Hire Content Strategist: 4 Things You Need to Know

Anna Kuser 1147 Views 4 min read Share

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

There are a lot of things to consider when you want to hire content strategist, writer, or marketer. How do they work best? What does it take to manage them? How can they relate to all of your Buyer Personas? What’s the most cost effective way to get the content you need? All of these questions are important things to consider before hiring a content writer in-house. Let’s get started!

1. Writing effective content is a team sport

Every good goalie knows that they can only do so much to keep the opposition from scoring – it takes the whole team to win a game. Deciding to hire content strategist (agency partner) to manage your brand messaging and content management, is no different. Choosing to hire content strategist or two great writers is one way to create on-point messaging, but realistically they will only be able to cover one or two of your strategic bases. Inbound Marketing teams employ strong writers, editors, designers, seo experts, and web developers who have several cumulative years of education in the best ways to develop quality marketing strategies, get the most out of search engine optimization (SEO), and to design visual elements that will match your brand mission and image. In addition, inbound teams (like ours) come equipped with individuals who have experience with marketing system administration and the knowledge of pains and gaps that face customers in your particular industry. When was the last time you could find all of that in a couple of full-time employees?

2. A writer’s work needs to be constantly managed

Many of us have learned the hard way that doing your job while managing others can feel a bit like juggling paint cans – not fun and it can easily become a big sticky mess. Inbound Marketing teams come equipped with content managers who have an eye on your larger content strategy goals, and can objectively guide their content producers toward completing tasks on time and with unmatched expertise. We know that each day is a gift and that time is limited, so an expert Inbound Marketing team (like ours) make sure that our content schedules and outlines stay strong to keep us on task and knowing what lies ahead, without any unnecessary distractions. In Inbound Marketing, there is one person that plays a large role in keeping your customers engaged. If this is well managed with a dedicated strategist and editor this can go well. Like most marketing teams however, time in the day is limited, and steering the content ship can be difficult without a full team on deck.

3. It’s hard for writers to relate to all of your personas

A key part of creating strong Inbound Marketing content is to know your unique customer personas inside and out. What do they worry about? How many hours do they typically work? Do they tend to be male or female? What age groups are you most likely to be reaching through your content? What drives them to research before they want to buy? Without thorough knowledge of these factors and more, your Inbound Marketing content could be falling flat. The magic in working with an Inbound Marketing Partner is that you never have to rely on one or two people to fully understand all of your client personas. Inbound partners (like us) employ a large collective of professionals with vast experience in your industry who have intimate knowledge of your customer base and are more accurately able to gauge effective marketing content. If a team member is not quite able to grasp all of your key client personas, talented and certified teams can easily able to pull another player from the bench who can jump right in with fresh content from a different perspective. Effective Inbound Marketing hinges on knowing your top Buyer Personas really well. It’s hard for even the best writer to be able to write for multiple Personas because there’s so much to relate to.

4. Hiring an Inbound Agency Partner is often more cost effective

We definitely believe in long-term investments, but we try to stick with the smart ones. Hiring a full-time staff member will most likely yield a return of loyalty and accountability, but as employees learn more and rise in the company ranks, additional costs are inevitably tacked on. Full-time staff require periodic salary increases, vacation time, retirement benefits, training, daily management, and more. Inbound Marketing teams are always on the lookout for fresh talent to bring to the table, and ensure that their ambitious team members feel challenged, appropriately compensated, educated, and appreciated. All task delegation and expectations are managed in-house, meaning that you will never have any unexpected (or unwanted) staffing surprises. Because Inbound Marketing teams can tailor to your specific needs, there is transparency in what is expected of team members and all negotiations are handled internally – not on your dime – so that every day will be refreshingly productive.

The Bottom Line

We hope you’ve gained new insights to help you consider your options before you hire content strategist. Considering whether to hire content strategist, an in-house writer or partner with an Inbound Marketing Agency? Feel free to download and check-out our free eBook: Hire an in-house Content Writer or Partner with a Content Agency. There you can learn more about the value that Inbound Marketing teams can add to your business. It’s completely free because we believe that the only good decision is the fully-informed one. If you are looking to explore partnering with an Inbound Marketing agency, don’t be shy, let us know! You can book a time to speak with us here. We’ve helped countless marketers get better and faster results through our cost effective ongoing services.