Content Strategy starter kit for beginners

Skyline view of Paris with Eiffel Tower in background.

You may have spotted that we’ve been writing rather a lot lately about content strategy. That’s because it’s a natural progression for web-savvy technical communicators, as well as a growth area for employment. So, although the information is accumulating quickly, we’ve compiled a Content Strategy Starter Kit to get you quickly up to speed.

What is Content Strategy?

Content strategy is a tough thing to define, even among leading exponents. It’s so new, it’s still morphing as a definition. But what it does is put content back on the agenda and tries to improve its performance throughout its lifecycle.

10 Players

The first gathering of around 20 ‘content strategists’ was held on 19 March 2009 ahead of the IA Summit in Memphis. In April 2010, around 200 people from 18 countries attended the first dedicated conference, Content Strategy Forum 2010, in Paris. Many of the original group attended but there is also a growing core of main players.

10 Books

We’ve linked to Amazon.co.uk for consistency but if you’re shopping from another Euro zone, well, you know what to do…

10 Blogs

Here are a few that we think are worth getting the RSS feeds for. For more, check out Content Strategy: A Reading Guide.

10 Social Media Hangouts

Need to talk about your content strategy issues?

  • Google Knol – an extended entry on content strategy
  • Facebook New York group – good community discussion
  • Meetups – find a local content strategy meetup
  • LinkedIn group – includes job postings and other information
  • Google group – discussion forum with 600+ members
  • Content Strategy Europe – Euro Google group with 80+ members
  • Twitter – recent content strategy links and tweets
  • Facebook community page – a new shared resource
  • Slideshare – content strategy slide presentations
  • Vimeo – content strategy video presentations

And a MindMap!

An amazing infographic by Richard Sheffield.

Still want more?

Then check out our 1001 Content Strategy links. Enjoy!

List compiled by CJ Walker, Firehead CEO, and Fiona Cullinan, Firehead blogger, June 2010.

CJ Walker

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