Jamie Schmid is a content enthusiast. She has been building websites since the late 1990s. Over that time, she has honed processes that result in websites that give both internal and external users rich, intuitive content experiences. Jamie and I talked about: her evolution from illustrator to website developer how Karen McGrane inspired her at DrupalCon 2013 her subsequent growth as … [Read more...] about Jamie Schmid: Content Enthusiasm – Episode 28
Content Strategy Interviews Podcast
Content Strategy Interviews are edifying conversations with content strategists from a variety of disciplines: UX, technical communication, marketing, SEO, publishing, journalism, etc.
Subscribe at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, or SoundCloud. Watch video versions of the interviews at YouTube.
David Dylan Thomas: Cognitive Bias & Content Strategy – Episode 27
David Dylan Thomas studies human behavior to develop better content strategies. His cognitive-bias hacks help you tame counter-productive thought processes to create less biased content experiences. David and I talked about: his evolution from filmmaker to content strategist the introduction of content strategy as a discipline at Think Company how awareness and knowledge of cognitive … [Read more...] about David Dylan Thomas: Cognitive Bias & Content Strategy – Episode 27
Joe Welinske: Crafted Communication – Episode 26
Joe Welinske creates content strategies and other crafted communication as a UX practitioner, teacher, and event organizer. Joe is super-thoughtful about the role of content in helping people use technology. We had a great conversation about his journey from old-school technical communicator to leading-edge UX practitioner. We talked about: Joe's journey from industrial … [Read more...] about Joe Welinske: Crafted Communication – Episode 26
Jared Spool: UX Content Strategy – Episode 25
For nearly 40 years, Jared Spool has been helping publishers and software developers create better experiences for their users. Along the way, he has also helped companies apply UX design principles to the process of creating content for their customers. Jared is one of the best-known and most widely cited practitioners and educators in the UX field. We had a wide-ranging conversation on … [Read more...] about Jared Spool: UX Content Strategy – Episode 25
Jason Preston & Steve Broback: Event Content Strategy – Episode 24
Jason Preston & Steve Broback co-founded the Dent Conference, an annual gathering and a year-round community of innovators looking to make a dent in the universe. Jason and Steve launched the event with focus on content and programming. But they quickly realized that the event was really the centerpiece of an ongoing, year-round community they had created. We talked about: the … [Read more...] about Jason Preston & Steve Broback: Event Content Strategy – Episode 24
Gerry McGovern: Top Task Management – Episode 23
Gerry McGovern helps customers complete their most important tasks when they arrive at a website. His proven process routinely results in the removal of as much as 90% of the content on a website. This requires content managers to shift their mindset from a simple production model to an ongoing customer-centric "eternal beta." Gerry and I talked about: the shift in power away from … [Read more...] about Gerry McGovern: Top Task Management – Episode 23
Sarah Richards: Content Design Innovator – Episode 22
Sarah Richards created the field of content design as she revamped GOV.UK's web presence. From a messy amalgam of hundreds of government websites, she created a user-focused "storefront" where UK citizens could get their most common questions answered. Always focused on her users' needs, Sarah developed an approach and methodologies that can help anyone design, create, and manage better … [Read more...] about Sarah Richards: Content Design Innovator – Episode 22
Todd Bishop: Tech-Journalism Content Strategy – Episode 21
Todd Bishop and his colleagues at GeekWire have strategically blended business journalism with leading-edge media business practices to create a regional tech publication with worldwide readership. Todd is convinced that content marketers and other content strategists could benefit from bringing a journalistic approach to their content. With a research-based, journalistic approach "you're not … [Read more...] about Todd Bishop: Tech-Journalism Content Strategy – Episode 21
Laura Porto Stockwell: Digital Content Strategy – Episode 20
Laura Porto Stockwell has developed a strategy process that connects the dots between business goals, brand aspirations, market opportunities, and user needs. The intersection of those elements, she says, "Is where the magic happens." Laura applies her strategic approach to both top-level digital strategies and to content strategies for her clients as the CEO of Big Thinkers Society. We … [Read more...] about Laura Porto Stockwell: Digital Content Strategy – Episode 20
Anika Anand: Journalism Startup Content Strategy – Episode 19
Anika Anand loves engaging with her readers, not just giving them "fly-by content." She constantly asks, "What do we want people to do with what we're making?" Anika and her colleagues at The Evergrey and Whereby.us are pioneering a new kind of interactive journalism, always aiming to engage with their readers, and to encourage them to engage with their community. Their motto: "Live Like You … [Read more...] about Anika Anand: Journalism Startup Content Strategy – Episode 19
Andrew Himes: Microsoft’s First Web Content Strategist – Episode 18
He didn't use the term then, but Andrew Himes was one of the web's first content strategists. Years before Bill Gates' famous "Internet Tidal Wave" memo, Andrew and his co-founders at the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) were working on a proprietary hypertext document system, code-named Blackbird. Then along came the web. Andrew and his colleagues at MSDN were uniquely positioned to … [Read more...] about Andrew Himes: Microsoft’s First Web Content Strategist – Episode 18
David Fried: Digital Agency Branding & Content Strategy – Episode 17
David Fried integrates content strategy throughout his branding work at the digital agency EFM. Whether he's crafting a branding strategy from the ground up or executing a campaign for an existing brand, content is always a key element. David's Bio David Fried is a strategist and creative director at EFM Agency in San Diego with over a decade of experience developing platforms, names, verbal … [Read more...] about David Fried: Digital Agency Branding & Content Strategy – Episode 17
Russell Sparkman: Content Marketing Pioneer – Episode 016
Russell Sparkman has been doing content marketing for almost 20 years. We talked about purpose-driven content marketing, how not to commit "random acts of content," and the neuroscience of storytelling. Russell's Bio Since 2000, Russell Sparkman has been a practitioner and proponent of story-based, purpose-focused content marketing. Starting with the launch of One World Journeys as a branded … [Read more...] about Russell Sparkman: Content Marketing Pioneer – Episode 016
Morten Rand-Hendriksen: Content Strategy, Gutengerg, & Web Ethics – Episode 015
Morten Rand-Hendriksen is a broadly accomplished web designer and educator. He is very active in the WordPress open-source project and is known there for his strong opinions on topics like the Gutenberg project. I also learned in this interview that he was originally trained as a philosopher and is currently working on an ethical framework for web content creators. Morten and I talked about the … [Read more...] about Morten Rand-Hendriksen: Content Strategy, Gutengerg, & Web Ethics – Episode 015
Natasha Banta McDermott: 1990s Content Strategy – Episode 14
Natasha Banta McDermott began her content-strategy career in 1997 at Clement Mok's Studio Archetype. Mok, who had been the creative director at Apple in the 1980s, put content right alongside design in their clients' web projects, creating some really cool opportunities for Natasha and her content team. Natasha and I talked about content strategy, creative collaboration, and team building in a … [Read more...] about Natasha Banta McDermott: 1990s Content Strategy – Episode 14
Larry Swanson: Triskaidekaphobia – Episode 13
Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13. I'm beginning to understand this fear. I had first scheduled a guest for episode number 13 several weeks ago. The day before we were going to talk, he contacted me to report that he had been clobbered by that flu that is making the rounds. "No worries," I thought. "I'll just move my next interview up a week." That worked fine, on paper anyway. … [Read more...] about Larry Swanson: Triskaidekaphobia – Episode 13
Melanie Seibert: Mobile-App Content Strategy – Episode 12
Melanie Seibert is a senior content strategist on the UX team at WillowTree, a mobile-focused agency that creates apps, chatbots, websites, and other digital products for some of the world’s best-known companies. She also teaches content-strategy courses both online and in real life. Melanie and I talked about both her work at WillowTree and her work as a content-strategy educator. Melanie's … [Read more...] about Melanie Seibert: Mobile-App Content Strategy – Episode 12
Warren Etheredge: The Storyfinder – Episode 11
Warren Etheredge can help you find the stories you need to generate the content your customers crave. I talked with Warren about his Storyfinding method and about the art of conversation in general and interviewing in particular. Warren's Bio Warren Etheredge is a Storyfinder who can, as he puts it, "mine narrative gold anywhere, from anyone," a skill he has honed teaching for over 25 years … [Read more...] about Warren Etheredge: The Storyfinder – Episode 11
Peter Herford: Journalism Content Strategy – Episode 10
Journalism veteran Peter Herford talks about how little the management principles that underlie content strategy have changed since he began his career at CBS news in 1962. Peter's Bio Peter Herford describes himself as a recovering journalist. He spent 27 years at CBS News and has had faculty appointments at the University of Chicago and the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. … [Read more...] about Peter Herford: Journalism Content Strategy – Episode 10
Susan Walker: Content Usability with “30 Questions” – Episode 9
Susan Walker uses a "30 Questions" method to test the accessibility and usability of the content they create at the Rutgers University Camden campus. I first saw Susan talk about her "30 Questions" method at WordCamp US in Nashville in December 2017. We talked a bit about her talk there, but I still had more questions, so I invited her on the show. Susan's Bio Susan Walker is a web developer … [Read more...] about Susan Walker: Content Usability with “30 Questions” – Episode 9
Eric Enge: Content Research for SEO & Content Marketing – Episode 8
Content research studies reveal which content performs best, garnering social-media shares and earning in-bound links. Few experts know as much about measuring the effectiveness of content as Eric Enge. Eric and I talked about research that can inform your content strategy for SEO, content marketing, and social media. The show notes below include links to research studies, blog posts, and … [Read more...] about Eric Enge: Content Research for SEO & Content Marketing – Episode 8
Rand Fishkin: SEO Content Strategy (and Net Neutrality) – Episode 7
SEO's have always been tactical about how they use content, but they have become increasingly strategic and content-driven as digital marketing has evolved. Rand Fishkin talks about "the SEO as content strategist" and much more, including empathy and teamwork, "10X Content," voice search, and his thoughts on this week's FCC decision to roll back net neutrality. Rand's Bio Rand Fishkin goes by … [Read more...] about Rand Fishkin: SEO Content Strategy (and Net Neutrality) – Episode 7
Julia Copley: Inclusion Strategies for Agencies – Episode 6
Being more attentive to inclusion is helping Julie Copley and her colleagues at Pop improve their clients' websites. Julia Copley is a connections strategist at POP, a Seattle-based digital agency. She helps clients prepare for the future and incorporate emerging technology to their existing portfolios. Previous clients include Microsoft, Adobe, eBay, The Home Depot, and BMW's … [Read more...] about Julia Copley: Inclusion Strategies for Agencies – Episode 6
Sara Wachter-Boettcher: Structuring Content for People & Organizations – Episode 5
Sara Wachter-Boettcher talks about structuring content, and - more importantly - how to help people and organizations create and manage it. Sara Wachter-Boettcher runs Rare Union, a Philly-based content strategy and user experience consultancy. She is the author of Content Everywhere (2012, Rosenfeld Media) and the co-author, with Eric Meyer, of Design for Real Life (2016, A Book Apart). Her … [Read more...] about Sara Wachter-Boettcher: Structuring Content for People & Organizations – Episode 5
Duane Forrester: How Voice Search Is Revolutionizing Content Strategy – Episode 004
Duane Forrester talks about how voice search is revolutionizing content strategy and SEO. Duane Forrester is currently VP of Industry Insights at Yext. He previously served as the lead SEO for Microsoft’s MSN and then as the webmaster outreach lead for the Bing search engine. He has written on SEO and other marketing and technology subjects for Search Engine Land and other industry … [Read more...] about Duane Forrester: How Voice Search Is Revolutionizing Content Strategy – Episode 004
Adam Fout: “Content Sorcerer” & Content Marketer – Episode 003
Adam Fout is a "content sorcerer" with Blue Steele Solutions in Dallas, TX, where he develops content-marketing strategy and writes emails, blog posts, and other marketing content. Video Here's the video version of my interview with Adam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2UBRVcgwaA&t … [Read more...] about Adam Fout: “Content Sorcerer” & Content Marketer – Episode 003
Paula Land: Content Strategy in the Enterprise – Episode 002
Paula Land comes to content strategy via a career in publishing and a ten-year stint at Microsoft where she managed millions of pages on the MSDN website. She currently operates a content strategy consultancy and offers a website content inventory tool. Video Here's the video version of my interview with Paula: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e491BGt14A … [Read more...] about Paula Land: Content Strategy in the Enterprise – Episode 002
Hanson Hosein: Pioneering Digital Storyteller – Episode 001
Do we really need any more content? Hanson Hosein has some thoughts on this, and much more, in this premiere episode of the "Content Strategy Interviews" podcast. Hanson Hosein was a pioneering digital storyteller as an NBC war correspondent and as a freelance news producer. He is currently the Director of the Communication Leadership program at the University of Washington in … [Read more...] about Hanson Hosein: Pioneering Digital Storyteller – Episode 001