Want a successful content marketing plan?
Then you need a top-notch content strategist.
Since that’s my day-to-day role, I know a little bit about what it takes to be a content strategist.
Let’s dive in.
Two absolute must-have characteristics for any content strategist
There are two must-have qualities of any good candidate for content strategy.
First, they must have a track record.
And second, they must be accountable.
What do those mean? I think one of the best ways to think about this is the way investor Ray Dalio explains in his book Principles.
He explains that if you’re going to hire someone, you need to make sure that they’ve done the thing you want at least three times and can explain the “why” behind the “what.”
Why three?
Because once is a fluke. Twice might just be luck. But by the time you’ve done something three times, there’s a 99% chance that person knows what they’re doing.
Look for someone who has a proven track record.
(Hint: Our team has multiple case studies that demonstrate we know exactly what we’re talking about. You can check them out.)
The second piece is a person who is accountable. What does that mean? Essentially, you’re looking for someone on your side who isn’t afraid to put all their ideas out in the open.
That doesn’t mean they’re sharing your best stuff with competitors, not at all. But what it does mean is that they’re willing to stake their career and success on their work.
In a job, it means that you need to hire someone who can explain in depth what their strategy is and why they’re doing it at any given moment.
They need to be accountable.
Let’s take an example from my content strategy agency. If you look at other agencies, a huge number of them talk about ROI. That’s their focus, they say, and you can rely on them to generate sales with their content.
That’s fine, but when you look at their actual work—including their case studies—they talk about anything other than ROI. They’ll mention links, traffic, conversion, and maybe even leads. But that little part where they prove their work is worth its salt? Well yeah, that part doesn’t happen to make it.
What does that mean? It means they’re not accountable. Plain and simple.
We’ve decided to set ourselves apart with our Reactor Core project, where we stake our success on our strategy, posting our expenses and actual revenue each month.
We’re putting our money where our mouth is. We’re betting our reputation on our success.
If you’re looking for a content strategist that’s worth the big bucks, look for someone willing to do this.
What does a content strategist do?
While “blogging” might seem really simple, it’s actually a number of jobs with a lot of work involved in each one.
At the top of it all is a strategist.
You can think of a content strategist as the architect. When an architect designs a house, she’s not out on the building site laying bricks. She’s not even managing the workers.
In fact, for most of the construction of the house, the architect isn’t anywhere to be seen.
That’s because her planning ensures the house is built according to her designs, and aside from checking up every once and a while, she doesn’t need to be on site.
It’s the same with a content strategist.
Most of his or her time will be spent planning the overarching message of the brand, building various campaigns, and doing the keyword research and planning to make those happen.
Don’t expect a content strategist to write articles, edit content, prepare images, or do promotion. Their job, like an architect, is the overall strategy, not the details.
How much does a content strategist make?
The industry averages for a content strategist starts at $73,000.
That’s of course variable across different locations and industries. Someone fresh out of college working at a company in Topeka, Kansas is going to cost measurably less than a 15-year veteran at a high-tech startup in San Francisco.
But talking about salary really defeats the point. Just like hiring a “cheap architect” doesn’t make sense.
If I were on a budget, I’d rather hire a great content strategist for less time, rather than get a cheap strategist for longer.
It’s pretty simple, really—you get what you pay for.
If I wanted to become a much better writer, I’d get better results hiring Stephen King to work with me an hour a month than spend every morning with someone who self-published a novel back in 2003.
This brings us to our next question. What’s the best way to hire a content strategist?
In-house, freelancer, or agency?
Let’s compare the three best ways to hire a content strategist.
The first option is someone in-house. This is a full-time employee who will be exclusively managing your strategy.
The advatnages are that this person is soely focused on your business. That’s a huge advantage! That means any time you want them, they’re around.
The downside is in experience. Chances are, they’ve done the same thing at another business for a while before coming onboard with your team.
There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can lead to a bit of miopic focus.
The same can happen with a freelancer, though frequently a freelancer is even less experienced.
An agency combines experience iwth a broader perspective.
Wrapping it up
If you’re looking to hire a content strategist, you have a few options.
The key is to choose someone with experience, perspective, and accountability. That’s the only way to guarantee a truly masterful architect for one of your business’s most important assets—your content marketing.
