The (reluctant) best of 2020
As 2020 comes to an interesting close, let’s take a look at some of our most popular posts and podcasts from the year.
Steps to structured content (podcast, part 1)
In episode 85 of The Content Strategy Experts podcast, Gretyl Kinsey and Bill Swallow talk about the steps to structure, how to move from unstructured content to structure, and what each level of maturity looks like.
“It’s important to keep in mind when you move from step two to step three that your authoring tools may change. The writers might have gotten used to working with one set of tools in steps one and two. But as you move to structure, the tools that you’re using for unstructured content may not support the underlying framework for the structure that you’re moving forward with.”
– Bill Swallow
Will it blend? Legacy content and digital transformation
Your digital transformation is underway! You have a plan for new content, new delivery, and new content experiences. But what do you do with all of that existing content? You may have a plan for actively maintained content, but you also have much older legacy content. What does your conversion strategy look like when you have very old documents and must continue to provide them, even if they are not changing?
Why technical communication must be part of your marketing strategy (webinar)
Sarah O’Keefe talks about why your technical communication needs to become part of your marketing strategy.
“Technical content is being read before the sale. Buyers are not limiting themselves to what they can find in your marketing content, they’re looking for what matters to them and what they’re trying to do.”
—Sarah O’Keefe
Not all digital is transformation (webinar)
Gretyl Kinsey shares some examples of digital content production done well and not-so-well, and discusses practical tips for ensuring that you make the most out of your digital transformation.
“Digital transformation is the use of technology to enrich information delivery.”
—Gretyl Kinsey
The true cost of quick fixes (podcast, part 2)
In episode 79 of The Content Strategy Experts podcast, Gretyl Kinsey and Bill Swallow continue their discussion and talk about solutions to quick fixes.
“A big part of your content strategy should be how requests come in, how the timelines are built, and what you’re responding to and how you’re responding to them in the first place.”
—Bill Swallow
The true cost of quick fixes (podcast, part 1)
In episode 78 of The Content Strategy Experts podcast, Gretyl Kinsey and Bill Swallow talk about the true cost of quick fixes in your content strategy.
“Even if a quick fix might save you some time or a little bit of upfront cost or upfront effort on planning, it’s almost always going to add costs in the long run.”
—Gretyl Kinsey
Content reuse: different industries, same problems (podcast)
In episode 77 of The Content Strategy Experts podcast, Alan Pringle talks with Chris Hill of DCL about content reuse and what it looks like across different industries.
“You really have to start seeing content creation as a collaboration and build trust between the people who create content.”
—Chris Hill
Moving to structured content: Expectations vs. reality (podcast)
In episode 76 of The Content Strategy Experts podcast, Elizabeth Patterson and Alan Pringle talk about expectations versus realities of tools when moving to smart structured content.
“You can have different people using different tools and still pour all of the content into the single content management system. People connect to it differently based on the authoring tool that they prefer, and what works best for them.”
—Alan Pringle
Taxonomy planning (webinar)
Bill Swallow and Gretyl Kinsey share some of the most important steps to take when planning for your taxonomy in The Content Strategy Experts Webcast.
“When starting with a taxonomy, never start with a blank slate, because chances are somebody has done something already.”
—Bill Swallow
