How a content strategist and an architect are kind of the same

Finding a content strategist is like finding the right architect -- it isn't always easy. The term "content strategy" is still a bit nebulous and even some copywriters themselves assume they are content strategists. While some copywriters can actually do both, content strategy is *not* copywriting. A content strategist actually plays a similar role to an architect building a house. Let's take a look at how and why this is.

Content strategy vs copywriting

A content strategy makes sure your content efforts align with your business goals and customer needs. Every single content effort should map back to those requirements, otherwise your content is not really fit for purpose.

Just like an architect who has to figure out how to build a house, a blueprint is needed to make sure the house is well thought through and doesn't fall apart. The copy is the furniture that goes inside each room. Would you hire an interior decorator to build a house? We think not. Content strategy is no different.

Before copy is written, a content strategist should create a blueprint that generally considers the following:

• who the target audience is
• what their individual pain points are
• what seo terms are aligned to your company goals and fit within the piece
• the device and channel where the content will live
• where the piece of content sits within the buyer journey
• what the value exchange is and how it helps the reader
• if the content should be gated or not

If "buyer journey" is too buzzword bingo-y, we get it. Basically what we're saying here is if your target audience is at the beginning phase of discovering your product or service, that content would be structured very differently from a piece of content that is trying to get someone to try or buy your product or service.

Trust us, we've seen firsthand what could happen if you grab a traditional copywriter and assign them content strategy. We call it "random acts of content". You could end up with loads of well-written editorial that doesn't resonate with your target audience and/or deviates from its original intent. It's like buying tons of beautiful furniture that only fits in the bathroom.