By: Viola Reynolds
Over the years, marketing has gone from simple brand promotion to a host of specialties and sub-disciplines. Today, you have search engine optimization, e-mail marketing, influencer marketing, social media marketing, and many others that fall under this umbrella. With a multitude of disciplines involved, it’s easy to lump them all together, despite each field requiring different skillsets.
One of the most popular types of marketing nowadays is content marketing, and you probably see it daily, even if you’re not aware. This approach involves creating and distributing content to attract and retain a specific target market. The digital age has enabled different kinds of content to flourish — from Buzzfeed-style list articles to informative, data-based infographics.
If you’re tired of your boring desk job and want a fulfilling, high-impact career where you get to flex your creative muscle, content marketing may be a good fit for you. Interested? Read on to find out how to start.
How do you become a content marketer?
Hone your writing skills
A brilliant marketing strategy is often based on compelling and cohesive writing. So, if you want to become a content marketer, you’ll definitely want to brush up on your grammar and spelling. The key here is to keep things short and sweet: you don’t have to be Hemingway or Shakespeare to get your point across. Additionally, make sure that your content is interesting, but also keep everything factual. Good content marketers don’t need to rely on embellishments to get results.
Develop your editorial sense
It’s easy to whip up content about your product, but fast content doesn’t necessarily mean effective content. True, you can churn out dozens of articles and blog posts touting your product’s features. But if you can’t make your readers care, then you’re just wasting your time screaming into the void. This is why it’s important to know which topics are relevant to both your product and your target audience.
Sharpening your editorial sense will help you craft valuable content that distinguishes itself from all the fluff pieces littering the internet. There are plenty of ways to do this: read a lot about your niche, listen to customer feedback, and maybe even educate yourself on journalistic news values. Not only will this build more trust for your brand, but it also makes your content more shareable — increasing mileage across all of your channels.
Strengthen your marketing background
A career shift entails a lot of hard work and re-skilling. If you’re doing so mid-career, you will likely face stiff competition, as your peers will have specialized knowledge that you don’t. And although you may have experience in other fields to bring to the table, you’ll definitely need to strengthen your credentials if you want to become a digital marketer.
Whether or not you have a marketing background, you can hone your skills further by taking an online marketing degree or one of the industry’s best content marketing courses. Aside from the flexibility, which would allow you to continue doing your day job and carry out other responsibilities, many virtual programs are just as effective and enriching as traditional degrees. These classes tackle interactive and digital marketing, consumer behavior, product development, business policies, managerial accounting, and statistics — all of which will prove useful in your practice. And with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting that 21,800 new marketing jobs will open leading up to 2028, having this knowledge base will definitely give you an edge as a content marketer.
Maximize your network
Finding your footing in the content marketing world is difficult, especially as it’s already heavily saturated. To build visibility for your services, tap into your network of family, friends, and business associates. Do note, however, that establishing trust takes time, so it’s key to persevere, even if the results are disproportionate to your efforts. If you’re consistent with the quality of your output, good reviews and word-of-mouth marketing will eventually work their magic to drive more clients to your business.
It can be terrifying to leave the comfort of your old job and venture into the competitive realm of content marketing. However, you’ll find that it’s an incredibly fulfilling career, and one that’s worth the risk. For more content advice and tips, check out our blog.
Exclusively for boscontent.com by Viola Reynolds
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Check out Boston Content’s 2021 Content Marketing Playbook for more insights on where content marketing is going in 2021.
About the Author:
Viola Reynolds
Viola Reynolds is a freelance writer and digital marketer who is currently based in New York. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and going on hikes.