The core duty of a content strategist is to draft a content strategy based on the company’s products, services, and business goals. In preparing these strategies, a content strategist targets existing and prospective clients.
The typical responsibilities of a content marketing strategist involve managing content marketing data to generate leads.
In addition, content strategists are also responsible for analyzing user engagement metrics by deploying various content strategies on different social media platforms.
This article provides a detailed guide on the content strategist’s job description and their typical duties in the content marketing industry.
What Does a Content Strategist Do?
A job title content strategist is responsible for content creation, distribution, and content governance by developing and testing various search engine marketing strategies. They also manage content governance and oversee content lifecycle management to ensure consistency and quality.
Also, as good content presentation and monetization skills increase brand awareness, content strategists must ensure productive output through content creation.
Here, we have provided a list of the day-to-day duties of a content marketing strategist:
1. Analyzes User Engagement Metrics
The content strategist’s job description includes analyzing user engagement metrics. This involves conducting user research to better understand new and existing customers and prospective clients.
Data-driven insights play a crucial role in understanding these interactions.
User engagement metrics measure how much time a customer or visitor spends on a page of your website. These measurements provide a clear idea of the user’s interest. Hence, a content marketing strategist analyzes user engagement metrics to calculate product performance and web page performance.
If the data shows negative results, content strategists are responsible for developing a content strategy to enhance these metrics.
Furthermore, it is clear that for a landing page’s success, the user’s interest matters the most. Thus, an experienced strategist can quickly point out those pinpoints that catch a user’s attention, and at the same time, they can see the flaws that retract a user.
Daily Active Users (DAU) and Monthly Active Users (MAU) are two terms that enable content strategists to understand user metrics over time. A content marketing strategist then uses the gathered data to devise an even better strategy, incorporating search engine optimization to improve visibility and performance.
2. Manages Social Media Campaigns
A content strategist also manages cross-channel marketing and social media campaigns. Digital marketing encompasses various strategies, including content strategy, content creation, content distribution, social media marketing, email marketing, and cross-channel marketing.
By definition, a social media campaign is a marketing strategy that content marketers use to promote a business through various social media platforms.
As the task involves planning a content strategy to target the business goals successfully, thus this duty is also present in the content strategist job description.
They are responsible for devising a unique content strategy to promote the business’s products and services in a way that generates leads. As the main target is to increase sales, a content strategist must plan a careful content strategy. In addition, they must know the metrics obtained from user research to attract customers. Later, they use these metrics in their social media campaigns.
An experienced and successful content strategist must know how to turn potential customers into a fan base. The task is not as easy as it seems.
In addition to that, content strategists are responsible for managing content marketing campaigns and analyzing content marketing data.
A content strategist identifies specific goals and creates content that aligns with both the business objectives and the customer’s goals. The strategist is responsible for spreading the content through various social media platforms. After a specific period, the strategist analyzes the results and fine-tunes the content marketing strategy if necessary.
4. Researches and Drafts Specifications for the Brand’s Target Audience
A business generates more leads by successfully identifying audience metrics through effective content planning. Audience segmentation is crucial to this process, allowing companies to tailor their content to specific groups. It is the general duty of content marketing strategists to research user specifications.
User specification entails what a user requires from a specific business. A content strategist’s job description includes the duty to research user behaviors carefully. In addition, a content strategist is responsible for drafting the specifications of the brand’s target audience.
When they gather content marketing data, they write user specifications without ambiguity. Most successful content strategists also take the excellent approach of researching one user requirement at a time. This way, specifications become detailed and more functional. In addition, this step-by-step process allows stakeholders and SMEs to see the testing and development of each step.
Then, based on the gathered user metrics, content strategists develop and implement a plan to prioritize those requirements that benefit them the most.
5. Prepares Content Marketing Strategies
The most crucial duty in a content strategist’s job description is to prepare a successful content strategy.
Content marketing strategy attracts, engages, and retains the target audience with the business’s products and services. This approach entails creating editorial calendars, drafting articles, and reviewing existing content, podcasts, and other content types. Content ideation is crucial to this process, ensuring that fresh and relevant ideas are consistently generated.
Furthermore, a content strategist is responsible for developing a content strategy that promotes a business’s awareness and maintains the customer’s trust in you. Thus, whenever the need to purchase a product arises, the customer keeps your business in mind.
As clear from the name, these are marketing techniques that a content marketer or marketing strategist has to adapt in content creation. The main goal is to generate more revenue through these marketing strategies.
Furthermore, a content strategist’s responsibilities are not limited to preparing the written part of a content strategy but also graphics and infographics. For such tasks, they collaborate with the UX designers to achieve the goals.
6. Works on Content Promotion
Content amplification is another major duty listed in the content strategist job description. Content promotion, or amplification, is promoting content like articles and blog posts through various resources.
Effective content delivery skills are crucial for distributing content to the target audience through various marketing channels. The target is to bring inbound traffic to the content that can generate more business leads.
Again, this duty falls under the marketing campaign tasks. The promotion resources are various and, in fact, generate more leads.
One of the most useful resources is influencer marketing. The content and marketing team and strategists are responsible for connecting with influencers to market the content. In addition to that, they also promote the content through typical advertising.
Furthermore, a content strategist is also responsible for cold emailing and marketing. After all, the content strategist’s main goal is to drive as much traffic as possible to generate maximum leads.
Thus, content strategists are primarily responsible for promoting the content to raise brand awareness.
7. Sets Up Style Guides for Writing Tone
Style guides and writing tones are crucial from the user’s perspective. A content strategist’s job description entails writing style guides for a business concerning analytics obtained from user research. This process is part of content governance, ensuring all content adheres to established standards and guidelines.
A style guide is a file or template with specific layout settings and fonts. A standardized approach to content creation is necessary in the world of content creation. Thus, a content strategist must also create a style guide that is both professional and appealing to the user.
In addition, the writing tone plays a huge role in the success of content. If it is a written piece, then identifying the writing tone based on user attributes is another major task. When content strategists draft content strategies, they are also responsible for identifying the writing tone. This way, a content strategy is empowered and expected to generate the expected results.
8. Deploy the Editorial Strategy
Editorial style and writing style are two different terms. The content strategist’s job description also includes deploying the right editorial content strategy and managing the content lifecycle.
Editorial content strategy is a set of instructions experienced editors follow to make the content more consistent, engaging, and readable.
For your clarification, a writer mainly follows a writing style, while an editor follows an editorial content strategy.
A content strategist is responsible for drafting both strategies, considering the customer’s needs and business goals.
This task ensures that the content is reviewed properly and generates the expected results based on thorough user research.
9. Ensures Consistency in Content Deliverables
After writing the content strategy and content plans, a content strategist works to ensure consistency in the content deliverables through effective content governance.
Generally, content strategists automatically achieve consistency if the writers and editors properly follow the writing and editorial guides.
However, they always review the work before the final submission of deliverables. Content strategists are responsible for cross-checking the content for consistency. This consistency ensures authority and builds user trust in a business.
Consistent content strategies build business credibility in users’ eyes. Furthermore, content marketing strategists build a brand’s voice and awareness through consistent deliverables. Consistency online content also leads to better sales as traffic and web flow increase.
Thus, a content strategist’s main duty is to ensure consistency in content creation.
10. Analyzes Data and Metrics to Spot Trends
Another main duty of a content strategist is analyzing user data to detect trends. Data-driven insights can help content strategists make informed decisions about publishing relevant content based on the patterns observed in the data.
A trend is observed in user data sets over a specific period. A content strategist should be experienced enough to spot such trends, as they can directly point towards negative or positive aspects.
This practice allows a content strategist to thoroughly research user engagement metrics. Once they can spot a trend, they either use it to simplify future keyword research or eradicate certain time-consuming research steps.
Thus, when content strategists draft a content strategy, they keep such trends in mind to achieve the maximum positive results.
11. Performs Content Audits and Content Gap Analysis
Content audits and content gap analysis are two different technical duties mentioned in the content strategist job description.
A content audit is a detailed process of deeply analyzing the complete content to check its performance. A content strategist performs audits on the business’s content, whether it is on a website or some other digital app. These audits are part of content lifecycle management, enabling them to optimize the benefits for business.
In addition, content strategists audit the complete content to check a business’s performance and the accuracy with which the target goals are achieved.
On the other hand, content marketing strategists are also responsible for carrying out a content gap analysis.
In simpler terms, content gap analysis is a process of identifying holes in content. By holes, we mean where content lacks and what parts are missing. Thus, they are responsible for performing content gap analyses to check whether there are any missing pieces of information that a business needs to address to customers.
In technical terms, content audits enable a content strategist to compare the desired and achieved goals. Later, they use this data to develop new content ideas and strategies in favor of business.
Content strategists also handle ongoing and upcoming projects through their project management experience. For this purpose, they also use content management systems to execute content strategies.
Above, we have provided the basic job duties of a content strategist. The job duties of an aspiring content strategist are not limited to the above-mentioned tasks; the role mainly revolves around these tasks.
Essential Skills for a Content Strategist
Below are the skills you require to excel in a content strategist role:
Ability to Analyze Data and Interpret Insights
A content strategist thrives in a world of numbers. You must be comfortable diving into website analytics, social media insights, and user engagement metrics. But it’s not just about collecting data; the key is interpreting what it means.
Can you identify trends in audience behavior? What content types resonate most? Uncovering these hidden stories within the data will inform future content creation and ensure your strategy aligns with what your audience craves.
Write with Clarity and Captivate Your Audience
Excellent communication and writing skills are the foundation of success for a content strategist. You’ll craft various content formats, from website copy and blog posts to social media captions and email newsletters. The ability to write clearly, concisely, and engagingly is essential.
But it’s not just about grammar; you must understand your target audience and tailor your writing style to resonate with them. Inform, educate, entertain, whichever your goal, you need to write with a captivating voice that grabs attention and keeps readers hooked.
Come up with Fresh Content Ideas
Content strategists are the masterminds behind a never-ending stream of fresh content. Staying ahead of the curve and constantly brainstorming new ideas is vital. This requires a deep understanding of your audience’s needs, current industry trends, and competitor analysis.
Can you identify content gaps? Are there emerging topics you can capitalize on? Thinking creatively and strategically ensures your content calendar is brimming with innovative ideas that keep your audience engaged.
Project Management and Organizational Skills
Content strategists wear many hats. You’ll likely be managing multiple projects simultaneously, with tight deadlines and various team members involved. Here’s where your project management and organizational skills come into play.
Strong organizational skills allow you to prioritize tasks effectively, delegate efficiently, and keep projects on track. Mastering project management tools like Asana or Trello will further streamline your workflow and ensure all your content pieces come together seamlessly.
Deep Understanding of SEO and Social Media Marketing Principles
Understanding SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and social media marketing principles is crucial for a content strategist. You’ll need to be familiar with optimizing content for search engines, ensuring your content ranks well when people search for relevant topics.
Social media savvy is equally important. Understanding how to tailor content for different platforms and leverage social media to promote your work is essential for maximizing reach and engagement.
Why Businesses Need a Content Strategist?
Content is king. But simply throwing content out there isn’t enough. Businesses need a strategic approach to create content that resonates with their target audience and achieves specific goals. This is where a content strategist comes in.
Targeted Content for Increased Brand Awareness
By understanding your audience’s demographics, interests, and online behavior, you can create content that directly addresses their needs and pain points. This targeted approach allows you to reach the right people with the right message, ultimately increasing brand awareness among your ideal customers.
Content that Drives Traffic.
Data insights help you identify the type of content that performs well in search engines and social media. This allows you to optimize your content for search and tailor it for specific platforms, leading to a significant increase in website traffic.
Lead Generation and Conversion Optimization
Content can be a powerful tool for lead generation. A skilled content strategist can create content that captures leads by offering valuable information, gated content downloads, or clear calls to action. An experienced content strategist can further refine the content to optimize lead generation by tracking user behavior and analyzing conversion rates.
Building Brand Loyalty and Customer Engagement
Content that educates, entertains, and inspires fosters a connection with your audience. A well-planned content strategy can help you build brand loyalty by consistently providing valuable content that positions your company as a thought leader in your industry. This ongoing engagement with your audience strengthens customer relationships and increases brand loyalty.
A content strategist is responsible for planning and developing strategies for digital content creation, including content governance, cross-channel marketing, and content lifecycle management. The content strategy team oversees and collaborates with other teams to diligently work on generating leads, managing social media channels, raising brand awareness, and engaging prospects and customers in implementing content strategies.
The ultimate goal of these strategies is to generate leads and user visits.
A content strategist is also responsible for analyzing content marketing data and user engagement metrics to determine users’ interest in your business’s products. Furthermore, they are expected to manage multiple social media campaigns to drive inbound traffic.
User research is also a basic duty of a content strategist. Later, they use the research data to develop user specifications to inform an organization’s content management system.
Furthermore, content strategists perform content gap analyses and content audits on the content knowledge base. This way, they judge how well the business is performing and where the gaps should be addressed.
In addition, they draft content strategies for their business, using content management systems and executing content strategies.
If you think you are skilled at these tasks and have the necessary qualifications, we encourage you to apply for a content strategist’s job. A content strategist’s career is a good choice and is rewarding in terms of salary and experience.
FAQs
Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions:
What is a Content Strategist’s Salary?
According to Glassdoor, the average content strategist salary in the United States is $89k+ per year. However, not all content strategists have the same salary. The salary ranges from $36k to $248k per year. Remember that this range is valid for the 25th to 75th percentile for the available data.
However, according to Payscale, a content strategist has a base salary of $63k+ per year. The lowest recorded salary on Payscale is $44k, while the highest recorded salary for a content strategist is $101k, according to Payscale. These results are based on 1,222 salary profiles in the United States.
So, from the above two resources, we can easily develop an idea of how much content strategists are paid according to their experience.
We can conclude that an average content strategist earns a base salary that falls somewhere between $63k-$89k per year. However, there are exceptions for highly experienced and beginner-level roles.
How to Become a Content Strategist?
There’s no single path to becoming a content strategist, but a strong foundation in technical writing, communication, and digital marketing is essential. Here’s a general roadmap:
A bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, communications, marketing, or a related field is a good starting point. You can build experience by writing blog posts and articles or managing social media accounts for your own website or freelance projects.
Hone your analytical thinking, research skills, SEO knowledge, and project management abilities. Consider online courses or certifications in content marketing or social media marketing. Showcase your writing samples, content strategy case studies, or social media campaigns you’ve managed.
Attend industry events, connect with content professionals on LinkedIn, and actively apply for content strategist positions.
What are the career paths for a Content Strategist?
Content strategists can advance to leadership roles like Senior Content Strategist, Content Marketing Manager, or Director of Content. They can also specialize in specific areas like SEO content strategy, social media content strategy, or creating content for a particular industry.
What are the biggest challenges faced by Content Strategists?
Content strategists often face challenges such as keeping up with ever-changing algorithms and audience preferences, consistently creating high-quality, compelling content, and measuring the true ROI (Return on Investment) of content marketing efforts.
What are some of the tools and resources used by Content Strategists?
Content strategists rely on a variety of tools to manage their work. Some popular options include project management tools like Asana or Trello, social media scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Buffer, SEO research software tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs, and content management systems (CMS) like WordPress or HubSpot
If you are new to Content Strategy writing and are looking to break into the industry, we recommend taking our Technical Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of writing and managing technical documentation.
