Content Strategy is the term used to describe many aspects of your website’s content, from the type and focus of content, to its organisation, management and ongoing development. Content Strategy is a key part of any modern website.
In this series of articles I will take a look at the question “What is Content Strategy” and use SEO Andy as an example of Content Strategy at work in a living website. The series will be spread across a number of weeks.
What is Content Strategy?
The web as we know it is evolving, no longer can we expect a web page with reliable content to be found in search results, no longer can we expect a user just to view our web page as “the source of information” for a given subject and no longer can we expect web pages that are static and boring not to do very much to engage the user.
Therefore, having a plan for your website is vital and more important than ever. Lets be clear, without such a plan (even if its only in your mind) your website probably isn’t going anywhere fast.
Content Strategy in it’s most basic form is just that, a plan. In reality Content Strategy is still an evolving section of the web and deals with so many parameters (such as who manages content, what content goes where and more important what users really want) that any definition beyond “being a plan” would likely end up out of date quite soon.
A Content Strategy is a road map and not just a plan. It’s a guide to not only the content you create now but also what it will be in the future, and it gives you control of this future content. It will also serve as a blueprint for any new or current members of staff and anyone who has an interest in your website, such as management or potential investors.
When a Content Strategy is done well it will make things easier. Don’t forget even though it’s a road map, the Content Strategy you work out is a living entity and can evolve as your company does. This means it will change, but in what direction is up to you and your company.
Most Content Strategies will be based around the following tasks:
Auditing and Analysis of Content (Starting with Research)
Writing New or Revising Current Content
Evolving the Content Strategy
Each task above can be split down further, each of these will be explained in a post during this series.
In addition to this series of posts about Content Strategy, there will soon be a book available to pre-order on the subject of Content Strategy written by myself, Andy Kinsey. Watch this space for more details on this.