What’s in a name—and does it constrain or empower us? As “content strategy” evolves as an industry, so too do the areas of expertise individual practitioners offer and our clients expect. Is that a problem, or an opportunity? Can we grapple with our terminology to broaden the profession without losing its relevance? And do we run the risk of diluting the meaning? We’ll discuss the responsibility and opportunity in how we define our industry and the areas of specialty it can comprise.
Presented at Environments for Humans Content Strategy Summit, #CSSummit, August 19, 2014.
13. “A retail business providing the public
a convenient location to quickly purchase
a wide array of food, gasoline, and
services”
NACS, the National Association of Convenience & Fuel Retailing
@mbloomstein | #CSSummit 13
14. “2400 square feet
of packaged consumer items.
Today, there are different types of stores:
mini stores under canopies, expanded
food service, in-store seating.”
@mbloomstein | #CSSummit 14
15. Industries thrive through differentiation:
both buyers and sellers benefit.
What’s right for me?
What’s right for right now?
@mbloomstein | #CSSummit 15
22. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 22
I help brands clarify their communication
goals to develop, instill, and maintain
appropriate content and editorial voice.
23. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 23
Content strategy plans for the creation,
delivery, and governance of useful,
usable and brand-appropriate content.
This is how I define content strategy.
24. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 24
Content strategy plans for the creation,
publication, and governance of useful,
usable content.
Kristina Halvorson, A List Apart 2009
25. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 25
Content strategy is to copywriting as
information architecture is to design.
Rachel Lovinger,
Content Strategy: The Philosophy of Data
26. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 26
I work on how content is organized and
structured. […] I translate designs into
what needs to be built in the CMS to
make the content for the site work the
way it's supposed to.
Rachel Lovinger (@rlovinger), Razorfish
27. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 27
Content strategy within our practice is
less editorial and more strategic. It helps
us determine what and how content will
help solve business and web goals.
Corey Vilhauer (@MrVilhauer),
Blend Interactive
28. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 28
I'm a content strategist, which is a fancy
way of saying ‘a writer who also has
design and marketing skills.’
Tiffani Jones-Brown (@ticjones), Pinterest
29. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 29
I'm a content strategist. This means I help
clients and companies figure out how,
when, and why to talk to their audiences.
Keri Maijala (@clamhead)
30. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 30
We are management consultants for
external messaging and editorial
workflow challenges.
Ahava Liebtag (@ahaval), Aha Media Group
31. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 31
I am often a ‘fulcrum’ between disciplines.
I spend at least half my time focusing on
business and cultural change, before
thinking about content.
Elizabeth McGuane, @emcguane
32. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 32
A content strategist is like a business
analyst for your content. We look at how
content is currently helping (or hindering)
your business and develop a strategy to
make it work better.
Sally Bagshaw, @snappysentences
33. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 33
The analysis and planning to develop a
repeatable system that governs the
management of content throughout the
entire content lifecycle.
Rahel Anne Bailie, @rahelab,
The Language of Content Strategy
34. Industries thrive through differentiation:
both practitioners and clients benefit
@mbloomstein | #CSSummit 34
35. Industries thrive through differentiation:
both practitioners and clients benefit
but only when we precisely, narrowly
define both what we do and need
and encourage diverse specificity
@mbloomstein | #CSSummit 35
36. • Drive the development and organization of content that is useful, compelling and
meaningful on our site, all social media platforms, and distributed content
• Create user flows, information hierarchies, wireframes, and content strategy
• Maintain fluency in industry terminology and develop our “voice” within it
• Determine content requirements, inventory existing content, identify gaps,
evaluate possible sources for additional material, and manage the process of
getting that content into production
• Maintain current content audit
• Creatively look for opportunities to improve content, consumer experience, and
SEO performance
• Manage editorial calendar to proactively keep content useful and up to date
• Train internal and freelance copywriters; develop any necessary training programs
• Develop analytics, conduct consumer and usability testing to help improve the UX
• Lead projects with the PR and marcomm team to support campaigns and launches
• Work with brand architecture and terminology to guide product organization and
internal customer service content and training
• Drive the architecture of and improvements to the internal product CMS
• Occasionally write or edit content, particularly metadata, titles, alt text and edit
general content to optimize for natural search
37. • Drive the development and organization of content that is useful, compelling and
meaningful on our site, all social media platforms, and distributed content
• Create user flows, information hierarchies, wireframes, and content strategy
• Maintain fluency in industry terminology and develop our “voice” within it
• Determine content requirements, inventory existing content, identify gaps,
evaluate possible sources for additional material, and manage the process of
getting that content into production
• Maintain current content audit
• Creatively look for opportunities to improve content, consumer experience, and
SEO performance
• Manage editorial calendar to proactively keep content useful and up to date
• Train internal and freelance copywriters; develop any necessary training programs
• Develop analytics, conduct consumer and usability testing to help improve the UX
• Lead projects with the PR and marcomm team to support campaigns and launches
• Work with brand architecture and terminology to guide product organization and
internal customer service content and training
• Drive the architecture of and improvements to the internal product CMS
• Occasionally write or edit content, particularly metadata, titles, alt text and edit
general content to optimize for natural search
38. Without clear differentiation,
hiring (and selling) is frustrating,
training and rework is expensive, and
“content strategy” gets a bad name.
@mbloomstein | #CSSummit 38
44. @mbloomstein | #CSSummit 44
But what about the generalists?
Follow your passion—
and work to better define the work.
45. Content strategists,
1. Be precise: own your definition.
2. Get specific: narrow what you want.
3. Be honest—and encouraging.
“No… and”
@mbloomstein | #CSSummit 45
48. Clients
1. Be precise: own your definition.
2. Get specific: narrow what you want.
3. Be honest—and encouraging.
“No… and”
@mbloomstein | #CSSummit 48
49. This is an opportunity for growth and
specialization within our broad industry
50. because how we define our industry is
the sum of how we define ourselves.