I've written about content strategy before, but here's a more thorough explanation of what it is, how to build one, and why it matters.
Content strategy is the ongoing practice of planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable, and effective content. Put simply, it’s a high-level plan that guides the intentional creation and maintenance of information in a digital product.
The main goal of a content strategy is to use words and data to create unambiguous content that supports meaningful, interactive experiences between people and products or services. A content strategy is not a one-time document—it’s an ongoing process.
Why do organizations need a content strategy?
Many companies waste money and resources creating content that is pointless for users and profitless for organizations. Content is one of the main components of a great user experience, so without a clear basis for decisions, your website may not meet the needs of its intended audience.
What does a content strategy specify?
A content strategy specifies:
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The point of the content (business objective or user need)
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Who owns, creates, measures, and maintains the content
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The formats, channels, style, tone, and word usage
Content strategy and content plan are closely related concepts, but they serve specific purposes at different stages of the content lifecycle. A content plan is a more detailed document that describes what content will be created, when, and by whom. A content strategy is the overarching framework that guides the creation and management of all content.
Content tactics are execution-level actions that flow from the strategy. For example, if your content strategy says you want to improve customer satisfaction, your tactics might include creating helpful blog posts, setting up a live chat support team, and offering online tutorials.
The phases of a content strategy
There are four phases to a content strategy:
Planning
Creation
Maintenance
Unpublishing
The maintenance phase loops back through planning, creation (updating), and governance repeatedly. As a result, the cycle continues until the content is ready to be removed or unpublished.
Planning decisions before creating website content
Before you can create any website content, you have to make some key planning decisions. First, define your website goals and purpose. You won’t know what kind of content to create unless you decide what you’re trying to accomplish with your site.
Next, define your audience requirements. This means figuring out what content and features your audience expects. Finally, conduct a gap analysis. You’ll compare your existing content against what your audience actually needs, and identify the remaining areas where you need to write or curate.
Organizing and preparing existing content
During the creation phase, you’ll organize and compile your existing content. Your source material could come from older versions of your website, previously sent emails, printed trifold brochures, front-desk photocopies, etc. Your key task is to organize and compile all this diverse material so you can evaluate it against your objectives and organizational goals.
Once published, your audience will encounter the same words coming from their own diverse contexts, emotional states, and varying levels of urgency.
Content strategy during execution
Content strategy is fundamentally a backstage discipline during website execution. Visitors cannot point to a visible feature on your website and identify it as the result of your content strategy. Project objectives live somewhere between business goals and tactics. For example, a project objective might be “change our website to reflect our new organizational focus on education.”
Distribution, audience focus, accessibility, and governance
Distribution and audience-focus decisions belong inside a content strategy. Creating quality content is not sufficient—you also must ensure that it reaches the right people in the right places through chosen distribution channels. Your target audience is only interested in making their lives better and easier, so your content should focus on the benefits customers will enjoy and the value delivered.
Accessibility and data-driven governance obligations sustain an ongoing content strategy. All website visitors, including those with disabilities, must be able to access and benefit from your content. Use data to make informed decisions and optimize your content strategy on an ongoing basis.