Content strategy

Content strategy refers to the planning, development, and management of informational content—written or in other media. The term is particularly common in web development since the late 1990s. It is recognized as a field in user experience design but also draws interest from adjacent communities such as content management, business analysis, and technical communication.

Definitions

Content strategy has been described as "…the practice of planning the content creation, delivery, and governance." and "a repeatable system that defines the entire editorial content development process for a website development project."

In her 2007 article, "Content Strategy: The Philosophy of Data," Rachel Lovinger described the goal of content strategy as using "…words and data to create unambiguous content that supports meaningful, interactive experiences."

Many organizations and individuals tend to confuse content strategists with editors. Yet, content strategy is "about more than just the written word," according to Washington State University assistant professor Brett Atwood. For example, Atwood indicates that a practitioner needs to also "consider how content might be re-distributed and/or re-purposed in other channels of delivery."

Further, content strategists should strive to achieve content that is readable and understandable, but also findable, actionable and shareable in all of its various forms.

The purpose of content strategy has also been described as achieving business goals by maximizing the impact of content.

It has also been proposed that the content strategist performs the role of a tastemaker or curator. A museum curator sifts through the mass of content and identifies key pieces that can be juxtaposed against each another to create meaning and spur excitement. In her 2009 article, Erin Scime states that the content strategist as digital curator, "…approaches a business’s content as a medium that needs to be strategically selected and placed to engage the audience, convey a message, and inspire action."

Practitioners

An individual who practices content strategy as a discipline is referred to as a content strategist. The perspectives that content strategists bring to content depend strongly on their professional training and education.

For instance, some specialize in content analysis, which roughly describes work with metadata, taxonomy, search engine optimization, and the ways these concepts support content.

Others outline web editorial strategies, guidelines, and tools, which may extend to organizational change management. This form of content strategy may be concerned with developing new forms of content, such as multimedia, or various “presence management” technologies like microblogging.

There is yet another stream of content strategy advancing information architecture goals. In this case, content strategy may only involve writing site copy for new website pages and adapting the content on existing ones. All content strategists are familiar with a wide range of applications and tools, and frequently are responsible for implementing and training individuals to best use them.

Resources

• Content Strategy - topic page on Business Exchange, a BusinessWeek.com website
• Content Strategy Google group - a public discussion forum