From waaaaay back in 2008, this A List Apart article by (Kristina Halvorson of Brain Traffic) describes what “content strategy” means. I think, at its core, “content strategy” is AWESOME WRITING.

But, just like AWESOME DESIGN or AWESOME DEVELOPMENT or AWESOME AWESOME, there’s more to AWESOME WRITING than just having a specialized skill set.

That “more” is brain thinkingness. (Cool, right?) It’s what makes the world go ’round.

Ok, so how does my brain think about writing content for other people? I’m glad you asked, chap! Because even though the act of writing content for clients is highly personalized to each, the process for gathering, refining, and ultimately delivering that content is fairly systematic.

So here is what I’ve historically found to be a solid content creation process (for me):

1. I voraciously read everything I can find about you. Whether I poke around on your existing website, browse through your Twitter feed, re-read your emails to me 10 times, or snoop around in other people’s feeds that reference you, I’m looking for the subtle (and not so subtle) natural patterns that are borne from your communication style.
2. We talk. Sometimes just over email (see 1.) in response to pointed questions I might ask, and other times over the phone or in-person during brief informational sessions. Nothing big. Just enough.
3. You complete a content questionnaire that I’ve customized for you. It has anywhere from 5-10 questions — like “Why do your clients love you?” or “Why do your competitors win projects over you?” — that delve into you, your business, and your goals. (Heads-up: Clients tell me this is both a fun questionnaire AND a challenging one.)
4. I eat your responses to the questionnaire. Just kidding. I read them like a normal human being.
5. I create four statements — each says the exact same thing substantively, but in four different ways. You pick the one that sounds like something you might actually say on a daily basis. (Somewhat irrelevant side note: I sometimes include this exercise as part of the content questionnaire if I’m feeling confident that I *get* your voice to a large degree already).
6. I write for you.
7. I share what I wrote for you.
8. You tell me what sentences or language you like (very specifically) and what you don’t like (again, very specifically) while trying to avoid generalized statements such as, “I’m not sure about this sentence.” Doing this more detailed analysis of what’s working (and what’s not) gives me valuable feedback to more quickly arrive at a final product that melts your brain right out of your ears.
9. I write for you, this time armed with your specific feedback.
10. I share it with you.
    • Joyful cheering ensues.
    • Invoices are sent.
    • Payments are made.
    • High fives are exchanged.
    • New adventures are had.

When I’m actually doing the WRITING itself in 6. and 9. above, I try to be sure:

1. Every word serves a purpose, from primarily pushing personality (hey! alliteration!) to maximizing SEO with loads of relevant keywords that DON’T interrupt readability.
2. The voice is active, even if the language itself is “softer.” I want the reader to feel confident about you, and active voice is more readable and engaging.
3. The storytelling has a result. I try to move beyond just regurgitating services rendered and tell the story of how the sweet outcome was achieved — and what it means.
4. Confident prose isn’t arrogant. I tell genuine stories of real experiences and avoid marketing or technical jargon whenever possible to, ultimately, help the reader learn.
5. Consistency is achieved. I obsess over things like sentence structure, punctuation, and capitalization patterns — these are the sorts of important details that can make a huge difference.

Of course, sometimes my first round hits the mark and no iterations are necessary, and other times a client shifts course because of my writing. Just last week, actually, this very hip little company in India — website coming soon — realized during the content creation process that its target audience was actually designers (specifically) who need developers… rather than global businesses (in general) who need an outsourced web development team. That’s HUGE — and that shift in target audience changed almost everything from a content perspective.

Anyway, I’ll undoubtedly continue to refine my process and will post updates here as I go. But I hope this at least gives you, kind reader, a glimpse into my content strategery.

Thanks again to everyone for coming out last night and asking such FABULOUS (see?) questions — I had a blast and have been overwhelmed with positive feedback at SpeakerRate and on Twitter, too. YOU ROCK!!

Feel free to drop me a line if you have any further questions or general comments.

You can also download the PDF of this presentation with my per-slide notes (compressed to decrease file size).

Thanks to @whitmoyer and @samanthatoy for the pictures!

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ORIGINAL POST DESCRIBING PRE-TALK EXCITEMENT

What's RefreshDC, you ask?

Even though it’s the middle(ish) of July, I’ve been hearing all year since the economy started picking up that colleagues of mine are looking to transition. After spending the past year helping a web consultancy find good employees, I now have an appreciation for just how difficult a hiring manager’s job is — and, by extension, how difficult it can be for web folks to make an impact with their written communication.

So, that’s essentially what I’ll be talking about to a crowd of 50(ish) SMART people in Georgetown: Writing compelling content. Here’s the description from Upcoming:

NO BORING CONTENT ALLOWED!

Since designers and developers have been busy creating standards-based work, it’s understandable that they haven’t necessarily kept sharp on their written word. But are we so focused on conceiving, designing, developing, and marketing the most mind-blowing ideas that we’re apathetic to (correctly) adding a space between “log” and “in?”

Steph Hay says, no way José! (The question is, do you? And who is José, anyway?)

In this talk, she’ll discuss ways in which web folks can write compelling, credible content that piques interest and encourages action from readers. Refreshees will leave with tips to elevate their content game — whether they’re aiming to more successfully write dynamic résumés and cover letters, describe their work in creative portfolios, or convey value to gain one more paying subscriber.

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Come say “hi,” please! And then give me constructive criticism (please don’t make me cry) at SpeakerRate.

I’ll be posting my slides here and on slideshare if you’re like Corey Greeneltch and unable to attend (blasphemy!).