Those of us working in content strategy know that it is a rich and complicated discipline. We understand, of course, that there are different types of content strategists. But we need to remember that outside of our content strategy bubble, the discipline is still pretty new to colleagues and clients. As the discipline matures and more companies are looking to hire for content strategy, how can companies educate themselves on how to use our specific skills?
I’ve recently been on the job market. And so I’ve spent a lot of time wading through content strategy job listings and meeting with hiring managers. My experience suggests that people beginning to actively hire content specialists frequently have little understanding of what their companies need beyond a title. I would even estimate that about half of my interviews over the past few months have consisted of talking through and refining job descriptions with those sitting across the table from me.
Hiring managers at agencies, brands, and startups would do well to hire based on the type of work they want to focus on—not on a price tag or a title. Like experience design (which content strategy is sometimes folded into), content strategy has subspecialties. Some strategists veer more toward the UX side: user research, content maps, content modeling. Others specialize in PR and native advertising (social media, influencer outreach, and content discovery); still others focus more on content management systems and governance.
Some content strategists even overlap with digital strategists (considering the audience, conversion, and the larger digital ecosystem), but then also do some of the more tactical, executional work to bring these digital ecosystems to life. Others may specialize in search and organic growth. Increasingly, former journalists have started to position themselves as content strategists, using their expertise with long-form and mid-length content to cash in on the boom in native advertising work and branded content creation.
And let’s not forget how industry and categories figure into the equation. For example, if you are an ecommerce brand hiring a content strategist for a website relaunch, you may want a content strategist with past experience in ecommerce working on your site, given your specific conversion challenges. Similarly, for highly regulated spaces like financial services, healthcare, or alcohol, a content strategist with past experience navigating these categories makes sense.
If you don’t practice content strategy, talk to someone who does#section2
For any company trying to make their first content-strategy hire, the most logical place to start is talking with a real live content strategist. I don’t mean that you should reach out to a content strategist on the pretense that this is a position for them and then use an interview to pick their brain (and waste their time). For starters, that’s not very nice; furthermore, you don’t want anyone spreading the word that your company doesn’t know what it’s doing and may not be the best place to work.
No, I mean that you should formally engage a content strategist as a consultant. Have them talk to your team, take a look at your business, help write up an accurate job description, and even start recruiting through their network for the specific position you seek to fill. Chances are they know a lot of good people in their community who would be a perfect fit for the role.
Too often, I’ve seen job descriptions written by someone who is obviously not a content strategist and interviews conducted by people who don’t really understand the discipline. This is likely because, depending on the organization and the kind of content strategy work you do, your role could easily sit in Strategy, Creative, UX, Product, Communications, or PR. And if you’re a content strategist more focused on measurement and SEO, a case could even be made for Analytics. While I understand why this occurs, it ultimately means that the candidates won’t be as strong as they could be.
For companies that already have a content strategist or two on staff, it makes sense to engage them as well, even if they’re in a different location or less senior than the role for which you are currently hiring. I guarantee that the kind of feedback they give you will be invaluable.
Don’t look for “unicorns”#section3
Banish the word “unicorn” from your vocabulary—along with, for that matter, “rock star,” “ninja,” and any other ridiculous buzzword of the moment. I’ve worked in the content sphere long enough to know my own strengths and weaknesses. For example, while I’ve certainly worked on content strategy projects that required information architecture, metadata, and taxonomy expertise, I know that my sweet spot lies more in editorial strategy. I’ve learned to position myself accordingly.
Unfortunately, today’s job market sometimes views such candor as a weakness. Ours is a culture that rewards confidence. Indeed, a survey of over 400,000 hiring professionals revealed that confidence is one of the top three traits that employers say they are looking for in new hires. This is particularly true in the tech space, where much has recently been made of the confidence gap and how it negatively impacts women. As a result, during the hiring process, people can feel pressured to claim that they can “do it all” just to nail down the job. And when a hiring manager doesn’t fully understand what they are hiring for, compulsory confidence can be especially problematic.
The thing is, as a hiring manager, you should be skeptical of anyone who claims to do it all. Someone with over five years of experience who says they can do both structural content strategy and editorial content strategy equally well is likely inflating the truth. And while there may be a tiny constellation of people out there who really can do everything, it probably won’t be for the $60 per hour you are offering. Be realistic when you hire. Remember, you aren’t hiring for sales or new business; you’re hiring to get a job done. Don’t fall for the slickest kid in the room—you may find yourself with a mess on your hands.
Ask to see deliverables#section4
As you decide to move forward in the process with a candidate you’ve vetted, rather than giving them a test or a lengthy spec-work presentation, a great way to see if they’re up to the task is to request a package of some of their past deliverables. Here are some deliverables to look for based on the type of content strategist you are hiring for:
- Website relaunch: content audit, comparative audit, content matrix, editorial guidelines
- CMS redesign: taxonomy and metadata recommendations, content models, site maps, workflow recommendations
- Content strategist for an online magazine: editorial calendars, voice and tone outputs, content briefs
- Content strategist with social-media focus: social editorial calendars, examples of social content, measurement reports
- Content strategist with SEO and analytics expertise: SEO recommendations, analytics audit
Where do we go from here?#section5
Knowing that you “need” content strategy at your company is one thing; hiring the right kind of content strategist to suit your needs and goals is another. Stop wasting your and your prospective hires’ time. Ask an expert for help, stay realistic about your hires, and request the appropriate deliverables. Making an informed decision about whom you bring on board will set you and your team up for success.
What’s the best way to become a content strategist? Can you recommend some resources?
Great article – I think a similar approach would be nice for UX hires too 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the article! Kathy, in addition to A List Apart, which has some good articles, you can check out some books. A Book Apart has some good titles: https://abookapart.com/products/ However, I do think it is also about assessing your current skills and past work experience and thinking about how it intersects with the content strategy discipline — and then choosing a path (and book) that focuses on the type of content strategist you feel you are best equipped to grow into.
Thanks for the tips. I’m a journalist by background who is now dabbling in content writing, but I feel like I need to learn much, much more.
The thing is that it is a job that looks pretty simple to companies, mainly because it is new and they don’t have experience with it. It is actually a much more complex position and it is becoming increasingly important for companies to hire skilled people in that field.
Kathy, the book that first helped me transition into content strategy from tech writing was “The Content Strategist’s Bible” by Richard Sheffield. It’s a bit dated now, but still has some really valuable information about how to do CS. Probably more importantly, it’ll give you motivation and confidence. 🙂
Kathy, the book that first helped me transition into content strategy from tech writing was “The Content Strategist’s Bible” by Richard Sheffield. It’s a bit dated now, but still has some really valuable information about how to do CS. Probably more importantly, it’ll give you motivation and confidence. 🙂
The best thing I did when I got my first content strategy job was bringing along a definition of the term. Then my future boss and I went through each item and figured out which ones he needed.
At first, he was a little wary because he didn’t think there was enough writing work for them to keep me busy. But, once we fully discussed the role it was an easy decision for him to make.
So, make sure to clearly define what content strategy is before doing anything else.