I am so proud to say that in less than a month I can officially call myself a content strategist after graduating from my master's studies in content strategy! But then I still need to define what we do as content strategists.
I and my fellow students have, through the last two years, highly discussed the issue of how to explain what is content strategy, a lot of people ask us what do you mean you study content strategy, even companies and managers in remarkable big brands will ask the same question: do you mean you have a title called: content strategist? OK, let’s get past titles and focus on the core of the content strategy. After so many deep conversations about what a content strategist really does and how to explain it to other people, I can say now I have a clear idea of how to explain it to people in the business sector but also to regular friends and family.
Till a couple of weeks ago, I was still telling people that it is “ein teil von Marketing” which means a part of marketing, which cannot be more wrong, but I think it is also because of the medium proficiency of my German language.
But let’s get serious, now and after finishing those two wonderful years, I can say that if I want to define what content strategy is and what content strategists do, I will go through the following points:
1- Content is everything in the company and it has different forms: articles, press releases, biographies, product details, websites, social media posts, images, PDFs, Podcasts, Brochures, Videos, Blogs, etc.…
As I mentioned before: “Content Strategy helps organizations provide the right content, to the right people, at the rights time” (Casey, 2015) I find this definition the simplest and most clear one of content strategy.
2- The content strategy process includes planning, creating, delivering, sunsetting, and governing, useful important content for a particular target audience.
3- Successful content is:
· a content that the audience wants
· a content that states the company’s goals
· Content that is measured
· Up-to-date content
· Content is managed and governed successfully.
These are the three points I would rely on to tell people what content strategy is and what I do as a content strategist. I try to be clear concise and fast, as you will lose the attention of the people in a couple of minutes!
In the end, I can say that I am proud to be a content strategist and that I hope to see more titles about this important role, but more importantly a clear view and understanding of what it really is and how important it is.