Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2011 about Content Strategy with slides

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Friday 11th March 2011

• Writing Workshop with @BettyDraper: Saying It Short

  by Helen Klein Ross

  In this age of attention deficit and time deprivation, brevity is critical to successful communication. Rules of writing succinctly are essential learning for storytellers of all persuasions: advertisers, marketers, PR practitioners and fictionistas. Learn from Shorty award winning voice of @BettyDraper how to create memorable communication in abbreviated space. Glean expertise from masters of the short form, both commercial and literary--including Hemingway, who wrote a story in a mere six words: "For sale: baby shoes. Never worn."

  LEVEL: Beginner

  • Content Strategy
  • Copywriting
  • Public Relations
  • Storytelling
  • Writing

  At 2:00pm to 3:00pm, Friday 11th March

  In Creekside, Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol

  Coverage slide deck

Monday 14th March 2011

• Creation, Curation, and the Ethics of Content Strategy

  by Margot Bloomstein

  From Monet to MTV, what practices connect the salons of Paris with Danger Mouse, NFL.com, and Facebook? More importantly, what's your place in that continuum? If you work with content, embrace your place in the ethical debate of creation and curation. It's nothing new—but it's time for user experience practitioners to acknowledge it.

  Why? Both companies' and consumers' expectations of user experience have matured, promoting content strategy in interactive teams, efficient projects, and satisfying user experiences. Content strategists shape communication goals, hierarchy, and taxonomy. Innocent choices? Or politics, discrimination, and the dark side of design?

  If you ignore these pitfalls of content strategy, what are the ethical implications? We'll discuss this through the lens of content correlation and "merchandising" on news sites, editing and mashing up to “create” anew, and curating in traditional settings like museums. From seemingly benign audits and style guidelines through published content packages, do curators create meaning? If so, how should content strategists confront similar choices?

  It's been a breakout year for content strategy. Come hear why now we need to confront its ethical relevance—and learn about the missteps of teams that don't—through the lens of case studies and the perspective of the new publishing landscape.

  LEVEL: Advanced

  • Content Strategy
  • Curation
  • Ethics

  At 11:00am to 12:00pm, Monday 14th March

  In Capitol View Terrace, Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol

  Coverage slide deck

• Avoiding the 11th Hour Sh*storm

  by Karen McGrane

  Too often, organizations fail to deliver content that meets user needs and serves their business goals. Even during website redesigns, the editorial process gets short shrift in favor of building new features and creating new designs. Thinking about the content is always left until the last minute, always thought to be “somebody else’s problem.” Ever wonder why so many websites feature dense, unreadable prose? Force you to navigate through pages of brochure copy and legalese? Look like they backed up a truck full of PDFs and dumped them in the content management system? No content strategy, that’s why. When done the wrong way, creating new content and managing the approval process takes longer and is more painful than anyone expects. But planning for useful, usable content is possible—and necessary. It’s time to do it right.

  • Content Strategy

  At 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Monday 14th March

  Coverage slide deck