Don’t Hire a Content Strategist, Yet.
By: Chris Hall
Tags: Content Marketing, Management And Leadership, Digital Transformation, Content Strategy, Digital Marketing

For many companies it is no longer a question of whether to invest in original, owned content but how to invest, who to hire and how to think about content within your existing org structure.

Why? Habits are changing and technology is making it hard to depend on paid spends to continue to deliver leads and brand loyalty. Consumers are growing accustom to doing their own research, discovering their own answers and making their own decisions without the heavy influence of advertising.

If content is truly king and you know you need to start building a content practice, where do you start and how do you start? Well, the answer is both simple and complicated, as most answers are.

But before we get into who to hire, let’s start by dispelling a myth.

The Mythical Content Unicorn

If you’re not sure who to hire or what you want them to do then your first instinct may be to craft a position for a Content Unicorn. What’s a Content Unicorn? Someone who can do everything you MIGHT want including strategy, writing, marketing, analytics and SEO.

It would probably be great if they could also lead, manage, and influence your organization in a way that builds content as a strategic asset, right?

This approach is a horrible idea. Here’s why:

Content is a multi-faceted field. Very few can do it all and you would be wise to be wary of anyone who claims they can. Content Strategy and Content Marketing are complementary but very different in terms of the required knowledge, skills and abilities. Know which you are hiring for. Content creation is critical but without a strategy and vision it is unlikely to produce sustainable results. Without a compass it’s hard to know where you are going. Content is highly dependent on the systems that are used to manage, maintain and make it available. These systems can make or break even the best content.

If you do find a “unicorn” who can do it all including setting up the technical platforms necessary to manage your content then hire them and pay them a fortune so that the NEVER, EVER leave.

For the rest of us, follow these three steps to make sure you are hiring the right role.

Hiring Your First Content Role

Rather than trying to hire someone who can do it all, start by:

Understanding your internal ecosystem Defining your goals Defining the skills you need

Understanding Your Internal Ecosystem

The ecosystem within your organization will play a critical part in hiring the right role and the right person. In relation to content, the key parts of your ecosystem or spheres of influence to consider are design, development, copywriting, marketing and marketing strategy.

If you do find a “unicorn” who can do it all including setting up the technical platforms necessary to manage your content then hire them and pay them a fortune so that the NEVER, EVER leave.

Design & Development: While content can certainly add value on its own, it will add the most value when paired with healthy design and development teams. Without strong design and development disciplines, even great content is likely to be hampered and its impact limited.

Copywriting: Do you already have resources that work on content? If so, how will this new role work with this existing team? Do those individuals know about and support this new role?

If you have people already writing content then include them before you do anything else. First, they can help you understand what is needed and what’s not. Second, they can help you understand where and how to find the right candidate. Third, they can provide enthusiastic support for whomever you hire — but are less likely to do so if they aren’t involved and participating in the process.

Marketing/Marketing Strategy: If you have strong players in these roles and you have a strong strategy that may make hiring a content strategist a lower priority. Marketing strategy is NOT content strategy but if you have a strong strategy in place and obvious gaps in other roles then hiring for a Content Strategist may not be your most immediate need.

If you don’t have a strong marketing strategy function or if you do and content remains a gap then hiring a Content Strategist may be right for your org, if that position aligns with your goals.