So, what is a content strategist, anyway?

Content strategists plan for content creation, delivery, and governance (on, for instance, a company's website and other web properties) — but what that actually entails can vary dramatically.

Not all content is created equal. That's why it's critical to think strategically about what you're creating and whether it's consistent, meaningful, informative and useful to your audience. Developing your content strategy is a game-changing experience—it's why companies like Facebook are building out Content Strategy teams that are essential to their success.

In this class, I'll teach you how doing an honest evaluation of your existing content lets you determine what assets you have that work—and what you need to make it better. You'll do research to get a broad view of what your competitors are doing, so that you can define a content strategy that differentiates and one-ups your competition.

In this class, I'll help you answer the following questions:

• Is your web content clear, consistent and meaningful to a user? 
• What are your site's goals, and does your content help to achieve them? Why or why not? 
• Do your users get the information they need to complete a task or understand the topic? 
• What other ways can your web content be improved?

This class is perfect for anybody managing digital content who wants to improve their ability to think strategically—or their overall site's experience for users.

This class will focus on two discovery phase content strategy deliverables: The content audit and the competitive analysis. We'll talk about how these deliverables inform content strategy.

THE PROJECT:

The first step to nearly any content development program involves a careful audit of the content you already have and analysis of what your competitors offer. In this class, your product will be to create a content audit and a competitive analysis. In the lecture, we'll talk about these two deliverables and show some examples, providing a framework for you to practice the craft of the audit and analysis.

Everyone is encouraged to bring real-world content problems from your workplaces, as we may use these to get some hands-on practice in applying content strategy tools.

By the end of class, you'll have a strong understanding of where you can improve your web content to one-up your competitors and provide a much better experience for your audience and users.