Adventures in Content Strategy
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." Benjamin Franklin
“The Talmud teaches that every person must say to himself “The world was created for me,” not as a statement of ultimate self-centeredness, rather out of a sense of unique responsibility for the world. This is my world and I’m its caretaker. If there’s a problem, I’ve got to do something about it.” –Rabbi Ken…
Reduce, reuse, recycle. It’s not just a way to save the Earth. When you reuse content your content team becomes more efficient, more effective, and more budget-friendly. But reusing content is easier said than done. You need to create content that is focused and valuable. Then you need to find a way to make it…
As much as you might want a content strategist to come fix things, your team may not love having the content strategist there. The reason is that many of us struggle to hear that we need to change. We hear “this needs to change” as “what you’re doing is wrong”. Or “your hard work isn’t…
If you haven’t yet used Alexa Skills, don’t worry. It’s coming. Alexa Skills is the equivalent of an app on any other device. When you download a Skill, it adds to Alexa’s knowledge. And if you’re a content strategist or content creator, chances are good that you’re going to be creating a Skill in the…
Brand is what people say about you when you leave the room. Another way of putting it is that your brand is your personality. A person’s personality is a part of who they are. Since an organization isn’t a living thing, it doesn’t have a personality in the same way. So we create one, by…
For the past 18 years, the Edelman Trust Barometer has measured brand trust around the globe. This year, they titled their report “The Battle for Truth.” It’s not a subtle message. US consumer trust has decreased in every realm: NGOs, business, government, and the media. We need consumer-centric strategies. The Customer’s Always Right Have you…
A friend of mine (male) works at a bar. He was recently asked to teach a new server how to use the corkscrew. After he explained to her what she needed to do, she told him he was mansplaining. He considered trying to explain himself, but he decided against it. After all, if he pushed…
Customizing Content, by Amy Behrens Content is everywhere. How do we cut through the noise? We make our content: accurate trustworthy timely customized Customization is different from personalization. Customization is by the user. Personalization is by us, for the user. Why Customize? We are busy, selfish creatures. We want clear, relevant information when and where we want it….
Designing for Health Fluency, by Dana Ortegón As a content strategist, Dana listens to peoples’ stories. She listens for what’s being told, in addition to what’s being said. She watched her mother struggle with the language when they lived in Columbia (her dad spoke the language fluently, but her mother did not). Navigating the health…
Writing Content for Low Health Literacy, by Emily Broderick Health literacy: the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services in order to make appropriate health decisions.” The top 3 health searches: pregnancy symptoms flu symptoms diabetes symptoms More than 35% of people go online to self-diagnose their symptoms (as of 2013). So we need to…