Are you contemplating a shift in your career path? Have you ever considered venturing into the dynamic field of content marketing? Many people may wonder what is a content marketer exactly?
At its core, a content marketer is a strategist, storyteller, and curator rolled into one. They are the architects behind captivating blog posts, informative articles, engaging social media updates, and compelling videos that populate the digital realm.
Keep reading, here is everything you need to know about content marketers.
What Is Content Marketing?
Content marketing involves the strategic attraction of a relevant audience to a website or blog. This is achieved through the delivery of valuable, actionable information or insights.
Encouraging prospective clients to interact with your content—whether it's by signing up for mailing lists or downloading guides—moves them closer to a potential sale.
The fundamental aim of content marketing is to cultivate a robust relationship with your target audience. Instead of solely promoting your products or services, your content should address their needs and interests.
Related Reading: How Content Marketing Drives Sales?
What is a Content Marketer?
A content marketer's role extends far beyond sporadically publishing a blog post with an attention-grabbing title. It encompasses the entirety of content marketing, primarily focusing on the creation and execution of an editorial calendar.
This calendar may encompass an array of content formats, including case studies, research articles, tweets, blogs, videos, white papers, checklists, infographics, emails, letters, webinars, presentations, web copy, and various other forms of creative communication.
Furthermore, content marketers are tasked with disseminating content across diverse channels and platforms, such as organic search, email, Twitter, YouTube, SlideShare, StumbleUpon, Facebook, industry publications, and more.
Additionally, content marketers must tailor their content to suit different audiences at various stages of their journey toward making a purchase. Collaboration with both organic and paid advertising teams is crucial to ensuring that their content reaches the right audience.
Content marketers are the architects behind the multifaceted content strategies that drive engagement, build relationships, and ultimately, propel conversions.
Their expertise lies in crafting compelling narratives, understanding audience behavior, and leveraging various channels to deliver content that resonates with their target audience.
What Skills and Traits Must a Content Marketer Have?
Below are some important skills that a content marketer should have.
1. Content Creation and Refinement
Proficiency in writing and editing is fundamental for content marketers to produce outstanding content that resonates with the audience.
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2. Research Aptitude
Thorough research is integral to content development. However, it's imperative to rely on credible sources and incorporate factual data to ensure the quality of the content.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Expertise
Mastering SEO techniques is crucial for content marketers to optimize their content for search engines. This optimization attracts relevant and high-intent audiences, known as organic traffic, which is highly coveted due to its cost-effectiveness and superior conversion rates.
4. Strategic Planning and Organization
Given the time-intensive nature of content creation, strong planning and organizational skills are essential for content marketers. Developing meticulous content calendars involves careful consideration and accounting for various dependencies to ensure consistent delivery.
5. Content Analysis Proficiency
Content marketers must possess the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of their content to enhance its impact. Utilizing tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console enables them to collect and analyze data, facilitating informed decisions for optimizing content output.
What Does a Content Marketer Do?
A content marketer is primarily tasked with strategizing, crafting, and disseminating content to engage and convert potential leads into customers. Let's explore four common roles within content marketing:
1. Content Marketing Manager
As the key figure within a content marketing team, the Content Marketing Manager holds the reins of responsibility. This role involves overseeing the content calendar, establishing deadlines, and managing the entire content creation process from inception to publication.
2. Content Strategist
True to its name, the Content Strategist is entrusted with formulating and executing the overarching content strategy. They conceptualize and align content topics with target personas, ensure content creation covers all stages of the sales funnel, and stay abreast of the latest trends in content marketing.
Depending on organizational size, this role might also encompass content writing and editing duties.
3. Content Writer
Also referred to as a Content Creator or Copywriter, the Content Writer concentrates primarily on content generation. They conduct research, craft compelling content, and prioritize adherence to best SEO practices during the writing process.
The specialization of this role often depends on the scale of the business. In larger enterprises, Content Writers might focus on specific content types like email copy, whereas in smaller organizations, they might handle all written content, including website copy, emails, social media posts, blogs, and more.
4. Editor
Editors play a critical role in the realm of content marketing. Their responsibilities extend beyond ensuring adherence to brand guidelines and rectifying grammatical or spelling errors.
Editors also strive to enhance content engagement and impact by identifying opportunities for improvement and refinement.
How Much Do Content Marketers Earn?
The salaries of online content marketers vary based on their experience level and the size of the companies they serve.
Based on our findings, senior content marketers in the United States can earn an average of $109,000 annually.
For non-management roles, the average salary typically hovers around $62,000 per year.
According to data from the careers platform Glassdoor, the average annual content marketing salary in the United Kingdom stands at slightly over £35,000.
As professionals progress in their careers, their earnings potential tends to increase significantly.
For instance, in London, the average salary for a Content Director falls just shy of £86,000 annually.
Final Words on What is a Content Marketer
Content marketing presents an enriching career path for individuals who thrive on blending creativity with strategic and analytical thinking.
Those with a passion for storytelling and effective communication can excel in this field, which offers ample opportunities for professional diversification and growth.
It's important to recognize that content marketing revolves around cultivating robust connections with your target audience and employing various disciplines and tactics to achieve this goal.
As content marketers accumulate experience over time, they can progress to earning six-figure salaries, a testament to the industry's potential for financial reward despite its renowned flexibility in working arrangements.
Read More: What is an SEO Specialist?
