Content strategy and engineers
When developing a content strategy, you consider marcom, techcomm, and other groups whose primary role is creating content.
But don’t forget about engineering. Just ask the NASA Mohawk Guy.
Structured content
Content strategy burdens: cost-shifting
In assessing an organization’s requirements, it’s important to identify content strategy burdens. That is, what practices or processes impose burdens on the organization? A content strategy burden might be an external cost, such as additional translation expense, or it might be an internal cost, such as a practice in one department that imposes additional work on a different department. A key to successful content strategy is to understand how these burdens are distributed in the organization.
Engage before change: your content strategy mantra
If you’re about to revamp your content strategy, repeat after me:
Engage before change.
Planning your content strategy pilot project
Your content strategy is approved. Your tools are in place. Now it’s time to crank up—your pilot project, that is.
Consider these tips when mapping out your content strategy pilot project.
Webcast: The many facets of content strategy
In this webcast recording, Sarah O’Keefe discusses the future of content strategy.
The purpose of content strategy is to support your organization’s business goals. Content strategists need to understand how content across the organization—marketing, technical, and more—contributes to the overall business success.
Keys to content strategy: consultants
Are you thinking about engaging a content strategy consultant? Here are some thoughts on successful content strategy consulting relationships.
Keys to content strategy: aligning expectations
An effective content strategy requires participation (preferably enthusiastic) from a diverse array of people. When you are communicating with executives, IT specialists, marketing writers, translation coordinators, and more, recognize that each participant (including you) begins with a certain set of expectations and biases.
From soccer balls to content strategy: the kick of change resistance
Your content strategy can learn a lot from soccer ball manufacturing plants in Sialkot, Pakistan.
Keys to content strategy: ROI
Content strategy requires you to connect information with business results. The key to getting a content strategy approved? Return on investment (ROI). Once you show that your content strategy is beneficial to the business, you are on your way.
Webcast: You want it when?!? Content strategy for an impatient world
In this webcast recording, Sarah O’Keefe discusses how content initiatives are putting new demands on technical communication—improving customer experience, building interactive documents, including advanced visualizations, integrated translations, and more.
Keys to content strategy: Discovery
In the legal world, discovery refers to the compulsory disclosure of relevant documents. In the consulting world, disclosure also important, but it is usually spotty and not in writing. Instead of disclosure, we have discovery.
Ten mistakes for content strategists to avoid
As content strategy spreads far and wide, we are making old mistakes in new ways. Here are ten mistakes that content strategists need to avoid.
Content strategy—cold as ice
Technical writing and marketing writing attracts people who love words and books. (This definitely includes me.) In the emerging discipline of content strategy, content is an asset. Its value is determined by what it can do for the business, not by artistic or literary merit.
Beware the monster of change management: THE MAGNIFIER
For his 1959 horror movie The Tingler, director/producer William Castle had movie theater seats rigged with buzzers to scare moviegoers during a scene when the Tingler creature is loose in a theater. Patrons in those seats probably didn’t enjoy the jolt—or making a spectacle of themselves because of the Tingler’s “attack.”
Making the most of your conversion to XML, part 2
You’ve made the transition to an XML workflow for publishing your technical content, converted all of your legacy content, and started authoring in the new system, as discussed in part 1 of this post. Although you now have a much better outlook on sustainability, you’re still facing a problem: your content creators are having trouble with the idea of separating content from formatting.
Webcast: The Bottom Line: Globalization and the Dependence on Intelligent Content
In this webcast recording, Bill Swallow takes a look at intelligent content’s role in global markets, and how the entire content cycle directly affects a business’s bottom line (revenue).
Tools, the content strategy killers
Quick! What’s the first thing you think about when you want to change your content strategy (the way you produce and distribute content)? If your answer is “tools,” you’re in good company.
Making the most of your conversion to XML, part 1
Your publishing workflow has been the same for years, but new technology, different customer requirements, and company growth are making you realize you might need a change. Your print-based processes won’t always be sustainable, and XML is looking like a possibility for the future. There’s just one problem: you have thousands of pages of legacy content that you’ll need to convert, and it’s not exactly XML-friendly.
Greatest hits for your listening content strategy pleasure
Transitioning to new publishing processes? Release your greatest hits collection first!
“You don’t own me—or your content!”: the motivated consumer’s mantra
I love Downton Abbey. I love my Honda Fit.
And I will consume content about those things—even when their creators would prefer I not.
Minimum viable content
…in which we explore the idea of minimal viable product as applied to technical content.
Are you ready to rumble for your content strategy?
If you can’t handle some rough-and-tumble adversity, you are not ready to manage the implementation of a new content strategy.
The framing effect in content strategy
Different flavors of content strategists seem to be having trouble talking to each other. I think it’s because of the framing effect.
