A number of people have reached out to me in hopes of learning more about Content Strategists do. I’ve compiled this great list of questions with answers.

What personal qualities make a good Content Strategist?

Key attributes are being able to simultaneously think creatively and analytically. When dealing with clients you have to stick to your guns about what you believe is best and when working with colleagues, be flexible enough - but also push for what is best for the content and what will take the brand to a new level. It’s also good to have the ability to think like an editor, but also think like a systems person who can set up the flow of the content through the system.

I’m not the only person who has an opinion on this. In fact, Rachel Lovinger recently wrote on this very topic - and there’s a killer thread.

I’ve noticed a good amount of Content Strategists or IAs have degrees in library science. Is getting a Masters in Library Science, or at least taking a few classes, something you recommend to aspiring Content Strategists?

A degree in library science is not necessary – although it may be helpful to take classes in library science or new media studies. Content Strategists that come from library backgrounds bring with them a mindset that is centered on principles of responsible content management: accurate description of objects, standards, open access and education.

What few library schools teach are design principles (with the exception of burgeoning human computer interaction programs). This is the other aspect of what makes a good Content Strategist – to understand the methodologies for designing something that will be used by many people. Some of these principles stem from engineering and industrial design and include research, prototyping, testing and creative problem solving.

It’s not that you have to have these exact skills (otherwise you’d make a great ID!) – but it’s incredibly important to understand that you are building a content program that has to be researched, tested and creatively built within a set of constraints.

What is a typical day for you?

It depends on the phase of a project. During the discovery phase, I will be interviewing content stakeholders (managing editors, content managers, marketers) to gather business requirements and wishes for content. I’ll also participate in user research to gain insight on what types of content they want and how they need to access it. Parallel to these activities, I do an inventory and extensive audit to learn about the subject matter and topical scope of the content I’m working with. I’ll then analyze how well it’s working, identify gaps and make recommendations that will feed into a product vision.

In the design phase, I work extremely closely with Interaction and Visual Designers in order to build page templates and an overall experience that effectively balances quality content against sleek design. The bulks of my deliverables are produced during this phase and include: overall content strategy vision, editorial strategy, search engine optimization, taxonomy development, style guides & messaging strategies and content production or migration recommendations.

During development, I work closely with the technology team in producing metadata schemas, CMS customization and handle migration issues.

How do you network within the community?

It’s all about the CS NYC Group and Linked-In CS group. The community is growing and friendly - so just befriend and you will surely be pointed in the right direction!

What type of blogs, podcasts, and literature are you consuming in order to stay current?

I have a running list of Good Reads to reference (take a gander at the right rail!)….and sometimes Jakob Nielsen covers content issues to get perspective on writing for the web.

Print Resources (some of which remain influential from my days as an art history student):

Kristina Halvorson will be releasing Content Strategy for the Web very soon. It’s going to be the official CS primer.

Information Architecture for the Web by Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville

Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of New Digital Disorder by David Weinberger

MIT Press publishes stellar work around the more philosophical issues around digital information and implications on society.

Memory Practices in the Sciences by Geoffrey C. Bowker.

Ways of Seeing, John Berger

Suspensions of Perception: Attention, Spectacle and Modern Culture by Jonathan Crary

The Medium is the Message by Marshall McLuhan

Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord

Can I ask you another question?

Sure! Pop it in the comments and I’ll gladly answer.