Content strategy aint what it used to be

Back in the day (say, 10 years ago), the term content strategy was a web-specific thing. And, while it continues to be both necessary and worthwhile for the web, we’ve reached a point where we’re going to have to ask for some flexibility here.

Web content strategists: we’re going to need to use your term more broadly.

Now that brands are embracing Content Marketing, they’re publishing content on their own behalf (not just on the web) to attract people to their brand. This action needs to have some planning around it and, because it’s about content (again, not just on the web), we’re going to need to call that planning something.

That something is content strategy

Don’t get me wrong. I understand that the web is critically important. I hear that people use the web almost every day (sorry, that was snarky). It’s true that the web will only continue to get more and more critical, but it’s not the only way people get information. And — here’s the important thing — it’s not always the way they prefer to receive information.

Sometimes it’s where they start, sometimes it’s where they finish, but it’s not everything.

Because, after all, we should be creating and distributing content the way the people we’re trying to attract would prefer. So we need to talk about content strategy more holistically.

I completely understand that our web-based content strategy brothers and sisters invented this term long ago and have been using it for a long time. But, for the good of the industry (nay, the world), ladies and gentlemen of the web, we’re going to need to borrow your term.

Permanently.

So, in summary:

Web: very important.

Content: not just on the web

Content strategy: important for everyone (not just the web)

Web content strategists: thanks for being cool about this.