8 "Soft" Skills Content Marketers Need
I remember being asked to define content marketing when I first interviewed at Uberflip. More specifically, how I would describe it to my grandmother who had zero knowledge of marketing in general (no offense to all the techie grannies out there!). I remember looking at my blank piece of paper and writing the words: “Creating content to attract customers.” Looking back now, those words have more meaning than ever.
Here are 8 skills that could help you thrive if you are looking to build a career in content marketing:
1. Collaboration Skills
Forget about working in a cubicle all day without talking to anyone. The idea of finding, creating and sharing content is better done as a group. Ever heard the phrase "two heads are better than one"? Here at Uberflip we believe that 5, 6, or 7 heads are better than one! That’s why we hold weekly meetings for content brainstorms. Everyone has different thoughts and concepts to offer, and by getting together we are best able to think of relevant and interesting content for our users. The sales team offers content ideas that vary from the content ideas of the success and marketing teams. By putting our heads together, we're able to better offer content that is specifically related to what users are looking for.
2. Communication Skills
People skills and communication skills go a long way in content marketing. Sharing content is best done when it is precise, concise, and useful. The purpose of content marketing is to use content to attract and retain customers. There has been a shift in focus from “the art of selling” to “the art of communicating.” Great communication skills are crucial when talking to customers about your product. You want to be able to share what your product does, and, more importantly, you want to be able to educate customers to a point where they realize that they need your product and understand how it will help them. You want to pull your customers in rather than push information onto them, and without great communication skills you’ll be talking in circles for a while.
3. Initiative
No day is the same in the world of content marketing. Content must be relevant, so it’s very important to stay on top of trends and keep ahead of the game. What this means is simple: read, read, READ. Bring your ideas to the table, suggest a topic, explain why you think it’s important. Don’t be afraid to share with others what you think should be talked about. Chances are you may be working at a company where the concept of content marketing is fairly new, so why not bring ideas on how to implement processes and tools to help make your day-to-day more effective?
4. Teaching And Knowledge Sharing
The beauty of working in content marketing (ONE of the many wonderful things) is that, while not a new form of marketing, its almost ubiquitous use as a marketing tactic that we see today is fairly new. While content sharing and storytelling has been around for ages, marketing practices are now starting to use content as a tool for conversions. This means that it is constantly evolving and new knowledge is being created every day. At work, this means that regardless of the type of content you are creating, you will always learn something new and you will always pay it forward. Be prepared to share and receive knowledge on a daily basis.
5. An "Inbound State of Mind"
To work in content marketing, you need to have an inbound mindset. If you aren’t used to thinking about inbound then at the very least, you must be willing to shift and realign your thinking. Inbound and content marketing work closely together (inbound and content marketing — what’s the difference?). The idea behind inbound marketing is that content is created to attract and pull customers in and convert them through content (good and relevant content that is). As content marketers at Uberflip, our main goal is to empower content, and without an inbound mindset, this would not be possible.
6. Creativity
This one may sound obvious, but if you do not have the desire to create awesome, interesting, relevant and exciting content (get the idea?) on a daily basis, then maybe content marketing isn’t for you. Writing blog posts may not always be part of your job description but you should always have the desire to help with content creation by offering ideas. Knowing the content that is being created front to back is crucial to having a successful career in this industry. Being knowledgeable of the content your colleague is writing in the cubicle next to you is just as important.
7. Storytelling Skills
What makes brands like LinkedIn, Nike, and Coca Cola so powerful, is that they sell more than a product; they sell a story. You’ll notice in the evolution of marketing that people aren’t interested in the hard facts, but rather in stories. Being able to tell a good story plays a crucial role in content marketing. A good story attracts customers, builds trust, and helps in converting leads into customers. At Uberflip we love to tell our story, but more importantly we help our customers’ content perform, which, in turn, helps them tell their story.
8. Adaptability
At the end of the day, one of the most important soft skills needed to succeed in any workplace is adaptability. The ability to adapt to and absorb the company’s culture and beliefs will be the greatest tool for building a strong career. Being “the right fit” will play a crucial role in the success of someone’s growth within a company. Here at Uberflip, diversity is valued and and team bonding is an important part of the company culture.
If you’re reading this and thinking “that’s me!” then perhaps a career at the intersection of marketing and content is right for you. There’s something extremely rewarding when a customer comes back and says, “Thank you, that was awesome.” If that gives you the warm 'n' fuzzies too, then a career in content marketing could be right up your alley.