- Diagnose problems and help us make decisions (here I’m thinking of “content in action” artifacts like user research insights, wireframes, business process maps, and audits—content that clarifies where we’re at right now and shows us where we could go)
- Give teams the scaffolding they need to operate efficiently and scale (tech docs, internal/external knowledge bases, and L&D, this is your time to shine!)
- Connect with customers via storytelling and relationship-building(not just marketing collateral—I’m including content like UX strings, community management, and web production in this bucket)
Given how quickly the tools we have to create and manage content are changing, and the business environment in which that content is used, focusing on what content needs to do for you is making more sense to me than belaboring distinctions without much of a difference anymore. Is it technical content or marketing? Is it brand or is it compliance? As my husband likes to say when I start splitting hairs, por que no los dos? What matters most is whether or not your content is accomplishing what it needs to, for you to get wherever you’re trying to go as a company.
I’m reworking parts of our website to try to articulate this theory and make it easier for potential clients and talent to understand what we do at Steyer. You can see my work-in-progress live at https://steyer.net/our-services. We’re still iterating on the design, but I’d like to get your thoughts on the buckets/jobs theory even before everything’s all shiny and wrapped up with a bow.
Have I missed any core jobs for content in today’s commercial context? How would you have articulated what content does these days? And what do you think of the direction we’re going with the website? I’d love to hear from you, and I’m at kreilly@steyer.net if you’d like to weigh in.
Thanks,
Katelyn
Photo by Afif Ramdhasuma on Unsplash