"A-ha" moment: The difference between CS and CM

Image credit: dogsbybreed.com

To know what you know and what you do not know, that is knowledge. ~Confucius.

"OK, now I get it".

The confusion for me has arisen precisely because of things like CMI's admission: "we’ve been guilty of using the terms “content marketing strategy” and “content strategy” interchangeably at times (we have resolved to be more clear on this, moving forward)."

• The CMI's Chief Strategist explains the difference between CS and CM. He says: "...I usually turn to my stand-by metaphor: Content marketers draw on the wall with magic markers, while content strategists use fine pens."
• CMI's definition of CM is: “Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience — with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”
• Content strategy, on the other hand, delves deeper into (in Kristina Halvorson’s words) the “creation, publication, and governance of useful, usable content.” It seeks (in my words) to manage content as a strategic asset across the entirety of the organization. In fact, on his website, content strategist Scott Abel wonderfully states it as one of his company’s main missions: “Your content is your most valuable business asset. Let us show you how to manage it efficiently and effectively.”
• “Content strategy is to copywriting as information architecture is to design.” ~ Rachel Lovinger.
• Content Strategy: “…the planning aspects of managing content throughout its lifecycle, and includes aligning content to business goals, analysis, and modeling, and influences the development, production, presentation, evaluation, measurement, and sunsetting of content, including governance.” ~ Rahel Bailey.
• Content strategy is the creation, curation, delivery & management of online content designed to drive people through their purchase or decision making cycle about your business or organisation. ~ SteveSeager.com (case in point about the confusion!)
  
• Content marketing is the link between awareness and lead generation. ~ Eloqua.
• Content Strategy Humor (that makes a great point!) ~ Eloqua/Michiel Gaasterland.
• Strategy according to Merriam Webster:

1. "a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal, usually over a long period of time" 
2. "a variety of, or instance of, the use of strategy"

• CS is about [management, structure and governance] + [style and tone]
• CM is about demand generation through engagement

• CS focuses on the question "HOW"
• CM focuses on the question "WHY"

     The "E" framework filters Content. Are we "on message"?

     Image Credit: jollygoodcontent.com
Two ideas collide? Hopefully, we will discover how CS & CM work symbiotically.

I still think the message that's out there is ill-defined and there remains confusion. That's why I'm really looking forward to this course to clarify the subject.