Interview
Colleen Jones
Content Science Review, United States
Colleen Jones is the brains behind the Content Science Review digital magazine and brings thinking geniuses together!
1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your background.
I'm the founder and president of Content Science, formerly head of content at Mailchimp. I’ve advised or trained hundreds of the world's leading organizations to become Jedi Masters of digital content, including many of the Fortune 50, largest U.S. web properties, largest nonprofits, and most trusted U.S. government agencies. I also wrote the highly rated book The Content Advantage, now in its second edition. As an entrepreneur, I have grown Content Science into an end-to-end content firm that closes the content gap in digital transformation. I have been named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Content Marketing on lists such as TopRank and BuzzSumo, a Content Change Agent by Society of Technical Communication's Intercom Magazine, and one of the Top 50 Most Influential Content Strategists by multiple organizations. I am an instructor for several LinkedIn Learning courses about content marketing. I also am a member of Mensa, an active supporter of women in technology, and a crusader against disinformation. I speak at conferences and corporate events around the world, from San Francisco to Sydney.
2 Tell us more about your agency/company.
Content Science is an end-to-end content company that works with the world's top organizations to innovate their content approach and make their content effective at scale for both customer experience and employee experience. Our unique content solutions include CS Forge, CS Lab, and CS Brain, to meet our clients’ growing needs for smart strategy, efficient experimentation, and creative production of effective content. We also offer one-of-a-kind products such as ContentWRX (a patented content intelligence tool) and Content Science Academy, which continue to empower top organizations ranging from ServiceNow to The Home Depot to American Cancer Society. In addition, we publish an online magazine, Content Science Review.
3 Congratulations! As the winner of the NYX Marcom Awards, what does it mean for you and your team to receive this distinction?
The Content Science team tries to walk our talk about content. We are honored to see the hard work and progressive spirit that went into evolving our online presence recognized. These are great examples of making content make a difference. The Content Science team has worked hard this year, and it shows.
4 How has winning an international award help to promote your agency and works?
We’re a global firm, and winning an international award helps businesses around the world appreciate our wide reach.
5 What are the challenges of your winning entry(s)?
We had to shelve our plans for growth in 2019 and most of 2020. It was quite frustrating, but we used this time wisely to package our offerings as solutions and mature our brand. The way we handled the challenge played an important part in our success in 2021.
6 What are the current trends in the marketing communications industry that you are most excited about?
As you might guess by our company name (Content Science), we’re most excited about the demand for effective content. When business is digital, content is critical. But most companies fall far short of the potential to make their content make a difference to their customers–and their bottom line.
7 What resources would you recommend to someone who is searching to improve their marketing communications ideas and concepts?
Content Science Review Content Marketing Institute The Content Advantage
8 Where do you see the evolution of the marketing industry in the next 5-10 years?
I see functions like marketing, product, customer success / support, and more having to work together more effectively under the umbrella of customer experience. Marketing will need to get more collaborative, more technical, more data-informed and, at the same time, more creative. And content will be the substance of most marketing efforts. The evolution will be anything but boring.
