Tips for writers getting into content strategy
What is Copywriting? What is UX writing? Content design? Conversation design? Content strategy? At times, I kinda want to say, “Who cares?”
Writers can move from role to role regardless of what your org calls you, because the answer to “What is [X content role]” is usually, truthfully, “It depends.”
That’s where you find an opening for mobility and growth. In my work, I’ve been encouraging content designers to see the benefits of expanding their efforts and influence strategically, regardless of their title.
Content strategy is like tofu. It takes on flavors of the dish.
Yeah, tofu’s still tofu. As content strategy has some standard practices and frames of reference, it adapts to your business, customers and its particular content problems. Writers are in a good spot to develop skills and knowledge to take on content strategy responsibilities. And that’s where we get back to the importance of names. Describing it gets tricky.
Making a transition
Put your brain on speaker phone. You have a unique perspective on content. Don’t assume that others see it or share the same insights.
Don’t accept everything the way it is. To move from content creation to content strategy, you have to challenge the way things are organized, their history and culture.
Develop a general understanding of the content problems out there. Check out Brain Traffic’s Quad. Talk to other content folks. This gives you some paths to explore, more context, information, inspiration and help.
Make your own assignments. Find places at work where you might have impact. Be proactive, pitching projects. Work doesn’t always have to come to you as a request. For me, it’s more satisfying when it doesn’t.
False starts and stumbles are movement (though, not progress). They count when persuading other teams to do something about the opportunities you’re pitching. Just keep coming at it—another angle, time or stakeholder. I’ve worked on things that got shot down only to be reanimated later. Save your stuff!
Strategy work doesn’t culminate in a document. This is a habit for writers to give up. Aim for internal change and follow with “the things.” You’ll do better changing mindsets, doing things in different ways, or building anew. Things are the currency. Change is the value.
Put down the reading glasses. Keep stepping back, asking how, and looking at the system and its connections. Think past pieces of content and vet them against the whole body of content. This larger context is a great place to improve your awareness, decision-making and judgment.
Content is built bottom to top. Learning about this makes you better at solving end to end. A lot of what limits you from improving the experience comes from what’s sitting beneath. The slogan “befriend the back end” isn’t advisable, although it’s not inaccurate.
Technology is everybody’s job. You don’t have to code, but understanding technology conceptually is enough to be part of the discussion. Plus, machine learning and semantic technologies are changing our jobs. In the future, you’ll be teaching robots to write.
You can never know enough about content. When you think you do, you’re done for. There’s always some tool, trend, perspective, type of content, channel, specialization, or method to learn.
Learn and ask questions. There’s always more to get excited about.
