Five Tips for a Career in Content Marketing

Ever since Benjamin Franklin issued his first Poor Richard’s Almanack back in 1732 to promote his printing business, content marketing has been widely used to build brand reputation and enhance brand awareness, as well as to connect with customers and communities, to great effect. Obviously, today most content marketing happens online, with all major companies and brands requiring a constant delivery of large amounts of high-quality content to meet the goals of their marketing strategies. Improving online PR helps to grow businesses. A closer analysis of the best press release distribution platforms will help you make the best decision.The numbers speak for themselves: a quick search on Jooble will show you that there are currently over 100 thousand vacancies for content marketing positions.

But what makes a content marketing specialist truly great? Which skills and abilities will ensure that you have a successful online marketing career? Based on what top employers are looking for, we have compiled this list of tips that will help you quickly progress and build a great resume:

1. Focus your creativity. This is certainly the most important skill for any marketing specialist, but even more so for a content marketing guru. Most internet users have the attention span of a five-year old and get bored quickly, to say the least. You will need to use all your creativity (and more) to make sure that your content stays fresh and relevant. From the very start, you need to understand which formats make your creativity really shine. This can be anything – articles, newsletters, case studies, how- to guides, blogs, podcasts, photos, charts, videos – you name it. Find your favourite medium and make most of it, by mastering the relevant software. This will make you truly valuable for employers.
2. Have a strong understanding of online platforms. You need to know and understand the way most online platforms work, including social media, news sites, e-mail marketing, e-commerce sites and many more. It will greatly help you to have a baseline understanding of the technical aspects as well. Most online platforms provide this information for free, all you need is a little time and patience to study.
3. Have a good grasp of online analytical tools, for tracking and reporting the performance of online content, as well as an understanding of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and PPC (Pay per Click). If you feel that your knowledge of online analytics is somewhat lacking, consider investing some time and money into a couple of online marketing courses, to get you ahead of the game.
4. Research your brands. Before applying for a content marketing job, make sure that you really know the brand that you will be representing and understand its image. Take some time to research the brand, its history and its market. You also need to be aware of competing brands and the latest news on the market, by keeping up to date with new products and developments. This will really make you stand out during the candidate selection process.
5. Only apply for brands that resonate with you. Most employers are looking for “highly self-motivated, enthusiastic, proactive and driven” candidates. The only way that you have a shot at becoming that employee, is by applying for companies and brands that you personally like and are excited to promote. Otherwise, you will not be happy with your job and your performance will be mediocre at best.

Keeping all this in mind, do try to model your abilities on the position that you are currently applying for, but do not stray too far from your core skillset. With the practically endless job opportunities available in content marketing, you are sure to find the perfect fit, given time and patience. Good luck!