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I get it. You need someone to handle your content marketing – but figuring out what kind of content marketing consultant to hire these days is complicated. That’s because there are three skill sets a good consultant should bring to the table: Strategy, Content, and Promotion. Back when I was just starting out with online marketing, if you could string together a coherent sentence with the right keywords, you were considered an SEO expert. But now it’s a whole other world.
That’s because AI tools have come into the world and changed everything. The playing field is completely different, and you need a different set of skills just to survive – not to mention, get ahead of everyone else in your industry. Although AI can be useful, the results it spits out lack any spark. What’s more, the way people consume information has also changed drastically over the last 20 years.
The Content Marketing Institute is a valuable resource for insights and statistics on content marketing strategies.
So, in order to cut through all the noise, it’s more important than ever to create engaging and interesting content that stands out from the crowd. That’s exactly what I’m going to help you do today: choose the right kind of content marketing consultant.
How to Choose the Right Content Marketing Consultant
With over 1.9 million other websites online, your website has a lot of competition when people use search engines to look for a product or service. While content marketers may have very different approaches and specialties, here are a few of the most important skills every marketer needs:
Strategy
Content marketing isn’t just about writing articles and hoping they’ll magically rise to the top of the search rankings. It requires a sound plan and strategy based on an intimate understanding of your market niche. A sound content marketing strategy should include lead generation tactics to guide consumers down the sales funnel and boost conversions.
Here are a few qualities to look for in a content marketing strategy consultant who can craft an overall content marketing strategy:
Analytical Thinking Skills
Just because a content marketing consultant can rattle off the current trends, that doesn’t mean they know how to think strategically for your specific business. You want someone with strong analytical thinking skills to pinpoint weaknesses and opportunities for creating successful content strategies. Strategic thinkers know how to analyze data from sources such as:
- Website analytics
- Market research reports
- Social media trends
They should be able to use this data to determine the effectiveness of any existing strategies. They should also use it to come up with better solutions for attracting your ideal customers and achieving your business goals.
Knowledge of Search Engine Marketing Principles
As many as 75% of people only ever look at the first page of search engine results. Your strategist must understand and use basic Search Engine Optimization or SEO principles to give you the best possible results from all of your content marketing efforts.
While a strategist won’t handle all the tiny details that make up successful SEO, they will understand how to research relevant keywords. Plus, they’ll be able to identify content opportunities, track website traffic, and measure your marketing ROI.
Organizational Skills
Believe it or not, this is probably the most overlooked, under-rated skill a content marketing consultant needs. This is because organizing a content strategy is a complex, ongoing, and ever-changing task.
If your content strategist isn’t an organized person with the ability to not only focus on your needs, but delegate to a team of writers and marketing experts, then you might find yourself scrambling to make up for their lack of organization and attention to detail.
Creating a Winning Content Marketing Strategy
A winning content marketing strategy starts with understanding a brand’s audience, defining key messaging, and creating a content strategy that aligns with the business’s goals. A meaningful strategy includes creating a cohesive and brand-aligned message that engages the target audience at various touchpoints. Content marketing consultants often cross multiple platforms and formats to create a comprehensive content plan, including a mix of content types, such as blog posts, social media, email newsletters, and more. They can help businesses develop a content strategy that incorporates search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing, driving profitable actions and increasing customer loyalty.
Content
Now it’s time to create content, but should you hire one person to create digital marketing content? I don’t think so because every content creation expert has their strengths and weaknesses. For example, some excel at creating and optimizing inbound marketing materials. Others are best for working with your internal marketing team to design infographics that quickly capture your prospects’ interest.
A good content marketing consultant must be able to:
Research
Whether you want to rank higher in search engines or simply offer engaging material to answer a common question, a good content expert must know how to conduct detailed research. There’s a lot that goes into this beyond just asking a bunch of questions into Google.
You want someone with the skillset for researching reliable sources and extracting the most valuable and relevant information for the task at hand. Research skills can be a combination of several tasks. These can include: using effective search strategies, leveraging advanced techniques, and showing a commitment to going above and beyond to validate resources and data points.
Writing and Editing
Depending on what type of content marketing you’re focusing on, you’re going to need a wordsmith with writing talent to attract visitors and guide prospects to their buying decision. Here, it’s not just about producing high-quality written work, but crafting and developing words and paragraphs that deliver meaning, context, and insights into specific content objectives.
You should expect a content creator with writing expertise to be familiar with search engine principles. They should also understand the value proposition you’re making with your offer, and what your ideal customer needs. Finally, while all writing needs editing and proofreading for clarity and to correct grammatical errors, a great content writer is their own first editor. You want someone who brings a certain level of skill and standards to all of their work, and it starts with their first draft.
This can only happen when you have solid communication. This is backed up by a study where they found that 86% of employees attributed workplace failures to either a lack of collaboration or ineffective communication.
AI Usage
You should expect your content writer to use various forms of AI technology – this includes chatbots as well as research tools for gathering data and doing initial drafts of content for articles and social media. Look for a writer who has knowledge of and experience with:
- AI SEO blog writing tools
- Content generation platforms
- Grammar and writing style assistants
With content marketing statistics from HubSpot showing us that a high percentage of businesses that consistently release new content on their blog can bring in twice as many new leads, an expert using AI wisely will leverage these advantages to their client’s benefit.
Types of Content and Channels
Content marketing consultants can help businesses create a variety of content types, including blog posts, social media posts, email newsletters, and more. They can also help businesses determine the best channels to use to reach their target audience, including social media platforms, email marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). By creating a comprehensive content plan that incorporates multiple content types and channels, businesses can increase engagement, establish brand authority, and drive profitable actions.
Promotion
Finally, you’ve created a strong content marketing plan, hired talented writers, and built your reputation with helpful, timely blog posts, podcasts, infographics, and webinars. But what if your content gets lost in a sea of competing sites with the exact same plan?
Content marketers also need to understand how to effectively get this great content seen. You want to focus on promoting content in strategic channels at specific times to achieve the results you’ve outlined as part of your goals. There are several ways you can achieve content promotion, including:
- Creating a system and schedule
- Understanding basic digital marketing agency techniques
- Making connections with influencers and content aggregators in your niche market
Here are just a few marketing consultant tasks that help support your content efforts:
Social Media Marketing
Content promotion is much more sophisticated now than it used to be. You can’t just slap an ad on social media and expect results. To stand out, it’s crucial to create unique visual and written content for promoting on social media platforms.
A recent study reported by Venngage (2020), found that nearly 70% of businesses are predicted to make heavy use of visual content in their marketing strategy efforts in 2024. The same research also revealed that infographics are the most favored tool when marketers design media campaigns, with 41.5% selecting it as the most important channel. Additionally, only 44% of those questioned felt that the Covid 19 Pandemic had much of an effect on their marketing plan for B2B.
Finally, research done by Webfx reveals that over 60% of companies utilize video content in their marketing efforts. Social media marketing, or SMM, as well as digital marketing in general, have come into the limelight after a pandemic-fueled transition. Your consultant needs to not only know how to repurpose articles and written content into visual pieces for different social media channels. They also must have a keen understanding of each of the specific networks.
Public Relations
Getting other brands, bloggers, news outlets, podcasters, and websites to talk about and link back to your site builds authority. And while your content expert must be able to write compelling copy, building links requires yet another specific set of skills.
Look for a content promoter who understands and embraces relationship building through social media and networking channels. Someone who enjoys going to trade shows, events, and workshops with the primary focus of introducing themselves to influencers as a marketing consultant is a big advantage for you. This is because the number of real-life opportunities they’ll uncover and discover is much greater than just interacting online.
In fact, you might even want to ask if they are familiar with effective trade show follow up templates. They should enjoy the challenge of connecting with the “big dogs” in your industry, with a goal of working with their team to create cross-promotional strategies to promote your brand, products, and content marketing plan. And make sure they’re in tune with the principles of link juice in SEO, as well.
Paid Marketing Campaigns
Although “organic content marketing” relies on naturally driving organic traffic from searches, you will probably be supplementing with various content marketing strategies such as Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads as part of your content marketing efforts. However, each ad channel requires its own set of highly specific skills.
What you’re looking for is a promotion expert who understands the differences between social media and organic search, as well as how to use targeting principles. This way, your marketing campaigns only show up to your ideal customer at the optimal times of day. That kind of sophisticated data mining and analysis requires ongoing research to find where the right prospect “hangs out” online, and that information is always evolving.
What I’ve always done when hiring any kind of content marketing specialist is to choose them based on how much experience they have working specifically in that promotion channel. And before I ever pay them anything, I start small to see how well their work actually converts.
So, Should You Hire ONE Person For Everything?
SEMrush found that while as many as 77% of businesses and organizations have an online content strategy, very few rate their program as anything more than satisfactory. If that’s you, then look closely at whether you should work with a freelancer who specializes in one of the three core content marketing skill sets – strategy, content, or promotion. Or look at a content marketing agency that has experts in-house to take care of your every need. The added bonus is that when you find someone you like – you keep them.
My best advice is to make a list of the top three priorities and go one at a time. Then look closely at their personality and how compatible it is with yours, because once you hire these folks – they’re on your team.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Content Marketing Consultant?
This question has a wide range of answers and depends a lot on the specialist you’re looking to hire, the region they work in, and how much experience they have. Content marketing salaries can vary significantly based on location and specialization, with data often available from talent recruitment sites. Let’s look at national rates from three different areas, The United States, Canada, and The United Kingdom:
Annual Salaries of Content Marketing ConsultantsRegionData PointsSalaryUS333 (Glassdoor)$83,000 USDCanada29 (Glassdoor)$64,240 CDNUnited Kingdom194 (Glassdoor)£41,142
So, the cost of working with a consultant could range anywhere from about $3,000 per month for a new freelancer to over $25,000 per month for a marketing consultant with decades of hands-on experience. Keep in mind, what really matters is what level of results they achieve. Often those with “fancy names” are good at selling themselves, but not good at generating leads.
Another piece of advice is to find out if the consultant has the bandwidth for taking care of things. Do they handle it all themselves? This could lead to issues if you are depending on them to complete tasks promptly and they fall behind in other areas of their business. Also, do they use project management systems and marketing tools for making your life easier? This includes sending timely status updates on how everything is progressing.
If they are going to handle strategy, content, and promotion themselves, get clear about expectations upfront. Otherwise, look for specialized individuals or consider working with a content marketing agency. The latter typically have pre-built systems and structures that are much easier than cobbling together different specialists. Also, it might be interesting to see if the company’s philosophy of content is more user-based and focused on delivering relevant search engine optimized content.
What really matters is finding the approach that fits best for what you’re looking for. And never underestimate the role a good consultant plays in getting the word out about your business – because sometimes that is the difference between success or failure. You also want to consider things that a lot of content creators avoid – one of the things you have to keep an eye on is keyword cannibalization.
FAQs about content marketing consultant
What is a content marketing consultant?
Content marketing consultants can provide businesses and individuals with help in planning and executing marketing strategies. This is done using online platforms and content such as blog posts, white papers, infographics, videos, and more. Their experience will cover three core skills: Strategy, Content Creation, and Content Promotion.
Definition and Role
A content marketing consultant is a professional who specializes in developing and implementing a content marketing strategy to engage and elicit responses from a targeted demographic. They shape how businesses communicate, persuade, and educate their audience through content, adding value to a business by providing expert guidance on content creation and strategy. A content marketing consultant is a strategist and creator who understands the mechanics of the internet and creates content that resonates with an audience, blending strategic insight with creative flair to shape content that connects with the target audience.
Benefits of Hiring a Content Marketing Consultant
Hiring a content marketing consultant can bring numerous benefits to a business. They can help increase engagement, establish brand authority, and drive profitable actions. Their work can lead to increased website traffic, social media following, and customer loyalty. Content marketing consultants can help businesses tell their stories, showcase their value, and connect with customers on a deeper level. By employing a content marketing consultant, businesses can create a community around their brand, building trust and loyalty with their target audience.
Why Turn to Content Marketing Consulting for Help?
Many businesses lack the time or marketing tools needed to execute and manage their content marketing plan. A content marketing consultant can help businesses develop a content marketing strategy that drives growth and leads. They can assess a business’s online content marketing presence and identify areas for improvement, analyzing current marketing materials, including buyer personas and project management tools. They can use Google Analytics to test a business’s website and content performance, determining goals and expectations from their content marketing efforts.
How much do content marketing consultants charge per hour?
Rates vary considerably based on geography, the consultant’s experience, and their area of specialization. Expect to pay from $30/hr for beginners up to $300/hr or more.
What does a Marketing Consultant do?
This is a very broad job title and most marketing consultants specialize in specific tasks or projects related to content marketing. They may also work with overall marketing plans for different channels, online or offline. To get the best idea of their specialties, it’s a good idea to ask about projects they’ve handled that are similar to yours.
You also want to find out if they’re going to provide written or video content to give you a sense of their skills. Ask for their website and see if they actually use what they teach in their business.
What does a content marketing specialist do?
Again, the services a content marketing specialist offers may vary based on their background. This role should cover areas including, content planning and strategy development, SEO optimization, content writing, visual content creation, and promotion.
Conclusion
Content has changed a lot. Now it’s critical for your consultant to think in terms of overall Strategy, Content, and Promotion. While a content marketing consultant can save you time and hassle – what really matters is how skilled they are at creating content that actually converts to leads and new customers.
Also, take the time to consider if you want to use AI in your media strategy. As more people rely on this technology, the noise of similar content becomes ever greater. Your consultant needs to be aware of how to help you break through that. Don’t forget that it’s important to check references. Talk to other businesses similar to yours to see if working with a content marketing consultant is really going to make a difference.