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The history of content strategy has been an interesting one. The main bulk of its life starts in the mid-1990s when the term was being used by professionals. Like many concepts relating to the digital world, it’s surprising to learn that content strategy has been active for decades. The idea was first conceptualized in a paper written by Vannevar Bush back in 1945. Of course, the technology behind content was not remotely close to being invented but the concept was clear.
As the decades went on, companies were solving issues with content without knowing they were strategizing. It was becoming clear that just creating content was not enough. How it is stored and distributed to consumers had the same importance, if not greater.
And then the Internet happened.
This opened a very large and vast world where an abundance of content is visible to billions in an instant. It also provided opportunities to deliver in ways that couldn’t be done before: websites, email, videos, social media, etc.
In addition, the Internet allowed those in the field to share concepts and further enhance the idea of content strategy. It hasn’t changed much in the past 20 years, other than to add different facets or differentiate between other ideas (like content marketing). Because the amount of content increased, there was an urgency to develop systems that would automate and organize for efficiency. Going from 0 web pages to 200, each housing specific content is a massive shift that affects the delivery of content.
Focus then shifted to user experience and how an individual consumes content, including how to access it. Learning about user behaviors while using the Internet, or mobile devices is a great insight into the consumer experience. Today, content strategy is intertwined with other disciplines, like marketing, and can play a big part in business ventures. They require careful planning, which can sometimes be derailed by stakeholders who dig in their heels for a change.
Source: Amazon
In Meghan Casey’s “The Content Strategy Toolkit,” she discusses the importance of the work to be done before starting on the actual content. Without a budget, a plan, and buy-in, it will be nearly impossible for the project to be a success.
Budget is pretty simple here; it’s either you have the resources, or you don’t. This is where you might have to get creative and analyze current operations to find savings. The more data you have, the stronger the argument.
Buy-in can be one of the toughest aspects of the whole process, and I can agree with this from my experience. Having an individual or group back on the project greatly increases how well it will turn out. Change is not easy for some people, so they may push back. You just have to work a little harder to convince them, whether that is building more examples, involving them early, or reaching a compromise.
Lastly, having a thorough plan for the entire process is crucial. There should be project goals to which tasks and actions can be aligned to. Getting the right people to join in right from the beginning, making sure they are involved in their respective parts, and continuously updating all help solidify the plan. Even actions done after implementation are complete, tasks such as evaluating and regular maintenance, are crucial.
Content strategy is one of those things where we can witness the evolution because it’s happening as we speak. The field will continue to grow, more insights will be shared, and quick adaptions to new technology will be emphasized. Technology is not going to stop, so neither should the content strategists of the world.
References:
Bailie, R. A. (2020, September 2). An uneven history of content strategy. Medium. Retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://rahelab.medium.com/an-uneven-history-of-content-strategy-d514cfd7eee5.
Bush, V. (1995, August). As We May Think. As we may think. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.w3.org/History/1945/vbush/vbush.shtml.
Casey, M. (2015). The content strategy toolkit: Methods, guidelines, and templates for getting content right. New Riders.
Cullinan, F. (2013, June 24). A brief history of content strategy. Firehead. Retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://firehead.net/2013/06/a-brief-history-of-content-strategy/.
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