There’s a reason why some of the brand content, articles and social posts, feel so personal and attractive to read. They have this “Wow, this really speaks to me” thing about them. That’s a subtle art of brand content writing that makes you feel connected to the content. Interested in learning how to ‘speak brand’ like that? Your first step is to know how to become a brand content writer, something we’ll learn in this article.
What Is The Role of A Brand Content Writer?
Imagine you are at a meeting and have to represent your company. How would you introduce them to your audience then? What would you talk about, how will you approach the topic? Would you be bold and energetic or composed and formal?
This is what the role of a brand content writer is. Unlike the general content writing professionals, their approach is customized and specific to the audience of that brand to meet any specific business objective.
To write for a brand, you have to become a part of the brand itself. You begin to think like the brand, speak like the brand and thoroughly understand what the brand stands for. This is what it means to “speak brand”. Your job and primary role as a brand content writer is to figure this out and use it to create content that speaks to your audience and makes them take an action – be it a purchase, a newsletter signup or something as trivial as a like on a social media post.
Why Become a Brand Content Writer?
For one valid reason: brand content writers are high in demand nowadays and the salaries are lucrative for professionals who know their stuff. Content marketing is the king now and seems like businesses now have recognized its value as around 43% of small businesses want to invest more to improve their online visibility in 2024.
Content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising and has created a plethora of opportunities for those writers who can really adapt and excel in brand content creation.
What’s more, a juicy annual wage of over $78,000 is also attractive enough for most content writers to focus on brand content writing and increase their chances of earning even further.
How to Become a Brand Content Writer – Requirements & Skills
· Be Able To Write a Variety of Brand Content
What caught your attention the last time you were scrolling through the social media? A catchy headline? Some attractive visuals? Or were they simple words that jumped off the page directly into your heart? Well, brands need that type of content for every platform they are on.
Here’s what a brand content writer may need to write and connect with their audiences:
1. Blogs
Blog content gives some insights and updates related to the brand’s field. Brands require blogs to educate their readers and engage them to do something meaningful.
2. Social Media Content
Every content you see on social media platforms is meant to catch your eye. Brands need it to create awareness and make their audience interact with it in any way, be it a comment, share or just a like.
3. Product Descriptions
The products or services a brand produces need to be sold. Product descriptions highlight their features and make them desirable to the audience.
4. Marketing Funnel Content
Brands look to create flawlessly engaging and attractive content for their marketing purposes and conversions like emails, landing pages, ads to increase sales and engagements.
To thoroughly understand how to become a brand content writer, the first thing to know is that each type of content is different and demands a separate tone and style.
For example, social media content is lighter, brief, highly engaging and more direct. Its aim is to increase engagement. However, for a blog, the content is comprehensive and the aim is to build trust and authority.
If a brand is not on Google’s first page, it might as well just not exist at all. SEO drives more than 50% of web traffic so it’s something a brand content writer can never ignore. They should know how to use keywords and optimize them naturally and smoothly so that the readers don’t even notice them.
Mind you, Google’s got much sharper than before so SEO is not just only about stuffing keywords anymore. It includes having a good content structure, attractive headings, SEO title, meta description and optimized images as well now.
· Adaptability: Be Flexible to Adapt to Brand’s Voice
Let’s imagine you have written something, a blog for instance, for a tech company today. The next day, you are writing for a family-run bakery. Then your one, style and even the language will have a dramatic shift in them all.
For the tech company, you might have used some technical terms and jargons to sound authoritative and formal so that you could sell a new software. For the bakery however, you’d have used a softer and warmer tone to make its audience crave its fresh buns and pastries.
This is how a brand content writer shifts around with flexibility like a chameleon to adapt to the brand’s voice and make the content do their bidding. It’s a huge skill that will set you apart if understood and implemented correctly.
How to Become a Brand Content Writer – 4 Steps to Follow
So you want to join the evergreen world of brand content writing? Great choice. If you push yourself to become good enough, you’ll have opportunities and creativity lying around you all the time. Let’s walk through the steps you’ll need to take to know how to become a brand content writer.
Step 1: Get the Required Education and Training
But is learning really necessary? Absolutely. There’s simply no way around it. Benjamin Franklin once said “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” And how right he was when we take into account Google algorithms that keep changing how content writing impacts a brand’s audience. So to keep up and polish your skills, you HAVE to acquire that knowledge.
Here’s how to get started:
a) Enroll In Targeted Courses, Certifications & Workshops
Look into digital marketing and SEO certification courses offered by Google or HubSpot. Yeah, we know general content writing courses are useful too but they’ll only teach you so much. You have to take part in up-to-date, industry-recognized courses that are verified and can improve your overall digital skillset and not just content writing.
And the good news? Most of them are often free or low-cost. Here are some of the free courses you can enroll in:
In addition to such courses, you can also join the workshops and webinars to get more immediate and practical learning experience.
There are various channels and digital marketing experts who often host such webinars to inform their audience about the latest trends and the tips and techniques.
For instance, Simplilearn’s YouTube channel is quite active and they regularly host such webinars and live teaching classes to make sure their students and followers stay updated.
b) Self-Study Resources & Learn From the Best
So the courses are good enough to learn the basics. But if you want to follow the latest updates and see what’s working and what’s not before they are incorporated in those courses, start following the industry leaders.
LinkedIn and Twitter are your best friends in this regard. Content marketing leaders like Neil Patel, Seth Godin and Ann Handley post their videos and analysis almost on daily basis and also offer invaluable insights through their blogs and books.
We’ve always followed Neil Patel closely on Facebook and he also shares a lot of real world examples and case studies to prove what a successful brand and its content should be like.
Step 2: Gain Experience – It’s Crucial
Think of it this way: knowledge and skills are the tools you have but experience is what shows you how to use them effectively. It’s what tells you how to apply what you’ve learned in real-world scenarios specifically when real stakes are involved.
Here’s how you can gain experience:
a) Apply for Internships Even If They Are Unpaid
You’ve just set foot in the digital marketing world and knowing how to become a brand content writer is not as easy as it seems. So start looking for opportunities around you.
Not getting any job offers? Don’t worry, land an internship instead, even if it’s unpaid. They help you build your resume and learn everything from the inside. According to Flair HR, around 70% of internships turn into full-time job offers.
A great way to build your portfolio without using any platforms is to volunteer your writing services. Offer your brand content writing services to non-profits or local community groups and have your name written as the author of that work as your incentive.
See how the portfolio starts building? Plus, it feels great to give back.
c) Look for Freelance Projects on Freelancing Websites
Start small. It will eventually lead to big opportunities. Use online platforms like Upwork or Freelancer to take on small projects that can build your portfolio while you look around for in-office jobs.
As per a recent survey, over 57% of freelancers use these platforms to find consistent work.
Step 3: Start Building a Good Portfolio
Just like how you need a passport to enter a foreign country, your portfolio is the passport that’ll let you enter a new world of high-paying writing jobs if you know how to become a brand content writer. Adobe says that 59% of hiring managers prefer work portfolios over traditional resumes.
So now that you have gained ample experience, build a portfolio and make sure it’s well-organized and shows a range of skills:
a) Show a Variety of Content
Try to include samples that show your ability to write in different styles and for different platforms such as blogs, social media and email marketing.
Your diverse content writing skills will show your potential employers or clients that you are flexible and adaptable to their needs.
b) Present Everything Very Professionally
One of the first pointers that show your skills and profile in good light is the way of present your skills and work experience in your portfolio.
Create a simple and clean website on WordPress or Wix or use platforms like Behance where your work and experience should be easily visible and accessible.
Present every piece without any typos or formatting errors so your potential clients could see how your profile stands out from the rest.
c) Highlight Your Successful Projects
If you have metrics or results from previous work (e.g., a blog post that ranked well on Google or a campaign that led to increased engagement), include these on your portfolio website. They’re concrete proof of your skills.
For instance, if a blog post you wrote increased traffic to a client’s website by 40%, mention this as it speaks volumes about your actual skills and shows you know your way around the maze of digital marketing.
d) Include Some Testimonials and Feedback
Another foolproof way to win your clients over is to add the feedback and testimonials of your previous clients. Ask them to be detailed and honest in their reviews about your services as they’ll play a huge role to convince your future clients about your abilities to handle their projects.
Step 4: Network and Market Yourself
You may think, “Why can’t I just let my work speak for itself?” Well, creating a portfolio is not enough because how would you make your profile reach the potential clients at all?
A study revealed that over 80% of professionals consider networking to be key to career success. While quality work is crucial, in the digital age, networking is what places your work in front of the right eye. Think of it as the seeds you’ll plant now to sow the sweet fruit later:
a) Use LinkedIn to Grow Your Profile
This platform is simply a goldmine for writers. First, make sure that your profile is fully optimized and updated. Then, connect with industry professionals, join relevant groups and participate in discussions as much as you can.
Once you start sharing your projects and insights, these connections will lead to job opportunities and collaborations. So post regularly and engage in healthy discussions to put yourself out there.
b) Build Your Personal Brand
If there’s one thing that can attract clients and employers to you and not the other way around, it is your personal branding. So establish a personal brand that reflects your unique experience as a brand content writer and professional skills.
Once you have created a professional LinkedIn profile and a portfolio website, it’s time to create social media pages for your company or services. Expand as much as you can to capture more of your potential clients in different digital spaces.
How to Become a Brand Content Writer – Time to Engage With the Brands
Now that you’ve got your foot in the door with some solid experience and a good network, what’s next? Let’s talk about when you receive an offer from a brand and how you can actively work with them to make sure that your career as a brand content writer continues to thrive.
· Craft A Solid, Solution-Oriented Proposal Every Time
When brands approach you or you pitch your services to them, your proposal should speak directly to their needs and goals. Keep this in mind that a brand only requires people who can become a part of their vision.
So do your research, understand what the brand stands for and suggest content ideas that fulfill their needs and align with their marketing strategies.
For instance, if a brand wants to expand its online presence, mention specifically how your SEO-focused articles will enhance their visibility, what steps you’ll take, what solutions you’ll provide and what the results will be.
· Understand & Implement Brand Briefs Properly
Let’s suppose you have been finalized as the ideal candidate and are now employed by the brand. What they’ll provide you initially will be a brand brief.
A brand brief is kind of a roadmap that a brand wants you to follow for all its content writing services. It highlights what they want you to accomplish with your content. So take as much time as you need to really digest what’s asked of you.
Don’t ever hesitate to ask questions if something isn’t clear. According to a report, 43% of content marketers say that they struggle when communicating with influencers or writers and one of the major reasons is that the right questions are never asked and clear answers are never provided.
· Don’t Get Frustrated With Feedback and Revisions
Dealing with feedback is part of the game so never worry about getting too much of it. Remember that revisions aren’t a sign of failure but instead opportunities to refine and improve your content and strategies further.
So maintain professionalism and be open to constructive criticism. Don’t get frustrated at all and implement changes while having an aim to exceed expectations with each revision.
How to Maintain a Successful Career as a Brand Content Writer
Content strategies and preferences are changing every month so it’s extremely crucial for you to stay updated and relevant to get the best results possible.
Here’s what will help you stay on top of your brand content writing game:
Elevate Your Brand Content Writing with ContentERP
ContentERP is an all-in-one revolutionary content management software that can improve your content writing for brands by providing a suite of tools designed to streamline the entire content creation process from keyword research to content publication.
Here are just SOME of its features:
Streamline Your Workflow Management: ContentERP helps you manage multiple content projects with its intuitive dashboard and makes sure that you never miss a deadline again.
Improve Your Collaborations: ContentERP enables collaborations in a seamless way between writers, editors, and brand managers. This feature helps you gather feedback and make revisions quickly.
Optimize Your Content Strategy: Now you can plan and execute a content strategy with built-in tools for keyword integration and SEO optimization.
Get Real-Time Analytics: Get real-time insights into how your team is performing and what their wages are at your fingertips. This data will help you make data-driven decisions to improve engagement and effectiveness.
Conclusion
So now you know how to become a brand content writer it’s time to take the plunge into the world of lucrative content writing. Just keep in mind that every blog you write, every social media post you update and every product description you upload should speak “brand” to engage and convert your audience into buyers.
So invest time in your education, gain some experience and then create a strong portfolio to build a career and get hired by brands to shape their future. Keep your skills sharp and use tools like ContentERP to keep your content strategies extremely effective with minimal efforts.
The brands of tomorrow need your voice today. So roll up your sleeves and start learning right away.
Content is king, right? But this king can also be dethroned with one thing: the ineffective tone in which it’s delivered. And that is where a content style guide steps in to give the king a vote of confidence, not just as a set of rules, but as its voice and soul. You can imagine it as the seasoning in a gourmet dish. Without it, the dish may satisfy your hunger, but with it, the dish becomes a memorable experience for you.
A staggering 77% of consumers usually choose to buy from brands that share their values. And what communicates your brand’s values to your audience is none other than….your content style guide. So in this blog, we are going to tell you what a content style guide is, its crucial role in content creation, and the top 8 benefits it brings to your business.
Let’s start pushing your brand towards success, shall we?
What Exactly is a Content Style Guide?
Imagine you’re building a house. Every brick, window, and door must follow a master plan to make absolutely sure that the house stands strong and reflects the design you had intended for it. In a very similar way, a content style guide acts as the master plan for your brand’s content.
At its core, a content style guide is a strategic document that outlines how your brand communicates with the world. Its basic purpose is to make sure that your every blog post, social media update, or marketing material not only stands out but also perfectly follows the structure of your brand’s identity.
Essential Elements of a Content Style Guide
Brand Voice and Tone: This is the heart of your guide. It defines how your brand speaks, be it friendly, authoritative, or quirky. It helps you find that unique pitch that makes your brand instantly recognizable to all of your audience.
Language and Word Usage: Here, you decide on the specifics of language – simple or sophisticated, casual or formal. This section makes sure that the words you use anywhere match your brand’s personality.
Formatting and Style Rules: This part of your content style guide sets the standard for how your content should physically appear. From punctuation to capitalization, you’ll have every grammar and composition rule to follow.
Visual Guidelines: This part is often overlooked by many but is equally important. It primarily includes the use of logos, color schemes, and fonts and makes sure that there is a visual consistency across all content you have created.
Inclusive and Accessible Language: This part of the style guide sees to it that your content aligns and resonates with a diverse audience and follows all principles of inclusivity and accessibility. You can never know the exact individual personalities of your audience, right?
The Dynamic Nature of a Content Style Guide
Keep this in mind: your content style guide is not set in stone. Audience preferences change so it is supposed to evolve (and it should) with your brand and adapt to new market trends. This flexibility is extremely crucial to keep your brand relevant and engaging across all platforms.
For example, the way you communicate on a professional platform like LinkedIn may be hugely different from how to write or present your content on a more casual platform like Instagram. So your content style guide takes care of all these problems and makes sure that your content follows a specific consistency and adaptability for your brand.
Why Use a Content Style Guide – A Quick Overview
In the world of storytelling, there are no rules, only suggestions and best practices – and this is the essence of a content style guide. It is never just a rigid set of rules. It is more about creating a narrative that best represents your brand.
But why exactly should your brand invest time and effort in developing a content style guide? Let’s give you a quick overview of its importance before exploring each benefit later on in the blog.
• Improve Quality & Consistency
A consistent brand voice increases your revenue by up to 33%. It is a huge number, don’t you think? That’s exactly what your content style guide will help achieve – consistency and quality. Your every blog post, social media update, or marketing email will have a unified voice to achieve that consistent image.
• Have Clear Quality Guidelines To Reduce Errors
A content style guide sets clear expectations for quality. So it will be easier for your writers and creators to produce content that meets your high standards. As you’ll have a defined set of guidelines, the likelihood of errors in content will also decrease significantly. This is what will help you create a very professional and polished brand image.
• Increase Audience Engagement & Relevance
Understanding and implementing the right tone and style is very crucial. Why? Because that is what will push your audience towards a higher engagement and loyalty. A style guide will tell you all about your audience preferences and expectations so that your content can remain relevant.
• Enhance SEO and Online Visibility
Consistently high-quality content is what a search engine like Google is always looking for. So why not use it to your advantage to enhance your brand’s online visibility and ranking? A content style guide makes your brand uniform across different digital platforms and is hence vital for SEO and a better brand recognition.
What Should a Content Style Guide Include?
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter,” Mark Twain famously said. This quote tells us what a good content style guide should aim for: precision, clarity, and effectiveness in communication. But what exactly should be included in this all-important document?
Just as a painter selects his palette with care, so too must you choose the elements of your content style guide. Let’s break them down into their key components.
1. Voice and Tone
Defining Your Brand Voice: Your brand voice is the personality of your business in words and 40% of your customers want it to have a purpose. It should reflect your brand’s values and resonate with your target audience. Is your brand voice professional, friendly or authoritative? Choose the one that works the best.
Setting the Right Tone: The tone of your content can depend on the context and audience. For instance, your tone might be more formal in a white paper than in a social media post. So go for the one that matches the occasion and audience.
2. Formatting and Structure
Visual Consistency: This covers everything from how you format headings and bullet points to your use of images and infographics. Consistent formatting helps to make your content more readable and makes the audience recognize your brand quickly.
Structural Guidelines: It also includes the outlines about how different structure types of content. For example, blog posts might have a different format when you compare them to your press releases or email newsletters.
3. Language Usage
Preferred Grammar and Spelling: Decide whether you’ll use American, British, or another variant of English. You’ll also have to include specific spelling preferences and grammatical constructions. Why it is important? Because 59% of consumers would avoid doing business with a company that had obvious grammatical errors in their content. You won’t want your brand’s image to come off as a scammer or shady.
Industry-Specific Terminology: Accurate use of industry terms is, at times, crucial for increasing your brand’s credibility. As 58% of B2B marketers use content to build credibility with their audience, it’s a fairly common marketing practice to use jargons and specific terminology.
4. Accessibility and Inclusivity
Inclusive Language: Your content should be accessible and inclusive. It should also respect and acknowledge the diversity of your audience. Otherwise, be ready to lose your customers because 29% of all consumers are willing to switch brands completely if you won’t show enough diversity and inclusivity.
Readability Standards: Set a moderate standard for the readability of your content. This will make sure that your content is easily understandable by a wide range of audiences.
5. SEO Considerations
Keyword Usage Guidelines: Provide practical and useful guidelines on how to incorporate keywords naturally into your content for SEO purposes. 90.63% of pages get no organic search traffic from Google, and that is mainly due to poor keyword optimization. You won’t want your content to be among them, right?
Meta Descriptions and Titles: Try to follow all the best practices for writing effective meta titles and descriptions that improve click-through rates.
A well-thought and researched content style guide is a powerful tool for creating a consistent and memorable brand experience all while helping you manage your content’s lifecycle very effectively. Now let’s explore further the benefits of having a content style guide and how it can enhance your brand’s communication strategy.
8 Unbeatable Benefits of Using a Content Style Guide
A content style guide is not just a document; it’s a beacon in the sea of digital content that will help your brand find the ships of your audience easily. Let’s explore its major benefits that have been backed by research and real-world examples to show their impact and importance.
1. Creates Consistency in Content
Imagine sitting at your favorite cafe where every cup of coffee is just as good as the last. That’s the kind of reliability a good content style guide offers. It makes sure that every piece of content, whether it’s an Instagram post or a detailed report, has the same flavor – your brand’s unique flavor.
“For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate,” Margaret Heffernan, who is a businesswoman and author, said in an interview. In the futuristic world of content, this interaction comes from having an individually consistent brand voice.
Uniformity in Voice: Brand consistency can directly translate to a 33% increase in revenue. You can achieve that with a content style guide that will ensure that no matter where your content appears, it speaks with the same voice, tone, and style. This is what will create and reinforce your brand identity.
Recognition and Trust: When your audience sees content that looks and feels familiar, it builds a sense of trust. Trust is extremely essential for turning one-time visitors into your loyal customers and that’s what a content style guide helps with.
2. Establishes a Strong Brand Identity
Think of your favorite character from a book or movie. Why do you remember them specifically better than others? Because they stand out with their distinct personality. That’s what a content style guide does for your brand. It creates a personality and identity that makes your brand memorable and sets it apart from competitors.
Creates a Unique Brand Persona: Jeff Bezos says, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” A content style guide helps in shaping these conversations by clearly defining how your brand presents itself. Consistent branding and a strong brand identity are what increase customer loyalty and trust. This will, as a result, make it easier for your audience to connect with your brand on a personal level.
3. Improves Time Efficiency in Content Creation
We’ve all been there – spending more time than we’d like on tasks that could be simpler. It’s frustrating and feels highly inefficient. The ultimate solution and secret ingredient to efficiency here is a content style guide.
It’s like having a recipe that everyone in the kitchen follows. You’ll be able to make sure every dish turns out just right without anyone having to second-guess the process.
Streamlines the Process: A content style guide saves time for writers, editors, and designers by providing clear guidelines on how to get on with content creation. This reduces the need for extensive revisions and rewrites. Employees usually spend about 1.8 hours every day searching for and gathering information. The solution? A style guide.
Facilitates Faster Decision Making: With a style guide in place, your content creators don’t have to constantly debate over stylistic choices or spend excessive time brainstorming new content ideas. This will help translate that lost time into a quicker content turnaround.
4. Enhances Communication within Teams
Ever played a game of telephone where the message gets jumbled as it’s passed along? Without a content style guide, communication within a team can be like that. The guide acts as a clear channel of communication and makes sure that everyone’s on the same page, quite literally.
Creates a Common Language: A content style guide serves as a reference point for all team members. This creates a common understanding and language. It is especially crucial in teams where members come from diverse backgrounds or are geographically dispersed, like a multinational company with remote employees.
Reduces Misunderstandings: With everyone following the same guidelines, the chances of misunderstandings drop significantly. Literally. Your team will start working together like a well-oiled machine. Chaos and low productivity are all that’ll ensue in its absence. According to a study by Fierce, for 86% of employees and executives, lack of collaboration or ineffective communication are the primary reasons for workplace failures.
5. Increases Working Efficiency
Have you ever been part of a team where everyone seems to be rowing in different directions? It’s chaotic and unproductive, right? A ship can’t follow a set path with its propellers rotating in opposite directions. A content style guide acts as a captain for your content team’s boat to keep everyone synchronized and heading in the same direction.
Streamlined Workflow: A content style guide simplifies your decision-making processes and reduces any back-and-forth discussions. With a clear guide, the amount of time you’ll be spending revising and editing content will drop significantly. This means more time can be devoted to creating fresh content. The ultimate result? A whopping 218% more income.
Clarity in Execution: With clear guidelines, your team members will know exactly what is expected of their efforts and the content they create. This will help in reducing confusion and increase productivity.
6. Helps New Hires and Team Onboarding
Remember your first day at a new job? The mixture of excitement and anxiety? Now, imagine walking into a role with a comprehensive guide that clearly lays out how to communicate as a part of the team. That’s a big sigh of relief!
Accelerating Ramp-Up Time: For new team members, a content style guide is like a road map. It helps them quickly understand the brand’s voice and style. That is the best way to quickly integrate into the team.
Consistent Training Tool: The style guide also makes sure that every team member, regardless of when they join, receives the same foundational training on your brand’s content standards. Nobody will be skipping anything important or learning different ideologies anymore.
7. Improves SEO & Visibility
In the digital world, being visible is as important as being relevant. Here’s where SEO comes into play. After all, nobody wants their brand to get lost in oblivion, right?
Enhances Search Engine Rankings: Consistent and high-quality content, guided by a style guide, is favored by search engines. A report by HubSpot states that companies that blog consistently have seen up to 55% more website visitors. And much of this is made possible with the best SEO practices.
Has Uniform Keyword Usage Guidelines: A good style guide includes proper and practical SEO guidelines. This also includes a consistent keyword usage across all content, which is crucial for improving online visibility.
8. Helps Your Brand Image to Update and Adapt
Change is the only constant. And that is especially true in the fast-paced world of digital content. A style guide that’s rigid and does not adapt is like a tree that refuses to bend in the wind – it’s only a matter of time before it breaks. A flexible, adaptable guide is like a bamboo that can bend with the winds of change but never breaks.
Adapts to Changing Trends: A content style guide is not a static document, it never should be. It can evolve with changing industry trends, audience preferences, and brand evolution. This flexibility makes sure that your content remains relevant and effective over time and in the future as well.
Simplifies Revisions: You may need to tweak and edit your guide due to various reasons (due to a brand update or a shift in industry trends etc etc). Having a central content style guide makes it easier to implement and communicate these changes across the team.
These benefits collectively contribute to a stronger, more cohesive brand presence, both online and offline. By creating a very comprehensive content style guide, you will lay the foundation for a consistent, high-quality communication that will ultimately make your brand shine and succeed like never before.
Unlock the Full Potential of Your Content Style Guide with ContentERP
If you’re juggling the complexities of managing your content – from the chaos of keyword research to the puzzle of team coordination – a good content management and collaboration tool might just be the solution you need. Let’s introduce you to the ultimate future of content management: the evergreen ContentERP.
ContentERP is basically designed to streamline the management of niche websites and blogs. With it, you can focus on what you do best: creating great content, while following your style guide inch perfectly.
Curious to see how it can ease your content management woes? Here’s why ContentERP is a game-changer:
Streamlined Workflow: Organize everything from keyword research to publication in one intuitive platform.
Enhanced Team Collaboration: Easily assign tasks and monitor progress, keeping your team perfectly aligned.
SEO Mastery: Leverage advanced tools for keyword research and analytics to elevate your content’s search engine ranking.
Customized for Niche Sites: Specifically designed for managing multiple niche websites with ease.
ContentERP isn’t just a tool; it’s your partner in content excellence. It empowers you to manage, produce, and track your content effortlessly, making it a must-have tool for serious content professionals like you.
Conclusion
Wrapping up our journey through the importance of a content style guide, these benefits make it absolutely clear to us that a content guide isn’t just all about following some random rules to get a handful of views online. Instead, it’s a proper roadmap to create a distinct, engaging, and recognizable brand voice.
And when it comes to bringing these strategies to life and reaping those benefits fully, ContentERP stands as your game-changing ally.
Imagine having a tool that not only organizes your content but takes it to the next level to make sure that every piece resonates with your audience. That’s the magic of ContentERP.
So embrace the change, step into the world of organized content workflow with your content style guide and ContentERP and watch your brand grow.
“Content marketing is all the marketing that’s left,” the marketing mastermind Seth Godin famously said in a live seminar back in 2008. Such relevant words, right? Even now, after 15 whole years, a digital content manager – the very person who manages it all – stands at the front of the queue that creates those catchy, attractive online narratives.
But what does it take for them to achieve a far-reaching success in this extremely crucial yet dynamic role?
Your wait is over. In this guide, we will take you through the top 10 proven skills that lay the ultimate path to success for you as a top-rated digital content manager throughout your brand’s content management lifecycle.
Keep reading until the very end.
10 Proven Skills for a Digital Content Manager to Succeed
1. Understanding Your Target Audience
We’ll jump into the heartbeat of effective content strategy right away – it is about knowing your audience. This timeless mantra basically holds the secret to successful content management. Understanding your target audience means stepping into their shoes and exploring their world in a very literal sense.
It’s the art of speaking their hearts.
Imagine a day in the life of your audience right before you come up with content ideas. What challenges do they face? What solutions are they mostly looking for? Your content becomes a conversation, a dialogue that engages and informs only when you are able to truly understand your audience.
But how would you see through their eyes?
Paying attention is Key: Use social media tools to take a look at the conversations your audience is having. What are the buzzwords? What are their pain points?
Data-Driven Insights: Dive deep into analytics. What content are they consuming the most? What are their online behavior patterns?
Creating Personas: Craft detailed audience personas. Don’t just create mere sketches, create some detailed, vibrant portraits of the individuals you’re speaking to. Your personas should be comprehensive and meticulous.
But keep in mind that your audience isn’t just statistics and data points but also people with unique stories and needs. When you create your content with a thorough, deep understanding of your audience, your content starts linking your brand’s message to the minds of your audience.
2. Writing Skills
“Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words,” Mark Twain once said. While he may have understated the challenge, there’s truth in his humor. For a digital content manager, writing is all about writing messages that engage and then leave a lasting impression.
Good writing skills are like having a one-on-one conversation with each member of your audience, no matter how diverse. You should have:
Conversational Mastery: Imagine sitting down for coffee with your reader. Your words should flow naturally and should have a clarity, relationship and a sweet touch of personality. Brainstorm for new content ideas if you are running short of topics.
Emotion in Every Sentence: Strike a chord – directly. Your writing should be able to raise their emotions, be it excitement, curiosity, or trust, all while giving your brand’s message.
Here’s a fascinating fact: a good, persuasive writing can increase the website’s conversion rates by up to 20%. That’s the power of well-thought and crafted words so take them as more than just letters on a screen.
Here’s how you can make your writings better:
Adapt Your Tone: Like a chameleon, your writing should adapt to the colors/narrations/trends of different platforms and audiences. A blog post might be informal and chatty. On the other hand, a white paper is much more formal and detailed.
Never Stop Learning: Great writers are also great readers, mind it. So take in different writing styles and keep up with content trends, and most importantly, always be open to improving your skills.
In short, your writing skills as a digital content manager are at the center of your content strategy. They’re what are going to make your audience feel connected and understood – and even valued.
3. SEO Knowledge
It is said that Google only loves you when everyone else loves you first. This witty but a very thought-provoking statement tells you about the importance of SEO in the digital content world. For you as a digital content manager, SEO knowledge includes not just understanding algorithms but also creating content that humans and search engines both like and desire.
How you should generally handle the SEO mechanism:
Balance The Keywords and Content: It’s a very delicate dance. Your content should include all those ‘rankable’ keywords very effectively as this will improve the readability of your content while pushing your search engine rankings to go up.
Staying Ahead of the Curve: SEO is ever-changing – you can be sure of that. Did you know, for instance, that Google updates its algorithm many times a year, with the most recent one coming at the end of November? So keep yourself updated to ensure your content remains visible and relevant.
Remember, at its very core, SEO improves your visibility and connection. It basically makes sure that when someone searches for something you’ve written about, your content not only appears but also answers their query effectively and engagingly.
4. Visual Design Skills
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” goes the ancient saying that reminds us of the extremely crucial importance visual elements have in storytelling. In this digital space, a digital content manager’s visual design skills should be at the center of creating informative and attractive content.
So how to improve your visual game in content management?
Consistency in Text & Visuals: The visuals you choose should complement your writing and its context. It’s like you are pairing the perfect wine with a meal. Each one enhances the other, right?
Know The Design Principles: Basic knowledge of design principles – balance, contrast etc – can improve the visual quality of your content a lot and make it more engaging and memorable.
To help you digest the importance of visuals, here’s a fact: visuals can increase the desire to read content by a staggering 80%. In an era where digital content is in absolute abundance, good visuals can make your content stand out to draw the viewer’s eye.
5. Social Media Management
Social media is now more of an investment of valuable time and resources if you look at how effectively it is being used for marketing. As a digital content manager, you should think of social media management as hosting conversations with friends – your audience.
So understand the art of engaging, entertaining, and informing, all while creating a sense of community around your brand.
Each social media platform has its own different and individual personality. They have their own vibes – Twitter is like the witty one, Instagram is the visual storyteller, LinkedIn is the professional. So match your content with each platform’s vibe and make sure to choose the right topic of conversation for the right group.
Trend-Spotting: Stay updated with social media trends because it is like keeping up with the latest coffee shop gossip. That will help you keep the conversations/comments etc fresh and relevant.
Insights as Conversation Starters: Use analytics to know what your audience loves to talk about. Which posts generated the most conversation? What time does your ‘coffee shop’ – your content – get the most visitors?
In social media, your role goes way beyond posting your content. Think of yourself as the host of a never-ending digital party, where each post is an invitation to engage and each comment by your audience is a chance to connect.
6. Video Creation Skills
“Give them a story to tell,” as the saying goes in the world of digital content. In today’s online world, your audience gathers around the video content like the campfire. As a digital content manager, it is going to be your duty to create videos that attract and engage.
How can you create a narrative visually?
Creating with Purpose: In each video, every scene and every frame has its own distinct role. Whether it’s a how-to video, a brand story, or a product showcase, your goal should revolve around making your audience feel a part of your brand’s journey.
Emotional Connect: The power of video lies in its ability to arouse, to induce emotions – like laughter, curiosity, empathy. It’s like you are having a heart-to-heart convo with your audience with visuals to create a personal experience.
User-Friendly Tools: You don’t need a Hollywood budget, it’s as simple. Tools like Adobe Premiere Pro or even smartphone apps can help you create extremely attractive videos. Simply use what you have to tell the best story you can.
Your video creation skills are much more than just producing content, they’ll help you get attached with your audience. Each video gives you an opportunity to engage your audience in a new, dynamic way. It’ll invite them into your world, show them around, and have a chat.
7. Email Marketing
David Newman knew which benefits he was talking about when he said that emails had an ability many channels don’t: creating valuable, personal touches—at scale. In the world of digital content management, email marketing is the one and only medium that makes you send a personalized letter to each member of your audience.
Want to add a personal touch in every email? Here’s how:
Conversational Content: Imagine you’re writing to a friend. Your emails should have a conversational tone and they should make each recipient actually feel like you’re speaking directly to them.
Storytelling in Subject Lines: The subject line is going to be your first hello. Make it intriguing, inviting. It should feel to them like the start of a great story that they can’t wait to read.
Testing and Learning: Use A/B testing as a way to learn more about your audience. Which headlines catch their attention? What content drives engagement? It’s a never-ending journey of discovery.
In email marketing, you build relationships. Each email is a chance to deepen the connection with your audience, to offer value, and to invite engagement.
8. Analytics and Reporting
Analytics and reporting give you all the information about your audience and also let you have a conversation with your content. They help you to look beyond the numbers and graphs to understand the story about your audience, your content’s impact, and the ways you can improve your content even further.
Use Data For Insights: Each data point acts like as a piece of a puzzle because when you put them together, they reveal patterns and opportunities. This helps you come up with actionable steps to improve your content strategy.
Tools of Clarity: Use tools like Google Analytics not just as an observer but as a detective. What does the bounce rate tell you about user engagement? How does the click-through rate inform content relevance?
Analytics and reporting in digital content management go beyond the numbers so use them to guide your content’s future course.
9. Project Management
Project management is the train engine that moves the organization forward. Joy Gumz is a project management trainer and knows that in the world of digital marketing, a solid, fool-proof project management is all a brand needs to stay afloat in the sea of content. That makes it a crucial skill for a digital content manager to acquire and implement.
Coordinating Tasks and Teams: Think of your content projects as a series of dance steps. Each movement (task) must be perfectly timed and coordinated with the rest of the team. You have to know who’s doing what, when, and how.
Resource Balancing Act: Just like balancing a budget, managing resources in content projects means making sure every hour of effort takes you towards your ultimate goal. As a digital content manager, your first responsibility is to maximize the impact while minimizing waste.
In project management, you’re doing more than just checking off tasks and meeting deadlines by managing collective talents and efforts of your team to create content engages and inspires.
10. Research Skills
In the digital content world, having some good research skills will help you draw a map to hidden treasures (engaging and impressing your audience). Research skills help you understand trends and verify the facts that make your content not only informative but also authoritative and engaging.
Diving Deep into Data: Imagine yourself as a digital archaeologist. Your task is to dig deep into the vast world of the internet for those pieces of information that will give your content depth and credibility.
Understanding Trends and Patterns: Just like weather patterns are predicted to know about the exact climate of a location, use your research to identify the trends shaping your industry. What’s the next big thing? What are the pain points and preferences of your audience?
What Are the Challenges of Being a Digital Content Manager
Well, every job has its challenges and your role as a digital content manager in the digital world is no exception. In this role, you are very likely to face a unique set of challenges that will ultimately test your adaptability and creativity.
Understand these challenges, it is going to be the first step in mastering the art of digital content management.
Keeping Up with Technology: The digital world is constantly changing and evolving. New platforms, changing algorithms, and emerging trends can make it feel like you’re being left behind every day.
Creative Constraints: Keeping a balance between creative expression and the demands of digital marketing can be tricky. How do you keep following your creative vision while meeting SEO and other technical requirements?
Data Overload: With so much data available, it can be overwhelming to determine what metrics are most important and how to use them effectively.
The Core Responsibilities and Qualifications of a Digital Content Manager
A digital content manager carefully grows a brand’s digital presence because this role involves a variety of responsibilities and demand a set of skills and qualifications.
Key Responsibilities Your Job Might Include
Content Strategy Development: Creating and implementing a hugely effective content strategy that aligns with the brand’s goals and audience’s needs.
Content Creation and Management: Overseeing the creation and efficient management of engaging and relevant content across various digital platforms.
SEO and Analytics: Utilizing SEO best practices and analyzing data to optimize content performance and reach.
Team Management and Collaboration: Leading and collaborating with content creators, designers, and other stakeholders to produce high-quality content.
These should be Your Essential Qualifications
Educational Background: Typically, you should have a degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, or a related field.
Experience: Any previous experience in digital content creation and management, with a proven track record of successful content strategies.
Technical Skills: Expertise in SEO, content management systems, and basic understanding of HTML and web publishing.
Soft Skills: Strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills, along with creativity and adaptability.
Integrating ContentERP into Your Journey As a Digital Content Manager
The journey of a digital content manager is both exciting and challenging. And that’s exactly where ContentERP steps in as your best companion on this journey.
A Central Hub for Your Content Universe
ContentERP is just like your control room for creating content you love and managing its lifecycle. It brings all aspects of your content strategy together – from planning to publishing. No more scattered spreadsheets or unclear communication for you and your team.
Streamlining Creation and Collaboration
Remember when we talked about the art of content creation and team management? ContentERP makes them easy peasy. It helps you manage your team of creators, assign them any tasks, and track their progress in real-time – simply and efficiently.
Keeping Pace with Analytics and Reporting
ContentERP also has analytics and reporting tools that give you insights into how your team is performing and what your financial picture looks like. Get a clear, concise report on your desk every morning.
The Cherry on Top: Time Management
And let’s not forget the all-important aspect of time management. ContentERP has top-class features, the Chrome Extension Time Tracker for instance, that help you and your team manage time efficiently. This is how you can make sure that every minute your team spends will contribute towards meeting your content goals.
Conclusion
Phewww..feels like we’ve been on quite the journey in this article, right? We’ve talked a lot about your skills, the challenges you might face and even took a brief look at the responsibilities and qualifications of a digital content manager.
Each skill we’ve gone through in detail – from understanding your audience to leading your team –improves your role and makes you the best in your role.
As a digital content manager, you act like a top-level chef in a big digital kitchen. You’ve got all your ingredients right there on your table – SEO, social media, analytics, etc – and now it’s up to you to mix them into a recipe that delights and satisfies your audience.
So, make sure that you keep improving these skills and kickstart your journey as a digital content manager in the digital world with ContentERP. After all, every day will be a new adventure in the world of content.
