Good Content Strategist vs. Bad Content Strategist
Good content strategists think in systems. Bad content strategists think in assets.
Good content strategists spend 20 minutes daily consuming what their ICP consumes. Bad content strategists assume they know what their audience wants based on industry reports.
Good content strategists ask "Should we be doing this at all?" before "How can we execute this better?" Bad content strategists execute whatever the previous content leader established as best practice.
Good content strategists use the 70-20-10 framework to balance proven approaches with innovation. Bad content strategists either stick to what's safe or chase every new trend with equal investment.
Good content strategists identify Human Touch Advantages where competitors won't invest human effort. Bad content strategists try to out-scale competitors using the same AI tools everyone else has.
Good content strategists treat their role as creative director, guiding AI toward strategic outcomes. Bad content strategists either fear AI will replace them or use it to create more of what they were already making.
Good content strategists get explicit upfront agreement on content's role and success metrics. Bad content strategists start creating and hope leadership will understand the value later.
Good content strategists know exactly why they are or aren't pursuing each channel and can defend those decisions with first-party data. Bad content strategists panic when leadership asks "Why aren't we on [platform my kid uses]?"
Good content strategists focus on business impact metrics that connect to revenue. Bad content strategists get distracted by vanity metrics that don't drive business results.
Good content strategists narrow their focus until they can be genuinely best-in-class at something specific. Bad content strategists try to compete everywhere and end up distinctive nowhere.
Good content strategists build content that multiplies impact through relationship mapping and ecosystem thinking. Bad content strategists create individual pieces that require constant manual optimization.
Good content strategists measure success through tiered systems: weekly tactical metrics, monthly strategic progress, quarterly business impact. Bad content strategists either track everything or track nothing meaningful.
Good content strategists elevate their teams by connecting different expertise areas into cohesive strategies. Bad content strategists try to be the hero who does everything themselves.
Good content strategists understand that scale is now table stakes and focus on where human expertise creates unbridgeable advantages. Bad content strategists compete on volume instead of value.
Good content strategists read their copy aloud to ensure it sounds conversational. Bad content strategists write like academic papers and wonder why engagement is low.
Good content strategists apply first principles thinking to break down problems to fundamental truths. Bad content strategists follow industry playbooks without questioning whether they fit their specific context.
Good content strategists build audiences through three inflection points: community validation, 1,000 true fans, and news-worthy moments. Bad content strategists post content and pray for organic reach.
Good content strategists design frameworks where each piece of content strengthens the whole system. Bad content strategists create content calendars that treat each piece in isolation.
Good content strategists know their industry context—whether they're in media (where content is the product) or tech (where content supports the product). Bad content strategists use the same approach regardless of business model.
Good content strategists prepare for predictable doubts with data-driven responses. Bad content strategists get defensive when leadership questions their work.
Good content strategists understand that taste is the new talent and develop their ability to articulate creative vision. Bad content strategists focus only on execution skills.
Good content strategists treat community members as co-creators who contribute to content development. Bad content strategists treat audiences as passive consumers.
Good content strategists know when to apply the Pizza Shop Principle—narrowing focus until they can own a specific niche. Bad content strategists try to create the best content on the internet for broad topics.
Good content strategists architect self-improving systems that learn from performance data. Bad content strategists repeat the same approaches regardless of results.
Good content strategists connect content consumption patterns to customer lifetime value and business outcomes. Bad content strategists can't explain how their work drives revenue.
Good content strategists are more LeBron than MJ—they elevate teammates and create systems that outlast individual contributors. Bad content strategists hoard credit and create dependency on their personal involvement.
Good content strategists understand that customers are intelligent and don't try to manipulate them into engagement. Bad content strategists use clickbait tactics that erode trust.
Good content strategists prepare for the reality that they'll constantly need to prove their worth, especially in tech companies. Bad content strategists expect their value to be immediately obvious to everyone.
Good content strategists view AI as a dance partner that amplifies strategic thinking. Bad content strategists either ignore AI completely or expect it to replace strategic judgment.
Good content strategists know that content strategy means architecting systems that make great content inevitable. Bad content strategists manage editorial calendars and hope for the best.
This framework reflects lessons learned from building content strategies across media and technology companies. Which characteristics resonate most with your experience? Connect with me on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.
