Confessions of a Content Strategist: Sally Bagshaw

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Sally Bagshaw, a content strategist from Australia, is the Down Under version of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Her excitement about content is like riding a rocket ship to a new destination.  Sally’s view and predictions of content are always spot on, and she gives us a revealing glimpse into the future of content in this interview.

Sally comes from a communications background, but always had an affinity for the technical ‘bits’ of content. She says, “I’m a bit of a word nerd and quickly fell into the online space in 2001, and never looked back. I had an interest in the technical components of websites and content, so I was naturally drawn toward online copywriting, web redevelopment projects, CMS implementations and then finally became an IT project manager.”

During her stint as an IT project manager, Sally realized she needed to return to her creative roots. That’s when Sally started Snappy Sentences, her copywriting and content strategy consultancy. As she built the company, it was important for her to use content strategy as the lead, rather than “sloshing in content strategy as part of a writing project.” (Sally uses many charming words like ‘sloshing’).

While many of us are still grappling with the content spotlight, Sally is already thinking about what is coming around the bend. She comments on three major trends she says to look out for in content:

• Why ‘The Great Schism’ is still painful
• Connected Content
• Speak geek a bit better

Why ‘The Great Schism’ is still painful

When linguists try to track down the history of the term ‘The Great Schism’, they will find this blog post and have their ‘aha’ moment. Because, Sally and I coined this term during our Google Hangout chat. (Linguists, you’ll have to do more research to find out what a Google Hangout is.)

The Great Schism refers to what happened about 10 years ago in organizations the world over: Marketing said to IT, “We’re taking back the web, because even though it’s a technology platform, dammit, it’s a communications tool.” And, alas, like the Targaryens, we’re still fighting for who gets to sit on the Iron Throne.

Sally says, “It still amazes me that there’s a gap between traditional marketing communications professionals and web marketing professionals. Why is there such a strong line in the sand between off-line and online? There’s still an us and them mentality—content is content—there shouldn’t be a difference in what you produce for the web and what you produce for off the web.”

I have a sign in my kitchen that reminds my children (well the ones that can read, anyway), “If you want to be treated differently, act differently.” If content is going to move in the direction it needs to, then there absolutely must be a paradigm shift in the way businesses approach content. This brings us to Sally’s next prediction…

What is Connected Content?

Sally comments on the future of content, “To do really cool stuff with content we need to connect all the content across a business. We need to stop talking about the website with its web content as something separate to core business. It’s not. It’s how we communicate with our clients and customers; it’s how we meet our business goals. It should be treated as an important part of the engine, not an optional extra.” That signals that paradigm shift in thinking that all businesses must embrace if they want to keep up.

Sally predicts, “In the future, every touchpoint customers have with a business will be connected—from the website to the call centre, to the interactive kiosk in-store. The future is connected content—the seamless delivery of a content—regardless of whether you’re selling a product, a service, or a government agency who needs to deliver data.”

As content strategists, many of us are grappling with the BIG data challenge. Sally thinks the government initiatives of open data—encouraging different data sources to do new things— is an exciting one, and a smart way to use this information. She says, “We will be inspired by how different people and communities use our content. Great ideas will start bubbling to the surface.” We’ll be looking at products and services that are so intertwined with our daily life that uses content in all sorts of new ways. Which is why she challenges content strategists the world over (except for Rachel Lovinger, cause she kind of has this nailed), to speak geek better.

How do we speak geek a bit better?

With a chuckle, Sally reminds me of when we started talking about the Internet fridge and we were all like, ‘Wah?” But, indeed, when thought through more carefully, who wouldn’t want a computer to tell them what to make for dinner and what’s in their fridge? (Those kids, even the ones who can’t read, expect dinner every night.)

Sally says, “The idea that connecting all of our daily lives through content is an exciting one. We cannot be so afraid of technology and where it’s going to take us (rocket ride!). Therefore, as content strategists we need to learn to speak geek a little bit better to have those conversations that will enable content to connect with all those touchpoints and inform our daily lives in meaningful use patterns.” (Clearly, she already speaks geek.)

Sally adds in her optimistic tone, “We haven’t run out of ideas of how content can help us.”

Interested in being interviewed for Confessions of a Content Strategist?  You’ve got some hard acts to follow, but let us know!