Content is the life force of your company — that elusive elixir that drives the personality and credibility of your brand, with the magical power to turn a bland business into an industry hero.
At Influence & Co., we are in a constant state of evolution, adapting to changing industries and modes of communication while developing long-term relationships with clients. Content roles have come far from the traditional publishing production line. The content creation hub of the future is a different species, an organism with many moving parts that can painlessly adapt to changing conditions.
A modern content team can create and fine-tune content that drives traffic and conversions by easing customer pain points. And an inspiring post written by your CEO can also position your company as a thriving entity and attract applicants.
A full-blown content team is essential for developing a content strategy and effectively executing it. Here are the four main roles your team should fill:
- Editors: Editors are some of the rarest recruits and the most crucial to your content campaign. A group of editors carries the responsibility on their shoulders; they fact-check, proofread, and clean up content to make sure it packs a powerful punch.
- Chief content officer: An important strategic player, your CCO is responsible for setting content goals and targets and ensuring that those targets are met. She develops writing guidelines, oversees deadlines and budgets, and monitors each step to ensure your content’s on-strategy.
- Content creators: These are your wordsmiths, and they should form a diverse group. The best content is yielded first from subject matter experts, then molded and polished by professional writers. These writers should be schooled in the specific standards and guidelines set by the CCO.
- Publication strategists: A lot of work goes into building effective relationships with industry publications and becoming their preferred content contributors. Our company houses a team of publication strategists who are dedicated to becoming experts on the guidelines, tone, and audience of specific publications so we can target our approach.
This is only the foundation of your complex content creature. Many other roles, such as account strategists and editors dedicated to certain elements of the content strategy, can be added to make your team more powerful and precise.
Arm Your Team to Endure the Content Evolution
Now that you know the key components of a modern content team, the next job is to equip these editors, CCOs, writers, publication strategists, and other content VIPs with the tools they need to create unique, flawless content and adapt to a changing marketplace. To prepare your team to take you into the future, you should:
1. Hire for intellectual curiosity.
The surefire way to create powerful content is by engaging a team with a passion for discovering and expressing the most interesting information in the most exciting way. One of the biggest traits that Influence & Co. hires for is intellectual curiosity; everyone on our team brings a different set of skills and expertise to the table, with a passion for ideas and hard work.
2. Make content an extension of the marketing team.
Your content team should be a network of collaborators, not a collection of isolated parts. If your marketing, branding, social media, and content creation roles are all working in close contact, your content strategy will be much more effective and aligned with the overall goals of your company. Then, your unique brand story can come across clearly to your audience.
Our company also hired a group of more than 10 account strategists who have personal, dedicated relationships with individual clients. They work as an arm of their clients’ marketing departments and develop a deep understanding of their unique voices, expertise, and goals to ensure every piece of content reflects them.
3. Become a thought leader.
Expert content is a valuable branding tool that helps you build credibility and become a go-to resource for industry information and perspectives. Outsourcing some of your content production to external experts can save time and ensure that your unique insights are clearly communicated. Once you become a trusted thought leader in your industry, that reputation will drive your company into the future.
4. Emphasize education.
Content that informs and excites readers is your most powerful tool. This is how you quell customer concerns, drive traffic and conversions, and establish a loyal reader base. Education will be paramount throughout mild and extreme industry shifts, so make it your content team’s No. 1 priority.
By building your content team with care and encouraging it to grow into a creative, collaborative, and intelligent animal, you can stay on top of massive transformations in your industry and become the business beast you know you can be.
