Content in Context

Jessica Hagy, "Information Overload and/or Closet Organizers." Indexed © 2009. All rights reserved.

What’s So Important About Content?

Everything changes. Online, things change more rapidly than elsewhere.

Just a few years ago, a company could afford to think of its web presence as one marketing channel among many. But not any more.

Large enterprise, small business, or non-profit organization. Direct-to-consumer or B2B. Media, retail, finance, healthcare, government, hospitality, telecommunications. Businesses in every sector are increasingly aware of the need for an immediate shift in how they communicate with customers.

Why Now?

Because everything changes. More specifically, innovations in web technology and design create changes in consumer demand—and vice versa. People now use the web on a daily basis for work, entertainment, communication, and convenience. They expect to find their favorite print media online and to get corporate and product information that’s fresh, accurate, and fast.

Continue reading “Content strategy: What’s in it for you?” »

Zack Bent, Participation Points © 2007

If you’ve been following the emergence of a content strategy community, you may be aware that an interest group has recently formed in New York City. On Thursday, June 25, 2009, we held our 3rd monthly event, an informal discussion, led by Karen McGrane of Bond Art + Science, about making the business case for CS.

Maybe you know Karen? She recently shared this stunning presentation on the value of content strategy to an effective Web presence.

Our group had a fine time talking strategy for content strategy. Our biggest takeaway: until the necessary resources for content strategy deliverables become standard budgetary line items, interactive projects will continue to fail.

(On the bright side, as one of the participants remarked—modesty forbids my naming her—past failures are the best argument for change.)

During the evening, we discussed the difficulty of working in a field that integrates perspectives from data management, user experience design, marketing, product development, and editorial strategy within an industry that resists their intersection. We grumbled about our frustrated efforts to convince the powers-that-be that our work is essential to their ROI. We vented about projects gone awry because we were brought in at the eleventh hour to “rescue” the content.

Continue reading “Talking about talking about content strategy” »