CTA | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | [Platform] | [Count] | [Reach] | [Rate] | [Type] | [Age/Location] | [Current action directed] |

Below the table, identify:

• Strongest channel (highest reach or engagement relative to follower count)
• Weakest channel (lowest ROI on effort — candidate for deprioritisation)
• Missing channels (platforms the target audience uses that the client is not on)

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Section 3 — Platform Role Assignment

Assign exactly one primary role to each active platform. Do not assign two roles to the same platform. If the client is on more platforms than there are roles, some platforms must be deprioritised.

Role definitions (Schaffer, 2013):

| Role | Definition | Best platforms in Uganda/EA | |---|---|---| | Discovery | First contact — the audience finds the brand for the first time | Facebook, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Google Search | | Engagement | Builds relationship and trust over repeated interactions | Facebook Groups, WhatsApp Community, Instagram feed | | Conversion | Drives the specific commercial action (enquiry, purchase, visit) | WhatsApp Business, Google Business Profile, landing page | | Retention | Keeps existing customers connected and loyal post-purchase | WhatsApp Broadcast, Email, Facebook Page | | Advocacy | Turns satisfied customers into active referrers | WhatsApp (referral asks), Instagram UGC, Facebook reviews, Google reviews |

Output format:

| Platform | Primary Role | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| [Platform] | [Role] | [One sentence] |

Flag if any role is unassigned after the mapping — particularly Conversion and Retention, which are the two roles most often neglected by EA clients.

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Section 4 — Traffic Flow Map

Map the full customer journey from first contact to post-purchase advocacy. Use the five-stage model: Discovery → Engagement → Conversion → Retention → Advocacy.

Present this as a written flow and a visual text diagram.

Written flow:

Describe what a new customer experiences at each stage — what they see, what they do, and what the brand does to move them to the next stage.

Text diagram:

[Discovery Platform]
       ↓
[Content or action that triggers move]
       ↓
[Engagement Platform]
       ↓
[Content or action that triggers move]
       ↓
[Conversion Hub]
       ↓
[Post-purchase action]
       ↓
[Retention Platform]
       ↓
[Advocacy ask or trigger]
       ↓
[Advocacy Platform / Referral channel]

Reference examples for EA context:

EA retail brand: Facebook Reel (discovery) → Facebook Page comment or DM (engagement) → WhatsApp Business chat (conversion) → WhatsApp Broadcast list (retention) → Customer posts a story tag (advocacy)

EA professional services: LinkedIn post (discovery) → LinkedIn connection and message (engagement) → WhatsApp call or meeting (conversion) → Email newsletter (retention) → Referral via LinkedIn recommendation (advocacy)

EA restaurant: TikTok video (discovery) → Instagram follow (engagement) → Google Business Profile booking (conversion) → WhatsApp broadcast for weekly specials (retention) → Google review (advocacy)

Adapt these patterns to the client's specific industry and hub. Do not copy them verbatim.

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Section 5 — Effort Allocation Table

Based on role assignments and the client's available weekly production time, produce an effort allocation table. Apply the rule: no more than three platforms at High or Medium effort. Spreading effort across all platforms produces nothing remarkable on any platform.

| Platform | Role | Effort Level | Posts / Week | Content Types | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Platform 1] | Discovery | High | 5–7 | [e.g., Reels, short videos, carousels] | | [Platform 2] | Engagement | Medium | 3–5 | [e.g., comments, polls, Group posts] | | [Platform 3] | Conversion | Low (responsive) | As needed | [e.g., WhatsApp replies, GBP updates] | | [Platform 4] | Retention | Low (broadcast) | 1–2 | [e.g., WhatsApp Broadcast, email] | | [Deprioritised] | — | Minimal | 0–1 | [Maintain presence only] |

Effort level definitions:

• High — primary growth investment; original content produced specifically for this platform
• Medium — adapted or derivative content; consistent but not the primary focus
• Low (responsive) — monitor and respond; no proactive posting required beyond updates
• Low (broadcast) — scheduled one-way messages to an existing list; low time cost, high ROI
• Minimal — profile kept active and up to date; no weekly posting commitment

After the table, include a weekly time budget breakdown. Show how the client's stated available hours map to the effort levels above.

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Section 6 — Content Flow Map

Show how content moves from production through to distribution across spokes. The governing rule: produce once, publish everywhere — but adapt format and copy for each platform. Never cross-post identical content.

Three content tiers:

Tier 1 — Pillar Content (weekly or biweekly) One substantial piece of content produced per cycle. Lives on the hub or primary platform. Examples: long video, detailed blog post, in-depth LinkedIn article, recorded webinar, podcast episode.

Tier 2 — Derivative Content (3–5 pieces per pillar) Shorter pieces extracted or adapted from the pillar. Posted to spoke platforms across the week. Examples: quote graphic from blog post, 60-second Reel from long video, three-slide carousel summarising the article, caption thread from a webinar insight.

Tier 3 — Platform-Native Content (as needed) Quick, timely, or ephemeral posts made directly on each platform. Not derived from pillar content. Examples: Instagram Stories, WhatsApp status updates, TikTok trend participation, real-time event coverage.

Content flow diagram:

PILLAR CONTENT (produced once)
         │
         ├──→ Tier 2: Short video clip → [Discovery platform]
         ├──→ Tier 2: Quote graphic → [Engagement platform]
         ├──→ Tier 2: Summary carousel → [Engagement platform]
         ├──→ Tier 2: Key insight caption → [Secondary platform]
         └──→ Tier 3: Native story/update → [Each active platform]
                                   │
                             All pieces include
                          CTA pointing to the Hub

Produce a completed version of this diagram using the client's actual platforms, content types, and hub.

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EA-Specific Platform Notes

Apply these standing recommendations unless the client's data contradicts them.

• WhatsApp Broadcast is the highest-ROI retention channel in EA — prioritise building this list from Day 1, even if the client is not yet using it. Every other platform should include a CTA to join the broadcast list.
• TikTok is the fastest-growing discovery channel for 16–30 audiences in Uganda as of 2025. If the primary audience falls in this range, TikTok should be the lead discovery platform.
• Facebook Groups outperform Pages for engagement in EA. If the client has or could build a community, invest in a Group rather than relying solely on the Page.
• X/Twitter is relevant only if the client targets journalists, policymakers, NGO networks, or opinion leaders. Do not recommend it for retail or consumer brands unless the audience data supports it.
• YouTube requires a minimum commitment of one video per week to grow. Do not recommend YouTube as a priority platform unless the client can make and sustain this commitment.
• Instagram performs best in urban EA markets (Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam) for audiences aged 18–35 with disposable income. Verify the client's audience fits before assigning Instagram a high-effort role.
• LinkedIn is relevant for B2B, formal sector, NGOs, and professional services. Engagement is lower than Facebook but lead quality is higher.

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Quality Criteria

Output meets the standard if all of the following are true:

• Every active platform is assigned exactly one primary role — no platform has two roles, no role is assigned to two platforms
• No more than three platforms are at High or Medium effort in the allocation table
• The traffic flow map covers all five stages: Discovery → Engagement → Conversion → Retention → Advocacy
• The hub is defined and confirmed in Section 1 before any spoke roles are assigned
• The content flow map shows explicitly how pillar content becomes derivative spoke content
• Platform recommendations reflect current Uganda/EA penetration data and audience characteristics
• The effort allocation table includes posts-per-week guidance for every platform
• The weekly time budget is reconciled against the client's stated available hours

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References

• Schaffer, N. (2013) Maximize Your Social. Wiley.
• Sobia Publication (2022) Powerful Social Media Marketing for Beginners. Sobia Publication.
• Chaffey, D. (2024) Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. Pearson.
• Bodnar, K. and Cohen, J. (2012) The B2B Social Media Book. Wiley.