Writing Skills
Content Marketing is, at its core, about creating a vast amount of valuable information for its target audience. While it can include videos and infographics, traditional writing skills are essential. Without them, a content marketing specialist will be missing a crucial part of their skill set.
Take a leaf out of Stephen King’s book – one of the world’s most powerful writers. Blogger Jon Morrow compiled a list of King’s inspiring quotes about writing in his book, “On Writing.” It’s a must-read for any professional writer. If you want to delve deeper, pick up one of King’s books on Amazon.
When reviewing applications, pay close attention to the candidate’s writing skills. It’s not just about grammar and syntax; it’s about how they express themselves. A well-written CV is a good indicator.
Examine how the candidate presents their CV. Does it align with the style and tone you want for your business’s content? Check their writing style to see if it matches the guidelines for your company’s content.
Another way to assess a candidate’s writing skills is to see if they can convey their ideas clearly and concisely while providing value. Long-winded explanations can bore your audience, so a skilled content marketer should know how to present information professionally.
Trend Awareness and Adaptability
A good content creator stays on top of the latest trends and tools in the industry. This allows them to perfectly optimize and promote content for your business.
Similarly, a content marketing specialist should be aware of the major trends that can benefit a business’s reach and popularity. For example, a well-timed article title that references a relevant, trending topic can drive significant traffic to your website. People will be discussing or searching for that topic on social media and Google, so it’s a great opportunity for your business if you have a content creator who can leverage that.
Creativity
Content marketing is all about creativity. Without it, your content creator won’t be able to set your business apart from the competition. Creativity makes your business stand out in the sea of online content. Without it, your content won’t be able to attract and retain visitors to your website, social media, or blog. They’ll go to your competitors instead. So, what constitutes creativity in content marketing? Here are a few ways:
- Use provocative and intriguing headlines to increase CTR.
- Create your own infographics and images.
- Incorporate videos into your content marketing strategy.
When evaluating a candidate’s creativity, ask them to share examples of creative projects they’ve worked on. It doesn’t have to be directly related to your field. Use these examples to assess their potential and whether they deserve a chance to grow in your company.
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Marketing is an ever-evolving field. It changes daily. Content creators need to know how to stay updated and why it’s important. Committing to continuous learning, even after completing their formal education, is essential for their growth and the growth of your business. Learning equals progress, and this progress will give content creators the tools they need to work effectively over time.
If a content specialist chooses to confine themselves to outdated knowledge, it will hinder your business’s effectiveness. Like adapting to trends, content marketers must also adapt to modern practices and approaches over time. The skill of learning gives candidates an edge over those who remain stagnant.
No one explains the importance of learning better than Jiddu Krishnamurti: “There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.”
To assess a candidate’s commitment to learning, look for recent certificates, diplomas, or short courses they’ve completed. Two of the most important certifications for content marketing are Inbound Marketing and Content Marketing.
If they don’t have relevant certifications or aren’t pursuing them, it shows they’re not adequately prepared for the content marketing industry compared to those who do.
Positivity
For this section, meohay.vn would like to share a story about a woman who used social media trends to transform her negative outlook into a positive one. This is a true story.
A few years ago, Annaliese Henwood was a negative person. One day, she decided to turn her life around, and that’s when she started the 100 Days of Happiness challenge on Facebook.
The challenge involved sharing a positive image and message of gratitude every day for 100 days. It could also be a video series.
Annaliese Henwood committed to the challenge for 100 days without missing a single day, and it coincidentally ended on her 25th birthday. The biggest lesson she learned was that life becomes much easier when you actively look for the positive aspects each day. From this challenge, she decided never to let negative thoughts control her mindset and actions again.
Do you see the connection between a content creator’s positivity and your business? When reviewing applications, if you come across signs of pessimism, remember that it can seep into the content they create for your website. Your target audience wants to be inspired by your brand, so you need to find someone with a genuinely positive mindset to create the type of content your audience wants to read. A positive person will have the skills necessary to inspire, while a negative person could drag your business down.
Speed and Efficiency
If you want your business to keep up with the fast-paced world of content creation, you need a content specialist who can create and share content regularly and quickly without compromising quality. Speed goes hand in hand with skill #1, ensuring high-quality writing.
While it’s true that quality trumps quantity in content marketing, that doesn’t mean producing content at a faster rate will negatively impact your strategy. You need someone who can keep up with the pace without sacrificing the quality of the content.
Organizational Skills
A content creator should know how to organize their work so that others can understand and follow their process. Teamwork is crucial in marketing, especially when working with the sales team. You need a content creator who can collaborate effectively. The performance of your business depends on a well-organized team.
Content marketing involves organization in the following ways
- Building On-Offline Systems
- Utilizing Third-Party Tools
- Creating Content Calendars
- Developing Content Strategies
- Establishing Schedules for Blog and Social Media Content
Research Skills
A good content marketing specialist is always researching how to create high-quality content. When you want to include links to other parts of your blog or website, adding outbound links will improve your website’s authority and SEO. It benefits your readers and helps you build relationships with the sources you cite.
Research skills are essential for content creators who want to work for your company. For example, your employees can use these skills to spy on your competitors and figure out how your business can do better.
Communication Skills
Every piece of content a marketer creates represents the style and personality of your business. Communication can be through writing or speaking. A professional content creator will know what and how to communicate to convey your company’s message to your customers. If the candidate can write in a way that aligns with your brand, they may be a good fit. Written communication is arguably one of the most important skills on this list. The content they create can make or break a sale.
Another form of communication is verbal. It’s not just for creating content; content marketers also need verbal communication skills for external interactions. A content specialist should be able to explain what they’re doing and how they’re doing it for your business. They should also be able to justify their work by showing its effectiveness through ROI. In other words, verbal communication is just as important as written communication.
Patience and Perseverance
Although they might seem like two different skills, they go hand in hand. Content marketing doesn’t yield immediate results, especially when building from scratch. It’s a long-term inbound process. However, with patience, you’ll see the boost in your business that you’re looking for. If a content specialist can commit to the long game (with patience), they’re a good candidate for the role.
Perseverance is about working hard every day, despite the challenges. Content marketing is a tough job that requires a lot of effort. Your ideal candidate should know how to maintain their work energy. When they’re persistent, they’ll achieve more favorable results than those who don’t put in the same effort or give up too quickly.
Brand Building
If you have the opportunity to engage in content marketing activities to develop multiple brands, you’ll gain additional strategic skills. This work requires creative skills and can show employers your ability to expand beyond content creation. These skills also support the content strategy process.
Personal Brand Building
Use social media and online platforms to showcase your abilities. For example, use LinkedIn to publish industry-related articles or share useful information. This will help you connect with experts in your field and expand your network.
Content marketing is still a relatively new profession with many growth opportunities. Whether you’re a writer, a recent graduate, or looking for a career change, content marketing is a perfect choice for those who love creativity.
