A Look Back at Content Strategy in 2010

By Marisa Peacock (@marisacp51) Dec 29, 2010

Content strategy as a discipline existed for many years, but this year we started seeing the interest in this practice peak, as organizations started to realize its importance. Not just how content is managed, but all the elements that are involved in the process — authoring, publishing and sharing. We investigated the strategies that can help companies understand the ways content drives your brand, communications and influence your customers. Here are the top five lessons learned.

1. Content / Strategy Matters

First, without content, there would be nothing to manage. Content matters because it represents everything you stand for. Whether it’s a written word, an image or other digital asset, it all needs to say what you want in a way that is appropriate for your audience. If content is king, doesn’t it deserve to treated like royalty?

Of course, even though you're ready to put content first, it doesn't mean that you have applied the appropriate content strategy for the right job. With many different platforms from which to broadcast messages, it's important to figure out your plan before hand. As Corrine Schmid says:

The Content era is a new world with new rules and a new realm of players. To prosper, you need a game plan — a content strategy, and it must align with business goals.

By combining content with strategy you can work to ensure that every word, image or emotion is created with an intent to engage customers purposefully, which can create meaningful relationships rather than haphazard encounters.

2. Personalized Data Influences Content

To have effective content it should speak to your audience. Ensuring that it does takes more than just focus groups and market research. It takes data and skillful analytics to understand how your users’ behaviors translate into trends and patterns. By updating your content with keywords and other necessary changes, it can effectively guide your customers toward the desired outcomes. Though it's easy to get distracted by all the different data you'll uncover, Ahava Leibtag reminds us:

Data should provide information about what is happening to users on sites so we can understand how to make it easier for them to get the content they need when they need it.

Speaking of needs, in 2010 we discussed semantic content and the potential to customize content based on behavioral analytics. With advanced algorithms, everything from advertisements to news feeds to home page content can be tailored to meet users needs. While such user generated content is already being used by those who have spent a great deal investing in semantic technologies, interest has trickled down to traditional companies and organization keen on cashing in on.

3. Multiple Channels and Disciplines

Content? Check. Content Strategy? Check. Seamless integration across multiple channels? …

Like social media and digital assets before it, 2010 saw many new interfaces and formats added. From smartphone advancements and upgrades to tablet devices and more, content is able to flow through many different channels, yet it shouldn’t recreate the wheel each time.