Content marketing can do wonders for businesses. It can boost brand awareness, attract new leads, establish better customer relationships, and increase sales.
However, just like in most things in life, content marketing is only as effective as the talent behind it.
You need to hire top-tier content marketers to create high-quality content that will resonate with your audience.
This guide will show you how your business can attract and retain top-tier content marketers.
The Importance of Top-Tier Content Marketing Talent
Almost all businesses need content marketing, but not everyone can do it right.
Top-tier content marketers have the skills and experience to create informative, engaging, and persuasive content. They understand the needs of your audience. Plus, they know how to create content that will capture their attention and inspire action.
It’s true that most writers can easily avoid grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. After all, proofreading tools like Grammarly automate detecting writing issues and making corrections.
However, there’s more to content marketing than just writing.
Top content marketers can also contribute to campaigns on a strategic level.
They can help you with non-writing tasks, like:
- Keyword research
- Content ideation
- Competitor analysis
- Audience research
In addition to having technical skills, top-tier content marketers also possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. They can collaborate with clients, partners, and other marketing team members effectively.
Communication skills help content marketers brainstorm strategies, provide their input, and respond positively to constructive feedback.
According to The State of Content Marketing 2023 Global Report, excellent written and verbal communication skills are the top two qualities for content marketing positions. This includes both senior and non-senior content marketing roles.
For non-senior content marketers, this is immediately followed by:
- Strong project management skills
- Years of marketing experience
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving skills
Recognizing the Right Talent
Identifying the top content marketing talent starts with awareness of the right skills and qualities. Luckily, professionals highlight their skills in their cover letters, resumes, and freelancer profiles.
Look for the following skills when hiring content marketers to narrow down your list of candidates:
- Strong writing and editing skills
- Excellent research skills
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and related skills
- A deep understanding of your target audience/Audience research skills
- The ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Dependable communication skills
- Time management
Apart from the qualities above, pay attention to the soft skills content marketers need to excel. This includes adaptability, collaboration, curiosity, creativity, and emotional intelligence.
Also, ensure your candidate can provide a credible portfolio. One that proves their ability to deliver desirable results. Look for links to previous works to gauge their writing skills, knowledge in your industry, and awareness of marketing objectives (CTAs, keywords, external links, etc.).
Strategies for Attracting and Hiring the Best Content Marketers
Getting onto the radar of high-performing content marketers doesn’t just happen through luck. There are strategies you can employ to draw them onto your doorstep.
Use the strategies below to work with the best content marketers.
- Establish a strong employer brand. Put a premium on employee advocacy. Do this by offering competitive salaries and benefits, creating a team-oriented work environment, and fostering a positive work culture.
- Leverage online and offline networks. Instead of relying purely on job posting sites, be more aggressive. Reach out directly to prospective marketers through social media. You can also join industry events or ask for referrals from your contacts.
- Offer growth opportunities. Some marketers value career growth more than their starting salaries. Others would gladly choose to work with a company with huge career growth potential even though the starting salary is slightly lower. That said, be sure to highlight career growth in your job listings or interviews.
- Work with a fully-managed content solution. To connect with vetted, talented content marketers, work with fully managed content services such as ClearVoice. The primary advantage you get is convenience, cost-effectiveness, and immediate access to talented professionals.
Nurturing a Company Culture that Retains Top Talent
How do you keep your employee churn at bay?
Aside from offering reasonable compensation, which is the bare minimum, you need to develop a company culture that supports and nurtures your top marketers.
Consider using the strategies below:
- Foster a culture of learning and development. There are several ways to cultivate a culture of learning and development. You can send your team to an all-expense-paid conference, set a monthly budget for purchasing courses or books, etc. Remember that top marketers are growth-driven. The more you show you’re into growth and development, the more at home they will be in your company.
- Promote a sense of inclusion. Data from Microsoft revealed that 43% of remote professionals feel excluded in team meetings. If they feel excluded, you can’t cultivate meaningful, “sticky” relationships with your top talent. Set up regular team meetings or one-to-one meetings with your top marketers. You can run your meetings through Zoom, Slack, and Skype, among other similar tools. The crucial bit is that you stay consistent while giving your team your full attention.
- Define and delegate clear responsibilities. The more you complicate the lives of your top talent, the more likely they’ll leave your company. Focus on delegating responsibilities clearly and setting goals. Assign tasks with a description of who does what while detailing milestones. Using a project management tool is a great way to streamline and put order to your processes.
- Avoid a one-way flow of feedback. According to the Employee Retention Report by TINYpulse, professionals are 16% more likely to leave companies that don’t value upward feedback. Encourage open communication through in-person interactions or communication tools like Slack to stimulate a more welcoming environment.
Additional Practical Tips and Strategies
Do you want more tips for attracting and retaining top content marketing talent?
We’ve got you covered.
- Perform an initial assessment of their writing skills. When processing applications for content marketing roles, inspect their resume and cover letter to assess the quality of their writing. If hiring freelance content marketers from gig marketplaces, look at their bio and contributions to other websites.
- Create a positive work environment. Content marketers are creative people who need to work in a stimulating and supportive environment. Make sure your office is where they can feel comfortable being themselves and sharing their ideas.
- Empower your content marketers. Give your content marketers the freedom to be creative and take risks—as long as there’s ample guidance on each assignment’s direction. Don’t micromanage and show their trust in their ability to deliver.
- Celebrate successes. When your content marketers do a great job, let them know you appreciate their hard work. Treat individual milestones as team successes and explore activities like dinners and office pizza parties.
Start Winning With Content Marketing
Attracting and retaining top content marketing talent is essential for businesses to thrive, especially in today’s competitive marketplace.
By following the tips in this guide, you can increase your chances of finding and hiring the best content marketers for your team.
If you don’t have the time to vet and hire talented content marketers, allow us to help you. Get access to ClearVoice’s team of reliable, professional, and top-notch content marketers.
