One of the biggest marketing assets today is content.<\/p>\n
While this content is essential to promoting a brand and reaching a vast audience, it also needs to be strategic.<\/p>\n
Instead of just reacting to what competitors put out or topics you hear about in your industry, businesses need to create a content marketing<\/a> strategy to guide their efforts.<\/p>\n This guiding strategy includes the planning, creation, delivery, and overall governance of content <\/strong>that will not only be valuable to readers but can raise a brand’s visibility, result in more conversions, provide more leads, and increase revenues.<\/p>\n To accomplish all this, you’ll first want to consider bringing on board someone who specializes in devising such a valuable strategy. In other words, you need a content strategist.<\/p>\n Keep reading to learn more.<\/p>\n A study of the competition and what is already successful online can provide valuable information for the development of a content marketing strategy, so you can expect a strategist to conduct a thorough competitive analysis<\/a>.<\/p>\n A review and analysis of all content of the organization’s marketing efforts to date will take place early on.<\/p>\n This <\/strong>content audit<\/strong><\/a> analyzes your existing content<\/strong>, identifying what is working effectively, what needs revising, and what needs to be removed.<\/p>\n A gap analysis<\/a> is essential for locating what is missing among your existing content. It will answer questions such as:<\/p>\n Most people get tripped up here, honestly. It\u2019s easy to underestimate how much actually falls through the cracks\u2014either because nobody\u2019s formally checking or because everyone is too in love with what\u2019s already been published. In reality, stepping back and mapping your content against what customers actually need (instead of what you think they need) turns up more holes than you\u2019d guess. And it\u2019s kind of humbling. Sometimes you\u2019ll realize entire audience segments are being ignored, or that your most-read pages barely support what you want people to do next.<\/p>\n As a result of what is found, the strategist may create a <\/strong>content matrix<\/strong><\/a> as a framework to follow going forward.<\/strong><\/p>\n Consistent branding is essential, especially for your content across multiple channels.<\/p>\n A content strategist will establish content governance<\/a> guidelines for all staff to follow, with the ultimate goal of ensuring consistency of brand voice and tone across all content.<\/strong><\/p>\n These will most likely include:<\/p>\n SEO will be imperative to any content marketing strategy.<\/p>\n The strategist will establish SEO strategy<\/a> guidelines to optimize all online content, including keyword research, metadata creation, and even local SEO<\/a> measures if required.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth pausing a moment on SEO, since every organization swears they\u2019re \u201cdoing SEO\u201d until you really dig into the day-to-day. The difference comes down to rigor and follow-through. Having strategy guidelines looks nice on paper, but someone has to sweat the details\u2014updating old content, researching keyword shifts, tweaking meta tags, and generally living in Google Search Console more than feels healthy. Good strategists will track performance and test assumptions regularly, not just preach about rankings and then let the whole thing slide out of sight once it\u2019s set up.<\/p>\n A strategist may recommend content types valuable to your targeted audiences based on research and analysis of customer behavior and successful content trends.<\/p>\n The goal is to engage your online audience more, such as with the inclusion of blog posts, videos, infographics, and interactive content<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to the importance of your content is the placement of that content for maximum effect.<\/p>\n The content strategist will research marketing channels<\/a> and platforms and select those that will provide the most value for content delivery.<\/p>\n Even after a content marketing strategy is created and implemented, the job of the content strategist doesn’t end.<\/p>\n Post-strategy development tasks may include:<\/p>\n A well-planned and effective content strategy can make all the difference in how successful you are online in reaching more customers and driving conversion rates<\/a>.<\/p>\n It’s no wonder then that focusing on the development of that strategy is paramount for organizations today.<\/p>\n You want to get this right and maintain it to achieve the highest positive results.<\/strong><\/p>\n For this, a content strategist will be a valuable addition to your marketing team, not just in the creation stages, but as a continuous presence, ensuring you are doing everything you can to reach your targeted audiences and meet their needs over the long term.<\/p>\n A content strategist position is usually a more senior role in the organization or marketing department. They can be a full-time employee or an independent contractor, depending upon your organization’s needs.<\/p>\n While every organization is different, the content strategist will need to report to someone with authority.<\/p>\n The most common practice is to report to either a Director of Marketing or a VP of Marketing. <\/strong>In some situations, they may even report to the CEO of the company directly.<\/p>\n While the backgrounds of content strategists may differ, there are common skills and traits to be on the lookout for.<\/p>\n For example, a content strategist needs to be a high-level thinker,<\/strong> seeing the big picture and knowing how to compartmentalize for higher effectiveness.<\/p>\n They also need to be effective communicators at various levels, including with executive management and individual marketing teams.<\/p>\n In addition, a good content strategist will have the following.<\/p>\n While this is not considered an exhaustive list of the traits and skills of a good content strategist, it can give you an idea of what to expect and look for in your own search.<\/p>\n Luckily, you can find skilled content strategists on the WriterAccess<\/a> freelancing platform.<\/strong> With over 15,000 strictly vetted professionals, you can build the dream content marketing team with little effort. Try it for free!<\/a><\/p>\n For those considering a career as a content strategist, job opportunities will continue to rise as organizations more and more see the value in what such a role has to offer.<\/p>\n To become a content strategist, you may need any or all of the following<\/strong>, depending upon the organization you apply to.<\/p>\n In addition, observe what a content strategist does and compare your skills to identify what you can improve upon to better your chances.<\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to the success of your organization today, content plays an extremely important role. <\/p>\n To ensure this content is providing you with the highest possible benefits, you need a content management strategy devised specifically for your needs and that of your targeted audiences.<\/p>\n4. Get to Know the Competition<\/h3>\n
5. Conduct a Content Audit<\/h3>\n
6. Conduct a Gap Analysis<\/h3>\n
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7. Establish Brand Governance Measures<\/h3>\n
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8. Develop SEO Strategy Guidelines<\/h3>\n
9. Recommend Content Types<\/h3>\n
10. Select Marketing Channels and Platforms<\/h3>\n
11. Continue Post-Strategy Development Monitoring<\/h3>\n
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Why Would You Need a Content Strategist?<\/h2>\n
Who Should Your Content Strategist Report To?<\/h2>\n
What are the Skills and Traits of a Good Content Strategist?<\/h2>\n
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How Can One Become a Content Strategist?<\/h2>\n
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Wrap Up: A Content Strategist is a Valuable Asset to Your Organization<\/h2>\n