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As content strategists, we create many documents describing the work we’ve done and recommended policies and practices, including

  • Content guidelines
  • Audience personas and engagement journeys
  • Content analyses
  • Competitive content analyses
  • Content governance guidelines and models
  • Content migration plans
  • Content management system templates
  • Taxonomies
  • Content calendars

…and the list goes on.

However, these documents themselves are not the most important part of the work.

The actual work of content strategy is the set of actions the organization takes as a result of having these deliverables – and of truly integrating the knowledge into the organization’s working soul.

The heart of content strategy is actions:

  • Hiring people to do strategic content work
  • Training new and existing staff in effective content practices
  • Reminding everyone which audiences are most important to the organization
  • Ensuring that everyone involved with content understands what “good” looks like
  • Supporting new ways of creating content – collaboration, cross-linking, measuring, learning
  • Enforcing new roles, processes, and behaviors
  • Evolving content standards and policies over time

The ultimate goal of doing content strategy work is for new content policies, standards, and practices to become part of the way things work in the organization.

 

Here are two articles that make similar points, which you might find helpful:

Content Strategy Is About Far More Than Strategy by Ronell Smith:

Content Strategy Is About Far More Than Strategy

Beyond Deliverables: Bringing Content Strategy to Life by Michael Metts

If we can help you figure out your content strategy, take action, and make strategic content part of your organization’s soul, contact us.

 

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Hi, just reminding you this is the best post I’ve read in a long time and I come back to it weekly. Thanks for being amazing.

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