Content Strategy is the Same to Your Content as Marie Kondo is to Your Belongings

Just as I started to write my final thesis for my Content Strategy Master's Programme at FH Joanneum, a friend lent me the book "Magic Cleaning" by Marie Kondo. You might know her from her Netflix series "Tidying Up": 




I was instantly intrigued. Partly because I love tidying up and partly because I finally understood why I feel so drawn to content strategy: It's basically the same thing. Let me explain by going through the "KonMarie" method step-by-step and comparing each step to the related one of a content strategy process:

1. Assess What You Have AKA Do a Content Audit

Ms. Kondo tells her clients to first gather all clothes, or books, or kitchen gadgets in one place. This will give them a realistic picture of the amount of things they own. At the same time they can see in what condition each item is. That is what a content strategist does as well when conducting an audit: What does the organization have? Where is it? How old is it? The strategist wants to get a realistic view of the content she will deal with.

2. Take Out the Trash AKA Get Rid of Useless Content   

Tidying up with Marie Kondo is not about organizing the stuff you have but about organizing the stuff you want to keep. She encourages her clients to hold each of their items and to ask themselves whether they "spark joy". If not, they need to go. Not without being thanked for their service though. A content strategist could do the same: Before organizing the content audited, everything that is marked outdated or useless can be let go. It will not "spark joy" for any user.

3.  Store Your Things Neatly AKA Know Where Your Content is

After assessing what you have at home you can finally start organizing. Designate a "home" for every thing and keep it neat. Arrange your things in a way that it is easy for you to see and access them. A content strategy does this as well by modeling content and defining a governance plan. Ultimately a content strategist wants to make sure that content is always at the right place at the right time.

Maybe Marie Kondo should start a second career as a content strategist, what do you think? ;)