What Does A Content Marketing Specialist Do?

The demand for content marketing specialists is on the rise, mainly because content marketing has proved to be a powerful market strategy for businesses. And they have seen significant, highly measurable benefits from implementing it. Content marketing also made a great impact on the marketing industry, to the point where 25% of businesses’ marketing budgets are allocated to content marketing.

But have you ever wondered what does a content marketing specialist do? They are often regarded as mere writers, who just put out a blog post and are good to go. Although it’s part of their job, a content marketing specialist definitely does more than that. In the booming world of digital marketing style=”font-weight: 400;”> today, let’s take a look at what you need to know about a content marketing specialist and the work they do behind the words you see on a screen.

What is a Content Marketing Specialist?

A content marketing specialist, also referred to as content specialist or content marketer, is someone who is responsible for creating engaging content, researching trends, and developing content strategies. In most cases, a content marketer style=”font-weight: 400;”> is also often involved in marketing campaigns and works closely with  SEO professionals. 

Basically, content specialists are experts who create high quality content to help businesses reach their marketing targets.

What it Takes to be a Content Marketing Specialist

Businesses also employ content marketing teams or a number of individual content writers for  the job. However, it is essential that every content marketing specialist possess certain skills since they work across a variety of fields. In case you are wondering what it takes to become a content marketing specialist, here is a brief overview of the skills that they usually possess.

Writing Skills

When it comes to writing content for businesses, the role of a content marketing specialist goes much deeper than just writing a blog post. Since content can make or break the connection between a brand and its consumers, it goes without saying that content specialists should have excellent writing skills. They need to create content that will grab the readers’ attention and hold their interest, all while having a proper grammar and structure of a sentence. 

It is also important to develop content that can encourage the target audiences to take action. Hence, content specialists should also be proficient in copywriting if they are to write content that sells a product or service. 

Research Skills

Research skills refer to one’s ability to find valuable information related to a particular topic. Since research is a key component of content marketing, this skill set is a must. Each content marketer conducts research at different stages of content creation and publication, from market research and keyword research to gathering important data for the content itself. Additionally, research skills enable every content marketing specialist to stay up to date about market trends and demands, which allows them to develop content accordingly.

Content Creation Skills

In addition to having good writing skills for content creation, content specialists need to be skilled in creating visual content. Visual content is primarily image-based content. There are a variety of types, including images, charts, infographics, and  online videos. Content specialists use these to create content that is attractive, which encourages its audience to share it on their social media. A basic understanding of any graphic design platform can be helpful, however, it totally depends on the requirements of the content or the business.

SEO Skills

As much as possible, a content marketing specialist needs to produce quality content that ranks higher in search engines. To do this, he or she must have SEO skills or at least, a general knowledge on how search engine optimization works. This skillset is needed for activities like keyword research, on-page optimization, and competitor analysis, all of which can significantly boost the ranking in search engines. Additionally, creating SEO content ensures that your write-up is seen by your target audiences.

Analytical Skills

Data analysis is vital for creating content that provides value to potential customers. It enables content specialists to offer readers quality content and write articles tailored for them. Similar to other marketing specialists, the content marketer needs to monitor certain key performance indicators (KPIs) using Google Analytics or other analytics tools. Tracking and analyzing the performance of each piece of content determines how successful or effective it is and whether it needs to be improved in any way.

Social Media Marketing

From time to time, a content marketing specialist must have to understand how social media marketing works as well, even if this isn’t a requirement. Content specialists contribute to the social media marketing campaigns of the business by creating quality content that boosts brand awareness and conversion rate. It could be as simple as a caption or as detailed as a blog post.

All these skills are only just a few of the essentials for a content marketing specialist. Several businesses may require college degrees for content specialists, but the requirement still varies by company because skills continue to be the determining factor. 

Skills listed above can even be acquired online, which is a great thing because this simply means that anyone who has a passion and dedication for content marketing can easily become a content marketer.

What does a Content Marketing Specialist do?

It’s time to dive deeper into what really happens behind the words you see on screen. In general, the activities vary based on company size and industry. There are, however, common responsibilities which we’ll cover in details below.

Develop Content Marketing Strategies

It is important to set aside time and focus on developing content marketing strategies to ensure successful content marketing efforts. By doing so, content specialists are able to assess current marketing status of the business, establish specific goals, identify potential consumers and even prepare for potential risks in the future. Establishing content strategies also enables them to determine what they need to create in advance and what specific type of content to use.

Research

Research is a vital component of content marketing. It adds validity to the content and as mentioned earlier, it ensures content specialists that the content they are writing only contains accurate information. Moreover, they also conduct market research to better identify the needs and interests of their target audiences. By doing so, they can develop content that is relevant and appealing to them.

Data Analysis

Content creation relies heavily on data, which is why it is necessary to thoroughly analyze it. It helps content specialists save time and resources since they are able to identify their target audiences and provide them with relevant content. In addition to this, good data analysis results in high-quality content for the reader, which in turn builds credibility for the business.

Content Writing

One way or another, writing content is one thing a content marketing specialist will need to do. After doing the necessary research and analyzing the data, they write about a particular topic, with further research in between. Content specialists usually write in a tone that is consistent with the brand or the preference of the employer so that it fits the brand’s image and the content represents it properly. To ensure quality, content specialists also proofreads, edits, and improves the content they write.

It is probably safe to say that these are the most common responsibilities to every content marketing specialist. Regardless of their industry, content specialists create engaging content that keeps target audiences interested while building brand awareness to improve conversion rates.