Any digital marketing strategy must include content strategy, which elevates the position of the content strategist. However, if you’re new to content marketing or considering a career change, you might not be familiar with all the nuances of the position. What does a content strategist actually do?

The Drum’s Content Executive, Laura Blackwell, says that obtaining a position in content strategy necessitates a broad variety of abilities and practical knowledge. In addition to being able to create content ideas and campaigns for a variety of digital media, content strategists also need to be knowledgeable about search engine optimization (SEO) and possess a great editorial sense.

1. What is a content strategist?

Depending on the breadth and direction of their work, various people have varied ideas on what a content strategist is. Some people define a content strategist as someone who develops and distributes interesting information via particular channels in order to reach the target market of a brand. Others may refer to a person in charge of managing the full customer experience, from brand awareness through conversion. Which one is it then?

The answer, as is so common, is that it depends. A brand’s content strategy can be developed and implemented across all channels, including email, website, and paid advertising, or it can be executed just in one area of Digital Marketing (such as social media or blog content).

However, to create content that resonates and generates results, content strategists must have a thorough understanding of their target demographic and buyer personas. Therefore, the best way to describe the function of a content strategist is as a hybrid between a consultant, project manager, editor, and data analyst.

2. What does a content strategist do?

After thinking about what a content strategist is, let’s examine some of the more specific daily duties and obligations that go under this position. An summary of what content strategists normally accomplish is shown below:

Content ideation is the process of coming up with new content concepts based on keyword analysis and other data-driven insights.
Planning your content will help you create digital content quickly and effectively by creating a content calendar and editorial workflow.
Finding the appropriate keywords and search terms to target will increase the discoverability of your material.
Writing and creating new content or adapting it for use on different digital media is known as content production.

Uploading and publishing content to a content management system (CMS) or other online platforms is known as content management.
Making sure that all material is optimized for both user experience and search engines
Editing content involves checking it for style, grammar, and clarity.
Publishing and promoting content via a variety of channels, such as social media, email, and paid advertising, is known as content distribution.
Auditing existing material to evaluate its performance and quality and offering suggestions for improvement
Utilizing data analytics technologies to analyze content, track performance, and pinpoint areas for development.

As you can see, a content strategist must do a vast array of duties, from coming up with ideas and composing material to overseeing workflows and evaluating results. You need a combination of analytical and creative right-brain abilities for this, as well as a love of all things digital.

3. What skills do you need to become a content strategist?

It should come as no surprise that this position requires a broad range of talents given the extensive variety of duties and responsibilities that are included in the content strategist job description. The most significant ones are listed below:

copywriting expertise
You must be an excellent copywriter if you want to succeed as a content strategist because engaging copy gets results. To be able to effectively convey complex ideas, one must possess a solid command of language, style, and tone.

Research abilities

Knowing your target audience and their needs is an essential aspect of the work. This requires in-depth analysis using a variety of data sources, including as surveys, customer interviews, and web analytics tools.

Editorial ability

You must have the ability to edit and enhance the work of others in addition to creating attractive text for yourself. To guarantee that every content reaches the highest standards, you must have a sharp eye for detail and great editing abilities.

Ability to analyze

In the world of the content strategist, data abounds. If you want to succeed in this profession, learning to make sense of all this data and get useful insights from it is a critical ability to gain.

Abilities in strategic thinking

It goes without saying that the capacity for strategic thought is a defining trait of a productive content strategist. To put it another way, you must be able to grasp the larger picture and think of original ways to solve issues.

Abilities in project management

In this career, juggling many projects at once is likely. To keep everything on track and achieve deadlines, one needs great project management abilities. Another bonus is having the capacity to perform well under pressure.

presentation expertise

Communication with various stakeholders, including as clients, senior management, and other team members, is a significant component of the role of the content strategist. As a result, it’s imperative to communicate your thoughts clearly and authoritatively.

Organizing abilities

Being able to multitask is essential for content strategists. You must be extremely organized and possess good time management abilities because you may need to manage several projects at once or oversee a group of writers.

Leadership qualities

And finally, as your career develops, you could also need to pick up management skills for a group of content producers. Excellent project management abilities, solid interpersonal abilities, and leadership traits are needed for this.

4. Content strategist salary and career progression outlook

Salary expectations will vary depending on your experience, skills, and region, just like with any profession. However, based on Payscale statistics from 2022, the following are some average base salaries for content strategists in the United States to give you an idea:

Starting salary: $48,229
Earlier in life: $58,482
$70,969 mid-career
Knowledgeable: $85,264
After retirement: $102,621

The key factors influencing career advancement are experience and aptitude. You can advance into a senior content strategist position or perhaps a content marketing manager position with appropriate expertise. Additionally, you can get the chance to focus on a particular field, like social media or SEO. Alternately, you might enter a related industry like UX design.

5. Do I need a certification to become a content strategist?

Although some employers could insist on a content strategist certification or even a college degree in digital marketing management, like a BA or BSc, in most circumstances, it’s not necessary for the position. Having said that, obtaining certification can surely provide you a competitive edge on the job market as it demonstrates that you have the abilities and expertise required to succeed in this position.

There are numerous certification courses available, including these four well-liked choices:

HubSpot Academy’s course on content marketing (introductory course with free certificate)
Ashley Segura’s Fundamentals of Content Marketing course at Semrush Academy (introductory course with free certificate).

6. What does a content strategist portfolio look like?

Let’s say you want to work in content marketing but lack any professional training or credentials. Your greatest option in that situation is to put together a solid portfolio that highlights your abilities and experience.

Examples of your greatest work, any pertinent research you’ve done, case studies you’ve worked on, and any other materials you believe would help illustrate your suitability for the position should all be included in your portfolio.

If you don’t currently have any content to include, don’t panic; you can always start working on a few tiny freelance jobs to get things started. Or perhaps produce a few spec reports to demonstrate your abilities.

7. How to become a content strategist

There isn’t a universally applicable response to this query because the ideal path to becoming a content strategist will depend on your background and experience.

For instance, your best bet is to begin by taking some entry-level or internship positions in content marketing or related sectors if you are a recent university graduate with little to no professional experience. You will be able to do this and get some practical experience while learning the business.

However, you’ll probably need to put in a little bit more effort if you’re coming from a different industry and hoping to change careers. In this situation, you might wish to think about the following advice:

8. Next steps

Since they are in charge of creating and maintaining the information that appears on a company’s website, blog, social media channels, and other online platforms, content strategists are essential to any firm. Build a good portfolio exhibiting your greatest work if you’re interested in pursuing a career in this sector. You’ll also need to acquire the necessary knowledge and expertise.