(Book Review) The Elements of Content Strategy, 1st Edition

Overview

Review Published: March, 2018.

From content strategist, author, and web innovation advocate Erin Kissane comes a comprehensive overview of the elements of content strategy.

From the orgins of content strategy, to its principles and implementation, this book serves as concise overview for both the history and process of this rapidly evolving field.

Rating:

4 / 5

(Promising Content, Presentation is Entertaining)

What does this score mean?

Difficulty:

Intermediate (Some knowledge of user research techniques is required).

Length:

91 pages.

Where to Buy It:

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What's Good

Comprehenisve overview of the field; moving from the general to the specific very well, the author has written a comprehesive overview of a subject that is sometimes difficult to precisely define.
Well-sourced; the author uses a variety of books, articles, and various resources to underline her overview of Content Strategy, and these are all conveniently listed at the end of the book if you want to learn more.
Very approachable; the book is written in everyday language, with no heavy use of jargon or "insider" terminology, and creates a compelling narrative (especially for a book on web design) that invites the reader to keep reading.

What Can Be Improved

Lack of specific in-context examples; while the book is well-sourced and provides a great overview, only a few in-context examples of content strategy deliverables are given when mentioned, and this could cause some confusion with beginners (you can check "Content Strategy for the Web" and "The Content Strategy Toolkit" to find out more about these deliverables).

The Bottom Line

A solid general introduction to Content Strategy; if you're simply curious about this subject, and want to learn more about it before taking a deeper dive, this is the book for you.
For curious beginners in UX Design & Information Architecture; this book is a good surface-level introduction to content strategy, why it's generally important, and how it generally works.
A good value for UX generalists & stakeholders; at around $14, this is a very accessible resource for those curious about how great content is produced (if you're looking for a more in-depth introduction for a few dollars more, check out "Content Strategy for the Web").