A content marketing consultant helps plan and execute content marketing strategies for B2B and B2C companies.
After all, in 2021, content is still king, as one wise man once put it. But, if you are a small or medium-sized B2B business owner, chances are you don’t have enough time to spare to oversee your content marketing activities. In this article, I explain how a content strategy consultant can help you produce content that builds brand awareness and generates high-quality leads.
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4. Ignoring Data/Analytics
What Does a Content Marketing Consultant Do?
A content marketing consultant develops content marketing strategies and oversees the process of creating content marketing assets. He/she may incorporate the services of graphic designers and content writers, but he/she is still responsible for the final deliverable. Additionally, he/she/ ensures that your content is delivered in a consistent tone, with a cohesive targeted message.
Some of the content marketing assets they specialize in include;
Long and short-form SEO blog content
Ad and Landing page copy
Social media copy
Email marketing and newsletter content
Infographics
Production of marketing videos
The objective of a content strategy consultant’s work is to achieve content marketing goals such as;
boosting traffic to your website
increasing brand awareness.
Other goals include;
driving customers to your store,
shortening your sales cycle
growing newsletter signups
Of course, the measures of success of content marketing campaigns vary from one company to the next.
The benefit of hiring a content creation consultant for a small or medium-sized business owner is in the fact that you get to work with a professional at a higher level. What do I mean? Essentially, you can schedule weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings to go over your overall business goals and strategy. This allows you to focus on other parts of running your business while the content marketing consultant handles your content marketing initiatives such as ;
Social media content
SEO long and short-form blog content
Email and newsletter campaigns
Creating whitepapers
What’s more? A content marketing consultant saves you time and money because they eliminate overhead costs such as employee benefits, the need for salary raises and promotions, etc. Furthermore, he/she ensures your content is published and distributed consistently, which is vital for not only SEO but also for generating new leads for your business.
You may also be interested in: Content Optimization Strategy: Actionable Checklist for 2021
What Mistakes Do You Need to Avoid When Hiring a Content Marketing Consultant for the First Time?
Like any other hire, there are some common mistakes you need to avoid before hiring a content marketing consultant.
1. Taking a Hands-off Approach
For good reason, you may be tempted to hand over responsibility to a content marketing consultant once you have an agreement in place. I mean, he/she is an expert, right? The reality is, successful partnerships are often built on an effective working relationship between the business owner and the consultant. Such a relationship allows the content marketing consultant to get a clear understanding of your vision and identifies ways to tie the content strategy to that vision. This is only possible through consistent communication either through regular meetings that can be weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
2. Emphasizing Quantity over Quality
Naturally, you want to hit the ground running with content shared across various channels ASAP. The only problem is, this approach may end up delivering nothing tangible for your brand. Always ensure quality is at the center of any discussions you hold with a content marketing consultant. For example, 1 high-quality 3000-word SEO blog post is a high-value content marketing asset compared to 6 poorly produced 500-word blog pieces.
3. Producing General Content
Failure to understand who your audience is, the kind of content they want, and the right channels on which to deliver it to them is a recipe for disaster. You need to ensure that the content marketing consultant you are working with has this figured out from the get-go.
4. Ignoring Data/Analytics
Content marketing and measurement need to focus on the specific shift in consumer behavior and mindset that has occurred. Failure to adopt a data-based approach makes it difficult for the content creation consultant to focus on specific audiences, which is vital for creating marketing assets that attract and engage readers. This can often lead to a waste of time and resources.
Final Thoughts
Successful content marketing occurs when technology and people work together. Automation and semantics can help to filter, facilitate and uncover hidden treasures. However, the human touch – thoughtful selection and consideration of content – holds the key to creating a truly new and engaging brand experience for audiences to discover, enjoy and share.
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