What Does a Content Marketer Do?

The role of a content marketer is to create and edit content that will resonate with a specific target audience. If the content marketer is successful, the target audience will engage with the content, trust and familiarity will build, and ultimately it will result in new or increased sales and customers.

The responsibilities of a content marketer

Content marketing requires a range of different skills and knowledge. A content marketer must be a good researcher, storyteller, editor, and writer and be skilled in digital marketing, data analysis, and social media.

The first step for a content marketer is to identify the target audience and the tactics and content that will work best to connect with them. With the audience defined and the messages that will resonate identified, the content marketer now creates or updates the content, choosing the publication platform that works best for the target audience. Once the content has been delivered to the target audience, the content is then monitored to identify what works and what does not and is then adjusted accordingly.

Research

Research is an important part of what a content marketer does. Research is usually required to identify the specific target audience and the type of content that will resonate with them. Through research and data analysis, the target audience is defined, and the specific messages that will resonate are identified.

Research is also required to create the content, as creating effective content requires learning as much as possible about the topic. It is the job of the content marketer to then determine what the crucial information is that will resonate with the audience.

Communication

Content marketing requires communication skills. The content marketer needs to understand the audience and then determine the most effective way to communicate with them. With the right communication, the content will persuade the audience and avoid overtly selling to them. Knowing which platforms and types of content to use to communicate with the audience are also important aspects of content marketing.

Types of content

Content marketers create various types of content, including video. However, most content marketing will be in the form of blog articles, social media posts, or emails. The content created is usually educational but written in such a way as to be entertaining and compelling, with a call to action that leads to more sales or engagement.

Apart from creating content for internet publication, a content marketer may also produce content aimed at maintaining or increasing subscribers to a product or service. Content marketers may also create or market gated content, which is accessed by signing up or paying a fee for the product or service. In both these roles, the content marketer creates content that the audience finds valuable, with the goal of keeping the audience engaged, subscribing, or paying for the content.

When creating video content, the content marketer will work with platforms like YouTube to promote brand awareness and audience engagement, much like with written content. The content marketer may create video content, hire freelance content creators, or work with the in-house content creation team to produce video content. The content marketer will then often distribute the content across the relevant platforms.

Storytelling

Much the same as traditional marketing, storytelling is an important aspect of content marketing. It is the job of the content marketer to decide what story will connect with the audience and best highlight the product or service. Also, like a good story, the content should contain a good hook that draws the audience in and encourages them to keep reading.

The “story” should help the audience to get to know the company and product and, ultimately, build trust and a connection with the audience. Once trust is established and the audience is engaged, they will be more likely to buy from the company or purchase the product.

Social media management

Content marketing will also often involve creating and tracking content on social media platforms. The content marketer should know what platforms will best suit the content and reach the target audience. Knowledge of social media tactics that will lead to engagement, trust, and clicks, helps the content marketer to be successful.

Digital marketing

A content marketer understands digital marketing concepts and techniques, such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media best practices, email marketing, and digital advertising platforms. Knowledge of digital marketing allows the content marketer to reach the target audience and produce the most compelling content that will grow the relationship between the company and its customers.

Data analysis

Once the content is published, the content marketer will often monitor the content for what is resonating with the audience and how the audience is engaging with it. The content marketer will often use tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Page Insights to interpret the data and make adjustments to the overall content marketing strategy.

Data analysis is also a part of the initial research period, used to define the target audience and what techniques will work best to engage them.

Planning and strategy

Often a content marketer will create a publishing strategy or content calendar where the roll-out of content is staggered to have the most impact. A content calendar also ensures the audience does not miss any content and remains engaged with the company or product.

The wider marketing team is also able to easily keep track of what content will be released and when. With input from the wider marketing team, the overall content marketing strategy sets out the exact goals for each initiative and how the content will be used to achieve those goals.

The bottom line

Content marketing is increasingly important and beneficial for businesses as it allows them to build and maintain relationships and trust with customers, generate leads, and strengthen the business’s reputation.

Ultimately, a content marketer must understand the highly specific needs, wants, desires, and problems of their audience. They need to understand who the target audience is specifically and then communicate to them based on what they need.