In today’s market, content is consumed every minute and if your content is not a plus to your brand’s audience, it will be ignored. This shows how important it is to have a core content marketing team. Questions on how to set up a team effectively have been asked, and I answered them in the article.
Why You Need An In-House Content Marketing Team
No one can understand your brand like someone who makes it their sole aim to levitate it by representing its values and voice. Freelancers have a lot of work on their plates. They will only add you to their traffic.
This is why I advise companies to have their own content marketing team that will perform all core content marketing team roles. The type of content you chalk out determines the result you get and if you want an optimum result, a team that caters to just your needs is your best bet.
The Ideal Content Marketing Team Structure
Let’s face it, the content marketing process is an intensive one, that is why a team that has all the necessary people should be formed. Here are some of the core content marketing team roles you should consider.
Content Manager
Leading the core content marketing team role is the content manager. As a manager, they are in charge of overseeing the whole content and project process. Due to the importance of this role, it is significant to have someone that can report directly to the stakeholders.
In the core content marketing team roles, the content manager typically works hand in hand with the other team members from the strategy to the creation and execution stages. They also:
1. Liaise with senior executives to create a content strategy based on the company’s business and brand goals and objectives.
2. Create content calendars and ensure that the activities are carried out without hindrances and are in line with the content strategy.
3. Share tasks among the other members of the core content marketing team.
4. Edit the totality of content by reviewing articles, social media posts, website content, and product descriptions.
5. Monitor the analytics tools to track the performance of search engine optimization. They will also check for impressions, conversions, and views to gauge the response rate to the content they had put out.
To hire for this role in your content marketing team, you want someone who
- Enjoys and is proficient in writing SEO-inclined copy and content.
- Has an understanding of data and marketing analytics tools.
- Has leadership qualities and pays attention to every detail.
- Is well-versed in Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress Hubspot, and Magento.
- Can create an extensive content calendar.
Social Media Manager
You can’t deny that social media is still one of the strongest and fastest ways to reach a vast audience. With about 93% of marketers using social media as a marketing tool, it is usually hard to break through the crowd. Hence, the need for someone that is solely responsible for the brand needs of the company.
On the surface, among the content marketing team roles, a social media manager is in charge of making sure that there is a social media calendar and creating social media content. However, they also:
- Curate the brand’s social channels to fit the brand’s values and voice
- Monitor, run, and relate with the audience on different social platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Discord, and Snapchat
- Analyze metrics and data for social media to know where to tighten the reins and how well-known a product is.
- Create and execute social media campaigns and digital marketing campaigns to reflect the brand’s identity and core values.
- Stay up to date with social media trends
Due to the importance of this role amongst the core content marketing team roles, you want someone who;
- Is familiar with all the social media platforms there are and how to engage each according to peculiarities.
- Can easily communicate with the tone of the brand and will not be involved in disputes with the audience.
- Has experience with social media management analytic tools.
- Has a strong understanding of social media KPIs and how to achieve them.
- Can think up social media content easily.
Content Writer/Copywriter
Writing is an integral part of content marketing. Because of the technicality of this content marketing team role, it is usually hard to find someone to fill in. It is advisable for all core marketing team roles to have writing ability and some organizations even make this compulsory before hiring.
Also, a content manager often performs the role of the writer because of the intensity of the writing process.
As with the other core content marketing team roles, it is best to have a writer within the company to ease the flow of content. Content writers make sure that:
- They produce weekly/daily writings for web content, social media posts, blog posts, ebooks, white papers, press releases, product descriptions, and any other necessary writing.
- The writings submitted should be topics that readers would be interested in and are engaging.
- The writing should have the brand’s unique style.
- The writing fulfills its purpose whether to sell or inform.
To fill this core content marketing team role, the hire should;
- Be familiar with web writing, social media writing, and blog writing
- Be hands-on with Content Management Systems such as WordPress
- Have excellent writing and editing skills.
- Has a vast understanding of SEO and keyword research.
Web Developer/Designer
A website is one of the spaces where your consumers interact with your brand. It represents your brand all the time. Therefore, the feel and look should be one for the books. The website should have a
- Clear and concise Call-To-Actions.
- Responsive design
- A blog section
- About page
- Impactful and engaging brand identity
- Contact information.
This core content marketing team role is very technical and involves coding and designing. A typical web designer or developer
- Implements the visual designs and the brand’s identity on the web page or product.
- Merges the content writings and graphics design that has been proposed into a coherent website.
- Analyzes the web metrics and test alternatives to give an optimized look to the webpage.
- Is an avid team player, as they interact with the other core content marketing team roles at all levels.
- Has deep knowledge of web programming languages such as JavaScript, CSS, C++, HTML, and others.
Core content marketing team roles like web designing and developing should be filled with people that;
- Have a deep grasp of coding and technical knowledge of the programming language that they have been hired for.
- Have an understanding of UX and strategize how to optimize the user experience.
- Approach problems with an open mind and give creative solutions to them.
- Can juggle multiple tasks and have good organizational skills.
Videographer
It’s 2022 and the truth is, video is selling. In a 2017 survey by Cisco, video content accounts for 82% of what users consume online. Video contents also have a conversion rate of 34% in campaigns.
Most online content-sharing channels are video-sharing enabled such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts. As with the other core content marketing team roles, an in-house videographer is someone with a deep knowledge of your company and this is still your best bet to complete your content marketing team.
The videographer works with the other content marketing teams to;
- Create, edit and oversee video content for content sharing.
- Draft a directorial script for video content.
- Share videos on necessary video-sharing platforms.
- Come up with a video content plan.
- Measure the results of the content posted.
To fill this core marketing team role, you should look out for someone who
- Knows the production process and how to get the most results at each stage.
- Is computer literate and can use video editing tools for the best outcome.
- Has enough strength and stamina to take on the long hours and
- Has good interpersonal communication skills.
Necessary Steps You Must Take Before Hiring Anyone On Your Content Marketing Team
Even if you put together a good content marketing team, if certain things are not put in place, there’s a likelihood of bad results.
One thing to do before filling your core content marketing team roles is to have a company policy that must be adhered to when pushing out content. Stakeholders should make sure that other arms of the companies see how essential the core content marketing team roles are.
Also, the sales team must be ready to work with the content marketing team. They should be available to shed light on the kind of audience to target, as they have more relationships with the audience than any other team. The sales and marketing team will work together for optimum effect.
Finally, all the other members of the company should be familiar with the content put out so that they can act as a guide to the audience when the core content marketing team is not there.
Wrapping Up
Getting people for these core content marketing team roles can be tasking especially in an industry that comes with the digital age. Many lack the experience, ability, and skills to fill the roles.
If you need help with putting up a structure, Hera can help. Hit us up today!.
We have worked with over 24 startups to drive conversions through increased community presence and relevant blog posts that we help distribute. To understand our process, book a 15 - 30 minutes meeting with us.
