Content Strategy

Understanding Your Audience, So They Understand You

The content strategist asks and answers the question: What content needs to be on this site to ensure a successful user experience? They then develop a plan to implement that strategy. As a member of the user experience team, the content strategist also ensures that the final site meets the expectations of the client while providing the user with a satisfying brand and site experience.

I helped to evolve the discipline and process of Content Strategy for over 15 years. Content Strategy began as Editorial, copywriters who wrote for the web. However, as the complexity of website interactivity grew, so did the role of the writer. We had to quickly learn not only how to think about what we were saying, but also where and how what we said integrated and informed the user experience. We have become an integral part of the overall User Experience team, and share that responsibility alongside Interaction Designers, Visual Designers and User Researchers.

As a pioneer in the discipline of Content Strategy, I spend time both educating the business about Content Strategy, helping them understand how it facilitates a comprehensive customer experience, as well as creating the standard CS deliverables like the Content Style Guide, Content Matrix, Content Inventory and copy document. Content Strategy includes development of the information architecture and content management as well as the job of copywriter and editor.