Comments on: Messages from the Content Strategy Forum

By: Larry Kunz

Larry Kunz — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:41:58 +0000

David, thanks for posting this article for those of us who weren’t fortunate enough to attend the Forum. It really is remarkable how much the content strategist’s priorities and the technical communicator’s priorities overlap.

Roger Hart raises a good point, wondering whether the wall between technical communicators and marketing professionals is beginning to break down. I think that it is breaking down, and I think that it has to. Our readers don’t draw any distinction between technical content and marketing content. Why in the world should we?

By: Roger Hart

Roger Hart — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:24:46 +0000

I can only agree with you, David. Although the “deliverables” (I can’t be the only technical communicator who loathes that word) differ for tech comms and content strategy, the skill sets are essentially the same. Optimising information for business and audience, and ensuring it stays optimal – this is the enterprise we’re all engaged in.

This is something of an off-the-cuff thought, but I wonder, then, if the ascendancy of content strategy is a sign that technical communicators and marketing professionals are becoming less afraid of each other and each other’s worlds?

By: Flacke

Flacke — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 19:56:32 +0000

IMHO, Content Strategy = Web designers/Content Providers are discovering the basics of technical communication (Writing for your users, writing clearly, performing usability testing, etc.). Possible next steps: eye-tracking and readability indices…
Marie-L. Flacke

By: Eddie VanArsdall

Eddie VanArsdall — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:28:40 +0000

Nice summary, David. I have just taken on the role of Managing Editor/Content Strategist for the US Veterans Administration’s eBenefits Web Portal. I was selected for the position because of my extensive technical writing background. I am now part of a large, collaborative User Experience team. Companies are obviously recognizing where we fit in to this relatively new role.

By: Rahel Anne Bailie

Rahel Anne Bailie — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:18:43 +0000

Good post. Reminds us that underneath all the differences, there are some common needs and methodologies.