The Content Marketer’s Edge: 10 Skills for Success in the Modern Era
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What do you think are the top skills content marketers need in their toolkits?
Writing and editing? Check.
SEO knowledge? Check.
Content strategy? Check.
Storytelling? Check.
Creative thinking? Check.
In truth, those skills are table stakes, especially with the onward march of generative AI. And with AI becoming a mainstay in the workplace, employers are shifting their focus from traditional qualifications to specific skills that drive success. This shift is ushering in a skills-based hiring revolution, leaving many content marketers wondering: What exactly are the in-demand skills I need to have?
Recent research from SHL, a leading talent acquisition and management platform, has uncovered the top 10 skills employers across industries are looking for. These skills, proven to be in the skillsets of high-performing employees, are also important for content marketers looking to stay ahead in their careers.
In this article, I’ll explore each of those skills, why they matter for content marketers, and how to develop them if needed, complete with examples and practical tips.
Ready? Let’s go!
1. The visionary strategist
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Content without strategy is like a ship without a rudder. You need a strategic, big-picture vision to make sure that your content maps to your company's (and team’s) broader goals.
Imagine a B2B software company whose CEO dreams of simplifying complex IT. The content strategist doesn’t just write content briefs willy nilly or churn out random blog posts. They create a complete narrative that supports the CEO’s vision, from IT troubleshooting guides to deep dives into system integration.
To develop this skill:
Check in with leadership on the long-term vision and translate it into a content plan.
Regularly sync your content strategy with the company's changing goals.
Create a vision board for your team that captures your strategic direction.
2. The big-picture thinker
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Tunnel vision won't cut it in content marketing. You need to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated ideas to create content that resonates across channels and audiences. Take a fitness app, for instance. A broad thinker expands the app’s content beyond workout routines, branching into nutrition, mental health, and work-life balance.
To develop big-picture thinking:
Read content from different industries and disciplines to spark fresh ideas.
Brainstorm with team members, sharing insights from different fields.
Link seemingly unrelated concepts to generate unique content ideas.
(Hint: My card deck—The Blog Post Inspiration Deck—is a great tool for developing unique content ideas; it helps you pull from the details of your work and life to create content that no one else on the internet can create but you.)
3. The motivator and empowerer
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A motivated team is a productive team. Imagine a content marketing manager who sparks innovation with a "Content Creator of the Month" program, recognizing writers who push boundaries and deliver exceptional content and results.
To become a motivator and empowerer:
Study leadership techniques, actively listen to your team, and celebrate wins.
Share success stories and encourage peer-to-peer appreciation.
Encourage your team to own their projects and give opportunities for growth and development.
4. The market watcher
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Keeping tabs on industry trends and competitor strategies is vital for staying relevant. For example, imagine a content marketer for a tech company who notices a surge in discussions about AI-powered writing tools on social media and industry forums. They see this as an opportunity to create timely content that addresses readers’ growing interest in the technology.
To become a watcher:
Set up Google Alerts to monitor keywords, competitors, and topics your target audience follows and get timely notifications about new developments.
Regularly review your competitors' blogs, social media posts, and websites to see what topics they’re writing about and identify gaps you can fill.
Use tools like Hootsuite or Mention to track conversations and mentions of your brand, industry, and relevant topics across social platforms.
5. The ROI guru
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If you want to win budget and prove your worth, demonstrate how your content is pulling the levers that matter. A SaaS startup's content team, for instance, might meticulously track how blog posts affect free trial sign-ups and demo requests to justify a growing budget.
To develop this skill:
Learn basic financial concepts and how to calculate content marketing ROI.
Understand which metrics leadership cares about and set up a content scoring system.
Regularly report on how your initiatives are driving leads and sales.
6. The continuous improver
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How often do you improve existing content? Resting on your laurels is a recipe for irrelevance. The most successful content marketers are always experimenting and optimizing. For example, an online course creator might consistently test different video lengths, interactive elements, and quiz styles to see what keeps learners engaged and drives higher completion rates.
To hone this skill:
A/B test everything. Experiment with headlines, calls to action, content formats, and distribution channels to find what resonates best.
Dig into your analytics data to pinpoint what's working—and not. Use this data to make informed decisions that boost your content's performance.
Ask your audience and team members for honest feedback. Their insights can be invaluable for refining your content and strategy.
(Hint: You could also ask your editor—or ask me, if you don’t have an editor. I’m always happy to review content and share how to improve it.)
7. The tech-savvy maven
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If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re not a Luddite. And that’s good, because using the right tools can supercharge how you create, distribute, and analyze content. A leadership consultant, for instance, might use AI-powered presentation software to create visually stunning slide decks that captivate clients and communicate messages powerfully. They might also use social scheduling tools to make it easier to post thought leadership content consistently.
To become a tech-savvy maven:
Subscribe to industry blogs, newsletters, and podcasts to keep tabs on the latest content marketing tools and tech.
Explore AI-powered tools for writing, editing, optimization, and distribution. I use AI tools daily—they save me time and elevate my content game.
Take workshops or online courses to sharpen your digital skills and stay on top of emerging technologies.
8. The consensus builder
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Content marketing isn't always a solo sport. If you’re in a larger organization, you might need buy-in and collaboration from others. For instance, imagine a global corporation’s content team that works hand-in-hand product marketing, customer success, and demand generation to make sure their storytelling hits broader business objectives and results in campaigns that work.
To master this skill:
Talk about your content strategy's goals, target audience, messaging, and projected results in a way everyone can understand.
Back up your ideas and proposals with hard data and show how your strategy maps to the company's larger objectives.
Build strong relationships with key people across the company. Their support might mean the difference between a successful campaign and a flop.
9. The empathetic storyteller
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Content that truly connects is content that speaks to your audience's heart and soul. Consider a sustainable fashion brand that uses its platform to show the real-life effect of ethical fashion choices. By tapping into the audience's values and emotions, the brand can build a loyal community of like-minded people.
To become an empathetic storyteller:
Create detailed audience personas that go beyond demographics. Consider instead each persona’s use cases, motivations, pain points, and aspirations.
Don't just guess what your audience wants. Have real conversations with them to understand their needs, challenges, and desires.
Weave stories into your content to evoke emotions, connect with your audience on a personal level, and inspire readers to take action.
10. The quick learner
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To stay ahead in content marketing, be a sponge for new knowledge. For example, a nimble marketing agency might encourage its team to experiment with emerging platforms, allowing them to be the first to master new tools so they can create buzzworthy campaigns.
To cultivate this skill:
View challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. The only way to fail is to stop trying.
Be a voracious information consumer. Explore online courses, workshops, conferences, and industry publications to stay on the cutting edge.
Don't be afraid to try new approaches. Learn from your successes and failures, and keep refining your strategies.
Wanted: Your human edge
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As AI continues to revolutionize content marketing, the role of the human content marketer is becoming more crucial. While AI can streamline tasks and give you valuable insights, it's your uniquely human skills—creativity, empathy, strategic thinking, and adaptability—that will set your content apart.
By mastering these 10 essential skills, you'll thrive in the modern era and become a driving force in your organization, creating content that captivates, converts, and leaves lasting impressions. The most successful content marketers are those who never stop learning and growing. Embrace the challenge, invest in your skills, and then, hold on! Your career is about to soar.
Originally published on Forbes.com