The #1 form of marketing today is Content Marketing! Your Content Marketing Specialist plays a vital role in your business creating the right content that can build and nurture a community, establish your brand as a leader in your space and ultimately generate leads & sales.
This article breaks down the role and function a Content Marketing Specialist plays in your organization, the skills they need, salary ranges from a variety of markets and lastly, courses that you can take to become a Content Marketing Specialist.
What is a Content Marketing Specialist?
A content marketing specialist is responsible for creating, editing, optimizing, and strategizing the direction of a company’s content. They’re tasked with ensuring content—regardless of its form—is interesting, relevant, and discoverable. Content marketing specialists also strategize and contribute to the creation and distribution of content. They play a critical role in a company’s inbound marketing strategy, as content can be used in the awareness, consideration, and decision stages of a marketing campaign.
Duties of a Content Marketing Specialist
- Develop and implement a content marketing strategy
- Research industry trends and topics to create relevant and valuable content
- Write, edit and proofread various types of content, such as blog posts, articles, and social media posts
- Create and manage a content calendar
- Optimize content for search engines
- Promote content through various channels, such as social media and email marketing
- Analyze and report on the performance of the content
- Collaborate with other teams, such as design and product teams, to create cohesive campaigns
- Stay up-to-date with digital marketing trends and technologies
Soft Skills
- Strong writing and editing skills: A content marketing specialist should be able to write clear, engaging, and compelling content that appeals to their target audience.
- Communication skills: They should be able to effectively communicate with their team, clients, and other stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
- Analytical skills: They should be able to analyze data and metrics to measure the performance of their content and make data-driven decisions.
- Creativity: They should be able to come up with new and innovative ideas for content and campaigns.
- Strategic thinking: They should be able to think strategically and plan out long-term content marketing goals.
- Project management: They should be able to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
- Adaptability: They should be able to adapt to changes in the industry, new technologies, and new trends in content marketing.
- Strong social media skills: They should be familiar with social media platforms and be able to create and promote content on these platforms.
- Collaboration: They should be able to work well in a team and collaborate with other departments to create cohesive campaigns.
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, journalism or a related work experience
- 1-3 years of experience in content marketing, digital marketing, or a related field.
- Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
- Familiarity with content management systems (WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, Wix)
- Thorough understanding of analytics tools.
- Experience with search engine optimization (SEO) and social media management.
- Knowledge of and experience with marketing automation tools.
- Strong project management skills and ability to multitask.
- Strong analytical skills and ability to measure and report on the performance of content.
- Experience with design and video editing tools is a plus.
- A portfolio of relevant content.
Salary Ranges For Content Marketing Specialists
- United States – $33,530 – $120,460usd per year
- United Kingdom – $37,000 – $55,000usd per year
- China – $22,000 – $71,000 USD – per year
- Australia – $42,000 – $82,000usd per year
Certifications For Content Marketers
- Content Marketing – HubSpot (Free)
- Content Marketing – SEMRush Academy (Free)
- Content Marketing Foundations – Linkedin Learning (Free)
- Content Marketing Mastery – Digitalmarketer (Paid)
- Content Marketing Strategy – University of California (Free)
- Content Marketing – Clickminded (Paid)
Top Books To Read For Content Marketing
- Content INC – Joe Pulizzi
- Epic Content – Joe Pulizzi
- They Ask, You Answer – Marcus Sheridan
- 1 Page Marketing Plan – Allan Dib
- Marketing Made Simple – Donald Miller
- This Is Marketing – Seth Godin
- Dotcom Secrets – Russell Brunson
- Building a Story Brand – Donald Miller
Your Content Marketing Specialist is an integral part of your team and will help you create the right content for your business and ensure it is optimal for the platforms it is being distributed on. I hope this guide helps your organization get the right people for this role and if you are someone who is looking to become a Content Specialist, the resources should set you up for a successful career.