It’s conference season (when isn’t it?) and as the leaves turn to brown and travel budgets get squeezed we all have to carefully consider where we’re going and what we hope to get out of the experience. It’s not all trays of banana bread and drink tickets, so what makes for a good conference experience? For me it’s a focus on emerging trends and creative problem solving shared with your peers.
I was lucky enough to sit on a panel titled Managing, Measuring and Evaluating Distributed Content: Video, Webinars, White Papers and More, where we discussed the challenges and opportunities that distributed content models offer. Joining me was my partner on the client side, Kelly Turner, who is the content strategy lead at AT&T and provided perspective on what a large organization faces when it comes to distributed content and maintaining a strategic vision.
Kelly and I recently discussed what we brought home from the Internet Marketing Conference in Vancouver.
Derek Phillips: So, what did you think of the IMC? Was it what you expected?
Kelly Turner: Let’s see, I expected a big conference room, people with name tags, aroma of coffee and cologne, weird haircuts, hipster glasses…and on that front I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Other than that I had absolutely no idea what to expect. But I will say that overall it was definitely one of the cooler things I’ve gotten to do in my professional career. And remember, in my life as a journalist I saw open heart surgeries and interviewed criminals, many of whom were not elected officials, so I know what I’m talking about.
Derek: Were there any “ah-ha!” moments? Did you learn anything?
Kelly: Other than wishing I had made it more clear to the baggage handler that I wanted me and my luggage to be on the same plane? Hmm, there were no real “a-ha” moments, they were more “yessss!!” Or maybe “Ha! See, I told you so!” Even though there was no one around to gloat in front of. You know me, I love me some validation.
Derek: What were those validating moments? Was it just the focus on content as an essential element of the experience or that everyone is struggling with the same issues? Misery loves company, after all…
Kelly: It was definitely the focus on content, because it’s usually an afterthought on so many websites. It was great to hear examples of how content drove design, not the other way around. The web already has enough nice-looking pages where the lorem ipsum was obviously replaced after the design was complete, or a list of video links that are more self-serving than user-focused. I thought Kathleen Maynard’s and Kelly Kubrick’s talk about moving their magazine from print to digital was a perfect example of how to do it right. Figure out how your subscribers are actually using your site, not how you think they should use it, then build a plan for your content.
Kelly: What about you? You’ve been doing the high-level strategic work for a while now, so it must be rare that you hear anything you haven’t heard before.
Derek: For me it’s interesting to finally see some recognition of the difference between content and copy. I sometimes feel like a broken record trying to explain that Content is an element of the User Experience that includes anything that conveys meaning and that Copy is an element of Content. The words are just one way we communicate. I also loved the conversation about how to manage remote contributors and the tools people are using to handle multiple layers of reviews and approvals. The topic of using blogging technology as straight publishing platforms is one I’ve been pushing for a long time. Blogging is just a type of publishing; use the tools as you like.
Derek: What was most valuable to you?
Kelly: Meeting other content strategy nerds like myself and hearing their stories. Plus you and I got some hang time in person, even though we talked so much we almost missed our flight. Oh, and seeing Vancouver, it’s just spectacularly beautiful. People kept apologizing for the weather. I’m like, “Are you kidding? I live in Florida, I’d rather be soaking wet from rain than sweat any day.”
Kelly: Did you know anyone there or were you meeting them all for the first time?
Derek: I didn’t know anyone personally at this conference, but there were a couple if people who I follow and chat with via Twitter. Rahel Bailie (@rahelab) and Lisa Peyton (@lisapeyton) in particular, so it was great to meet them in person and out a name to the tweets.
Derek: How did people react to your being from one of the biggest companies in the world? Did you get any interesting pitches or questions?
Kelly: Not really, everyone was on their best behavior. Seriously, no one seemed to be that impressed—and they shouldn’t have been impressed, we’re facing the same challenges with getting content strategy implemented as anyone else. They mostly asked me about the wireless coverage and the T-mobile merger, neither of which I have any knowledge of. It was very nice being blissfully ignorant about the right things for once. A couple of people did ask me how I got involved in content strategy for AT&T and I explained that I was chosen from a pack of candidates who had to compete in a steel cage match. Which is a complete lie because I could never win that sort of match, ever, and the truth is I was basically in the right place at the right time. Someone was looking for a content strategist at AT&T and somebody else said, “Hey, I know a guy.” Did I even answer your question?
Derek: Did you bring anything back that you’ll apply to your work as the Content Strategy lead at AT&T?
Kelly: I do have a better understanding of how to look at the bigger content picture instead of getting so caught up in the weeds. Not perfect yet by a long shot, but definitely better.
