What To Look For In A Content Specialist
Are you a small business owner not getting the website traffic you want?
Or maybe you’re looking for a way to convert more website traffic into paying customers.
Perhaps you just don’t have enough hours in your day to continually give your business website the attention it needs.
Regardless of the reason, it’s likely that you may be on the hunt for a digital content specialist to help you with your website and online marketing needs.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the top things you need to consider when searching for a content specialist.
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Contents
What Is A Content Specialist?
If you’re new to online SEO, the first question you may have is…
“What is a web content specialist?”
In a nutshell, a content specialist is the creative genius behind your online marketing strategy.
A truly great content specialist is:
A creative visionary – A great content specialist is also a content strategist, with the ability to envision the full picture of your marketing strategy as well as every small step and detail needed to reach the end goal.
An outstanding storyteller – An exceptional content specialist is also a skilled content creator, able to pen amazing stories that leave readers wanting more.
An expert marketer – A first-rate content specialist is also an expert marketer, keeping his finger on the pulse of the target audience with the skills and ability to steer the marketing campaign in a direction that specifically appeals to the targeted audience.
What Does A Content Specialist Do?
Now that you know what a content specialist is, you might be wondering…
“What does a web content specialist do?”
Content specialists can help all businesses, small or large, in a multitude of ways.
Content specialists are often hired to:
Boost website SEO
Increase online presence
Drive targeted traffic to the website
Generate revenue for the company
Write targeted website content that provides value to the reader
If your business is lacking in any of these areas it may be worth it to bring on a content specialist to assist your business.
Why Do Businesses Even Need A Content Specialist? (Or Access to One)
So, how can a web content specialist help my business?
Let’s take a look at a case study for the company, Chiavaye.
Owner Kaylyn was stuck spinning her wheels but getting nowhere.
Previously relying solely on paid advertising, once Google shut down her account she had no way to generate sales.
She tried creating her own weekly blog content but lacked the time or the expertise to generate and follow a strategic marketing plan.
She tried outsourcing to foreign “content specialists” only to be given garbage content.
Then she found Portland SEO Growth and everything changed.
Our team here at Portland SEO Growth created a highly individualized strategic marketing campaign for Chiavaye and got to work implementing it.
After only a few short months Chiavaye saw:
Organic visitors increase from 14 to 3,060 per month
Twice the online sales
Increased social engagement
If you’re finding yourself in a situation such as Kaylyn, spinning your wheels but getting nowhere fast, you can request a FREE SEO Audit for your business.
Just like Kaylyn, you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain for your business.
5 Things You Absolutely Should Look For In A Content Marketing Specialist
If you are on the hunt for a top-notch content specialist, there are a few specific characteristics you want to look for.
A good content specialist needs to have more characteristics than just being able to write a blog post, article, or social media update.
Ideally, you’re going to want to find a content specialist that has a proven track record of:
- Understanding the end-user
- Knowing the marketing process and understanding the customer journey
- Conducting keyword research and understanding how SEO works
- Writing content that speaks directly to the client or customers
- Creating strong call-to-actions in order to convert browsers into buyers
1. Understands The End-User (Client Or Customer)
First and foremost, a truly successful content specialist has to know their audience.
They cannot create or write content without knowing exactly who their messaging is trying to reach.
Content that does not meet the users’ needs within the first few sentences will not be read. Users will simply click on to the next link, in search of something more relevant and appealing.
Identifying and understanding the target audience allows your content specialist to create content that resonates with the audience. When content resonates with someone, it makes them more likely to engage with your business, which will often lead to the reader becoming a paying customer.
It is crucial that your content specialist:
Understands the end-user
Understands the end-user’s problem
Creates content that engages and resonates with the end-user
Showcases your business as being able to solve the end-user’s problem
Why Is This CRITICAL To Have In A Content Writer?
Unless your content specialist knows how to tap into your target audience and really hook them, it’s likely that you won’t see a truly beneficial ROI no matter how many dollars you throw their way.
It is entirely possible to have a website full of Pulitzer prize quality writing and still not see conversions. At the end of the day, even well-written content will not prove beneficial unless it’s actually being read.
In today’s competitive and faced-paced online market, you have got to offer your readers more than well-written content.
Maintaining a customer base can be demanding. They are looking for content that they find relevant, engaging, and most of all – able to solve the problem they are facing.
Users scroll through content quickly, in search of something interesting enough to stop the scroll and entice them to read further.
Great content can naturally build a great audience over time. But without a content specialist that truly understands the end-user, it’s likely that the attracted audience isn’t going to be the best audience for your company.
Understanding your business’s target audience enables your content specialist to not only create great content but to also create the right content.
At the end of the day, creating the right content is what will lead to more conversions and an ROI for you as a business owner.
2. Knows The Marketing Process And Understands The Customer Journey
In addition to being able to accurately identify the target audience, the content specialist must also clearly understand the marketing process and where the client/customer is in the customer journey.
This enables them to create content that meets the audience where they are in their journey.
In today’s digital age, most of the customer’s journey takes place online. Buyers are now able to conduct their research and answer the majority of their questions with a few simple clicks and online searches.
In most cases, by the time a consumer reaches out to a business or salesperson they are in the end stages of their customer journey. They have most likely already made the majority of their decisions and are close the making their purchase.
Why Is This CRITICAL To Have In A Content Writer?
Understanding this customer journey and being able to create a targeted marketing strategy that meets the target audience where they are in this journey is a crucial aspect of an accomplished content specialist.
Having a clear understanding of where your target audience is in their customer journey and being able to leverage that knowledge within your business’s marketing strategy allows your content specialist to carefully craft content that is in alignment with the particular stage your audience is in.
Consumers who are in the “Awareness Stage,” for example, are searching for content very different from consumers in the “Conversion Stage.”
In order for your marketing strategy to successfully convert visitors into buyers, it is vital that your content specialist is creating content that meets your audience where they are in their customer journey and gently leads them through the remaining stages towards conversion.
3. Conducts Keyword Research And Understands How SEO Works
A content specialist has to know how to conduct keyword research and how SEO works so they can create optimized content. This is how their content is going to be found online by the end-user.
Essentially, they can create the best content in the world but if the end-user doesn’t find it, it’s all for naught.
Many people claim to be experts at this – but it is vital that you find someone with a proven track record of getting results from their SEO strategy.
Why Is This CRITICAL To Have In A Content Writer?
In order to understand why this is such a critical component of a seasoned content specialist, let’s take a look at the case study of CoreLearn.
CoreLearn is an educational consulting company that was stuck trying to generate website traffic.
They’d become frustrated that, even though they were creating lots of content, they were not seeing an increase in organic traffic.
So, what was the problem?
They didn’t understand how SEO works. Although they were creating massive amounts of content, they were not conducting keyword research and the content they were creating was not created with SEO in mind.
Then they partnered with Portland SEO Growth.
Our expert team created a highly detailed and specific SEO strategy based on extensive keyword research.
Through the implementation of this SEO strategy, CoreLearn’s organic traffic skyrocketed from 3,149 visitors per month to 35,537 visitors per month in only 3 months.
As you can see, our team here at Portland SEO Growth is comprised of professionals with a proven track record of getting results.
If you’re finding yourself frustrated at your lack of growth, you can request a free SEO Audit to find out how we can help you formulate a strong SEO plan and grow your business, too!
4. Writes Copy That Speaks Directly To Clients/Customers
A content specialist has to be able to create content that speaks directly to the end-user.
Your content specialist should create a brand voice for your company, but it’s important that this brand voice matches the tone and style of your target audience.
Once your brand voice has been established, it’s important that all of your content adheres to this same tone so that you are able to effectively communicate with your targeted audience.
When your content specialist is able to provide meaningful content, pictures, graphics, and videos that the customer can relate to, this is when your content becomes truly powerful.
Why Is This CRITICAL To Have In A Content Writer?
Powerful copy is not copy written with the intention to sell.
Powerful copy is, essentially, a conversation with the consumer.
It is critical that your content specialist provides content that is:
Relatable to your audience
Interesting and engaging for your audience
Providing true value to your audience
Addressing the problems and needs of your audience
When content meets the above guidelines, website visitors naturally convert into buyers on their own, with no hard sales tactics needed.
5. Creates Calls To Action That Convert
One of the main reasons that most websites fail to convert visitors into buying customers is the absence of a strong call to action.
If you’re unfamiliar with SEO marketing practices, you might be wondering…
“What is a call to action?”
Essentially, a call to action is any piece of content that causes a viewer to perform a specific action, such as ‘click here’ or ‘buy now.’
If your website is lacking a strong and effective call to action, you could be missing out big time on customer conversions.
Why Is This CRITICAL To Have In A Content Writer?
At the end of the day, content and copy have to convert prospects into paying clients or customers.
An effective call to action will capitalize on a reader’s likelihood to take the next step by clearly illustrating to the reader the benefits received by following the call to action.
Failing to provide a strong and effective call to action is like fumbling the ball during the last play of the game…
No matter how much time, energy, and money you have put into your marketing strategy, if you drop the ball during the crucial final step, all of that hard work will be wasted.
It is vital that your content specialist has the ability to create a call to action that will compel the prospect to buy.
