ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OFA CONTENT STRATEGIST

Think you know what ittakes to be a successfulcontent strategist? Think again.

Whether you're looking to hire a content strategist foryour brand or you've got your eyes set on a contentstrategist position, there are a number of qualities youneed to keep in mind when defining this role.

Our content strategy team has taken inspiration fromexisting jobs to define the many characteristics andskills of a successful content strategist.

Here’s who to look for...

A detective who never lets anythingslip under their radar

Understands an editorial brief and when a piece ofcontent meets – or misses – it.Looks at every piece of content for accuracy,consistency, structure, flow, style and grammaticalperfection.Possesses exceptional attention to detail.

A raconteur with a skill for narrative

Knows and understands the audience and accordinglyadjusts the story for that audience.Touches or relates to the audience in some way.Engages said audience with compelling content, fromdrawing people in with good headlines and intros topresenting good pacing, structure and substance tofinishing with a payoff of key takeaways or CTAs.

A curator with the ability to pick outthe best from a vast sea of material

Serves as content custodian.Finds, gathers, presents andcontextualises digital contenton a given topic to an onlineaudience through social media,blog posts, feature articles, e-books and more (for more, seeour guide to content curation).

An investor who knows where to placethe budget for the best ROI

Creates a lead funnel for everyproject.Ensures every piece of contenthas a CTA.Knows what content will deliverthe most ROI as far as traffic,brand awareness and leads areconcerned.

An archer who is skilled at hittingbusiness targets

Understands the targets (bothbusiness and marketing goals).Recognises the crucial value of andimplements systems for forwardplanning.Meets deadlines with unwaveringprecision (and recruits a team offellow sharpshooters with their owntrack records for hitting thebullseye).

A data analyst with theability to give data a soul

Looks at key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics,such as site visits, shares, likes and conversions, andtranslates them into usable and valuable insights.Analyses these insights to determine what you’re doingright (and what you’re not) and uses these determinationsto drive decision making and change (for example,tweaks to your content calendar or even to your overallcontent strategy).

Likewise, examines what yourcompetitors are doing (again, bothright and wrong) and uncoverspotential opportunities there.

A firefighter who can put out any firethat may flare up during projects

Anticipates and identifies potentialpitfalls/problems and always has acontingency plan.Comes armed with solutions, notmore problems.Always puts the best interests ofthe community first – both theclients and the audience.

A diplomat who can keep bothclients and creatives happy

Negotiates and works closely with clients on contentareas (topic generation), social media approaches,obstacles and any unforeseen circumstances.Serves as an additional brand ambassador for the client,promoting the client and further strengthening therelationship between client and audience.Exercises skill in managing change, from seemingly smallcontent changes to big strategy shifts.Artfully manages client expectations and alleviates anyconcerns – and always with a smile!

A news presenter who can conveyinformation with knowledge andcredibility

Presents proposals, pitches andrecommendations with flair, instillingconfidence and inspiring action.Can read the mood of a boardroomand speak the client’s language.Communicates information in atimely and accurate manner,speaking directly to the audience.

A chef who works well under pressureand can manage a diverse team

Thrives in a dynamic and fast-pacedenvironment.Creates processes and proceduresto streamline projects.Can get the best out of their editorialteam to achieve results.

A marathon runner who can go the distance

Favours long-term strategy overshort-term campaigns.Looks for opportunities to refine astrategy and content approach.Has an always-on approach tocontent marketing.

PUT THEM ALLTOGETHER AND WHATDO YOU GET?

A savvy marketer.

An inspirational storyteller.

A valuable part of any organisation.

A content strategist.

This slideshare has been proudly presented by...

www.kingcontent.com.au @King_Content