So, What Does A Content Strategist Do? And Why The Silly Name?

 

In online marketing, your content drives the marketing process and leads to sales.

We know that content is king. Every website needs relevant and useful content. People have a problem they need to solve, and they search online for information and, ultimately, a solution to that problem.

That’s where your website content can outperform the competition. The difference between two similar products or services is the quality of the content supporting them.

In other words, it’s your content that makes visitors stay to learn more and become customers, or click away and look elsewhere.

But where do you get all that content? Who writes it? Should you use an existing in-house writer? Should you employ a specialist writer? Should you hire a freelance writer, or try to save money and use a content mill and a writer with English as a second language?

Well, that will all depend on how serious you are about your business.

You could hire a freelance writer for a low rate. A content writer who knows nothing about your business, and cares nothing about it. A content writer whose only interest is in banging out meaningless content with a few keywords thrown in, getting paid, and moving onto the next job. These content writers don’t understand how important your content is, and the role it plays in your business.

Or, you could hire a content strategist, either freelance or in-house.

But, you’re thinking, aren’t all content writers basically the same?

They surely are not. Once you understand the true worth of your website content, and how it influences your customers’ buying decisions, you’ll never even consider hiring a cheap, fly-by-night generalist again.

When it comes to content, you get what you pay for.

So, what is the difference between someone who just writes content, and a content strategist?

And isn’t the title Content Strategist a bit pretentious and vague?

When all is said and done, the term ‘content strategist’ is just a title to differentiate someone from the hordes of low quality writers that digital marketing attracts. And any content writer who takes their job seriously and knows what they’re doing will want to distance themselves from the pack. Hence the title.

Now, we’ve already established that a ‘content writer’ has no interest in you or your business. They will just write the content you request and move on to their next job. They don’t care how well the piece performs, and most wouldn’t know quality writing if it fell on them.

Your website will become a confusing jumble of irrelevant articles and mixed messages that help no one, and your visitors will quickly leave and find a website that will help them. And that website will likely be one of your competitors.

On the other hand, a content strategist, also known as a content marketing strategist or marketing communications writer, knows your business, knows what works and what doesn’t, and will advise and consult with you every step of the way.

They will not only write high quality content that engages and educates your readers, but they will take on an active role in your marketing success.

They care about your marketing campaign, they treat your business as if it were their own, and they do their best to help your business become its best, getting involved in the entire content lifecycle, from start to finish.

Your website is prime marketing real estate, so if you’re serious about your marketing efforts and the effectiveness of the content on your website, you need to get serious about using a content strategist.

One good content strategist will save you time, money and a lot of stress by giving your website:

• A consistent look and feel – your visitors won’t be turned off by confusing or unclear information. They’ll have a good experience on your site and easily find what they need.
• A consistent message – streamlined, purpose-written content that gets your message across to your target audience.
• Valuable content that helps your customers solve their problems and choose what’s best for them.

You’ll also build trust in your brand and gain a loyal following. A positive user experience will keep your customers coming back for more.

There are many other long-term benefits, and content strategy is no longer an optional extra, it’s the backbone of your digital marketing campaigns.

Remember, your business is our business and we want to help you succeed by making your marketing dollars and your content work hard for you. If we have to assign a pretentious title to ourselves to get your attention, please don’t hold it against us. We do it for you.

 

KEEP THE FAITH