Your ultimate guide to becoming a practicing content strategist and mega-list of resources (updated every quarter)

Last updated May 2020

But first, what is content strategy?

Great question! The term is often used to mean many different things, and there’s still some confusion amongst content strategists. That said, I’ll do my best to keep this short.

For the purposes of this article, I’m defining content strategy as: the practice of planning, creating and managing content using human-centered design principles.

Content strategy is the planning, creation, and management of content using human-centered design principles.

A great way to think about content strategy is that it’s a blend of: editorial work, experience design, and systems design. The Content Quad from Brain Traffic is the most widely used and respected visualization of content strategy.

So what is content strategy all about?

Aligning content with user needs and business goals
Delivering the right content to the right people at the right time
Optimizing the people and processes that influence content, from how it’s created to how it’s managed
Is a user-centered practice that allows organizations to make strategic decisions rooted in empathy for the user

The content marketing vs content strategy dilemma

Content strategy is not content marketing strategy.

Content marketing, as the name suggests, is about marketing. The goal of content marketing is to promote a brand/product/service to grow an audience and get more sales. Content strategy impacts the content marketing strategy, but is not the same thing.

Although there are many different nuances in the ways that content strategists define their role, the one thing we can all agree on is that it’s not content marketing. So, if nothing else, you can feel sure about that!

Due to all this definition confusion, I’ve been referring to myself as a UX content strategist these days. This helps instantly differentiate my work from content marketing for people who aren’t familiar with the field.

Content strategy specializations

Let me first say that these aren’t hard and fast definitions and they often overlap. However, within content strategy, there are a sometimes areas in which people specialize. Some people do all of these, or just one, or their own special blend. Here are a few.

Website content strategy

Web content strategists focus on — yep, websites. They work on planning and creating the content for new websites, work on website redesigns, or help with CMS migrations (transitioning website content from one content management system to another). This one is our primary focus.

Product content strategy

The big question here is, what counts as a product? From what I’ve seen, a product means something digital that is not necessarily a website. Things like mobile apps, software applications, and even touchscreen kiosks. So a product content strategist focuses exclusively on content for those types of user experiences. This often overlaps with UX writing.

Brand content strategy

Brand content strategists focus on things like high-level messaging and positioning for an entire brand. Although all content strategists care about messaging, it seems like “brand content strategists” really hone in on this piece.

Resources to Learn Content Strategy

Content strategy books

Here are some of my favorites, with brief explanations of each and who should read them. There are tons of other great ones, but any of these will give you a great foundation.

Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson and Melissa Rach

This was one of the first published content strategy books and was co-authored by Kristina Halvorson, who is arguably the most important and notable person in the field. That said, it’s pretty specific to website projects within an enterprise environment.

Best for: website content strategists

The Content Strategy Toolkit by Meghan Casey

Another tried-and-true favorite, this book is super practical and tactical. It even includes examples and templates you can use a guide for your very own content strategy project. Again, this one is specific to websites at large organizations.

Best for: website content strategists

Content Strategy at Work by Margot Bloomstein

Another classic that’s great for everyone from copywriters to designers. If you love case studies and real world examples, this is the one for you.

Best for: everyone

UX Strategy by Jaime Levy

This book was a game-changer for my research skills. Jaime Levy offers a comprehensive UX guide that borrows from business strategy and product strategy, and delivers in a way that’s fun to read. Learn about agile user research, competitive analysis, and tons more.

Best for: product content strategists

Simple and Usable by Giles Colbrone

I know what you’re thinking: “this isn’t a content strategy book!” You’re technically right, friend, but also... wrong. This book is such a wonderful, bite-sized introduction to user-centered design that I recommend it anyways. You’ll learn about creating simple, useful experiences — and with a bit of creative thinking, you can apply that to content.

Best for: everyone

Still want more? Here’s a great list on design thinking books from the Stanford d.school, and The Content Strategist’s Reading List from BrainTraffic.

Content strategy blogs & articles

Foundational articles about content strategy (read these first):

“What is Content Strategy? Connecting the Dots Between Disciplines,” by Kristina Halvorson, Brain Traffic
“Just what is content strategy and why do we need it?,” by Rachel McConnell, Clearleft
“What Does a Content Strategist Do?,” by Kristina Halvorson, Brain Traffic
“Complete Beginner’s Guide to Content Strategy,” by UX Booth
“Content Strategists: What Do They Do?,” by Dan Zambonini, Contentini

Content strategy publications:

UX publications (related, but not specifically content strategy):

Content strategy podcasts

This year, I’ve gotten into some really fantastic podcasts in the content strategy and UX space. In particular, the Content Strategy Podcast has been a gem, and I think I’ve listened to almost every episode twice.

The Content Strategy Podcast by BrainTraffic, hosted by Kristina Halvorson
Content Strategy Interviews hosted by Larry Swanson
A Table at the Back, hosted by Branka Injac Misic and Laura Luck
Content Design Podcast, by Vanessa Barlow

Content strategists to follow on Twitter

One of the best changes I’ve made to my social media feed this year was following other content strategists. Now, my social feeds have become one of my favorite places to learn, get inspired and compare notes with other people in the industry. It can be so valuable to see what other folks in UX/Content are talking about. Here are a few of my favorite social connections.

Online communities

My favorite of these is the Content UX Slack group. It’s very well run and moderated (thank you Jess), and the discussions are so insightful. I learn a lot every time I binge-read conversations in there. 10/10.

The Facebook groups listed are also great if you’re not a Slack person. The Microcopy group has become one of my favorites. Even though it’s not specifically content strategy, it’s related to content strategy and the people are wonderful.

Content strategy conferences 2020

Another great way to learn is to attend content strategy related conferences. If you love networking and tend to get a lot of out things like this, it would be a great option. Update for 2020: these are now virtual! Attend from home.

SofaConf 2020 by Clearleft ($ 80 USD+)

Personally, I’m excited about this one and hope to see you there! SofaConf is a brand new, 5-day online design conference. Each day will have a different theme. The themes this year are: Product Strategy, Research, Service Design, Content Strategy, and Interaction Design.

Confab: The Content Strategy Conference ($695 USD+)

If you want a content strategy conference, this is it. This is the OG, the mothership, the place to be. The event draws in people from all over the world, and is hosted by Brain Traffic. Usually, this is hosted in Minneapolis, MN, but is now virtual for 2020.

Design & Content Conference ($ 600 USD+)

Expect a diverse lineup of speakers and topics. Usually based in Canada, you can now join this conference from home in 2020.

LavaCon Content Strategy Conference ($1,950 USD+)

LavaCon is a content-focused conference covering a wide variety of topics. According to their website, it was created for senior level content professionals. The location changes every year, but this year it’s set for 25–28 October 2020 in New Orleans, LA.

An Event Apart ($600 USD+)

This isn’t a content strategy conference, it’s a series of small UX conferences around the US throughout the year. But it always look fantastic. Single day passes start at $600, but a full weekend will run you about $1,500. See if it’s coming to a city near you.

Formal education: grad programs, certificates, and online courses

If academia is more your thing, there are some more formal ways to learn content strategy these days.

User Experience Design at Kent State University ($$$)

I’ve heard great things about this online masters program, and worked with one of their graduates for a while (she was brilliant). This isn’t content strategy specific, but it would be so valuable to content strategists. Plus, you’ll have a super legit degree at the end of it.

Masters Degree Programs in Human-Computer Interaction ($$$)

There are so many options for Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) masters programs. Again, not content strategy — but applicable to content strategy with the benefit of an advanced degree. I’d say it’s worth looking into if you’re interested in higher education and want to learn in-person.

UX Design Immersive | General Assembly ($13,950+)

This is an in-person, 10 week bootcamp offered by General Assembly in various cities. Although you will not learn any content strategy, you will learn a ton about user-centered design. You could definitely get a lot from this course, it looks nice on a resume, and you could supplement it with some content strategy self-study.

Content Strategy Certificate | Northwestern University ($10,320+)

Note, you need a graduate degree to even apply for this one. It also seems like it might be more content marketing focused, with some UX-focused web writing. However, a certification from Northwestern sounds pretty fancy.

Content Strategy Training | Neilsen Norman Group ($923+)

NNG are serious leaders in the field of UX overall. This is a one day training, offered in select cities around the world a few times throughout the year. This comes with a certificate, if you’re into that, and I would only expect the best from NNG. I’d personally like to do this one someday. For a single day with early bird pricing, you’ll be paying $923 plus travel accommodations.

Content Strategy and Marketing Course ($997)

This is actually a content marketing course. Not a content strategy course. However, I thought it was worth including for any readers who feel like content marketing might be a better fit for them.

UPDATE: As of March 2020, I am now a guest instructor inside this course, teaching a unit on UX Writing. They also have two other guest instructors doing mini-sessions on UX-related topics to make the course more well rounded — but it is still a marketing course.

How to Learn Content Strategy (UX)