When deciding your career goals, it is important to think about the qualities you already possess. Those who are excellent at debating, for example, would stand a good chance at becoming successful lawyers. However, content marketing can be a little trickier to pinpoint the exact qualities that make a successful one.
What is a Content Marketer?
The internet is full to the brim with content. From YouTube videos to blog posts, you cannot move for some kind of content when browsing the web or scrolling through social media. As a content marketer, you are responsible for creating and distributing content for a business to appeal to customers and increase profits. Not only does that mean you should acquire a master’s in content marketing, but it also means you should possess these sixteen following qualities.
1. Passion
If your goal is to become a successful content marketer, then you should have an abundance of passion. After all, you would be expected to deliver both quality and consistency in your work every single day. The role is diverse – what might work one day could have no results the next, so you must always keep in mind what your targeted audience is attracted to and mimic that within your content. That simply cannot be managed by someone who does not have passion.
It would help if you also were genuinely passionate about other people’s content online, as the more of it your digest, the better your content will be. So, before diving headfirst into a master’s in content marketing, make sure you are already interested in online content, whether that is scrolling through Twitter trends or browsing the latest headlines. Otherwise, there is no point!
2. Organization
While passion is crucial, you will not see results without organization. As a content manager, you must track engagement, keep up with research, and schedule enough content to please your targeted audience. All of this requires excellent time management skills and spectacular organization.
If you study for your master’s in content marketing online, you will get a taste of how much organization is required early on, as you will have to spend those two years scheduling your study timetable and adhering to deadlines. Once you gain your first role as a content marketer, you will already be expected to keep up with the workload, so make sure you master the art of organization early on.
3. Confidence
In the world of marketing, confidence gets you far. The reason for this is you will be speaking to and liaising with multiple different people daily, and you need the confidence to communicate clearly while convincing others of your ideas. Plus, there will most likely be opportunities during your career where you will need to deliver a speech of some sort.
If you are set on becoming a content marketer, but you struggle to feel confident each day, here are a few tricks to try –
. Practice Speaking in the Mirror
. Always Show Up Prepared
. Accept Your Flaws
. Put Yourself Out There More Often
. Never Strive for Perfection – Only Quality
4. Competitive
Marketing is a naturally competitive career, and that applies to content marketing, too. With so much content out there, it is crucial for content marketers always to be aiming higher. If you are someone who likes to come out on top, you will be more motivated to deliver the best content possible, which, in turn, will increase your chances of success. Of course, that does not mean you should beat yourself up if one of your marketing campaigns does not deliver what you expected it to – instead, it should motivate you to work harder the next time.
5. An Excellent Researcher
A large part of content marketing is research. It is not helpful to simply research content as a whole, though – you must research with both purpose and focus. This means knowing exactly who your audience is and what they want. To improve your researching skills, you should attain your master’s in content marketing, as you will learn how to come up with content ideas based on what is impactful at the time.
6. Focus
Focus is a crucial part of many careers, but especially one that is so results-driven. To succeed as a content writer, you cannot just deliver content – you must focus on the areas that will help the company tell an engaging story to bring in more customers. There is no sleeping on the job!
7. Creativity
Another important quality of a content marketer is creativity. Think about some of the most powerful pieces of content you have consumed, and the chances are they have all told a story in one way or another – something that requires a great deal of creativity and imagination. To make your content marketing career work, then, you must work on your creative skills. There are several ways to do that, such as –
-
Collaborating with Others
Sometimes, the best creative ideas come from collaboration. So, whether you are studying for your master’s in content marketing or starting your first role in marketing, create a group thinking session to come up with great ideas.
-
Keeping a Notebook
Creative ideas often hit you at the most random of times, so make sure you keep a notebook with your wherever you go, even if that’s a quick trip to your local coffee shop or bar.
-
Letting the Words Flow
The best ideas often come from a stream of consciousness, so if you are stuck on content ideas, try writing random words on a piece of paper and seeing what comes out of it.
8. Quick to Make Decisions
While quality is imperative, it will not work if you sit on an idea for too long. To be an excellent content marketer, you must hold a perfect balance between working long enough to deliver quality and making fast decisions.
9. Patience
“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.” – Arnold H. Glasow
The results from great content marketing will not always show straight away. For example, if you are starting to put out educational YouTube videos for a brand, it might take a few months to gain a consistent viewership. For this reason, it is crucial to have patience throughout your career. But, again, this links back to confidence – to have patience, you must also have confidence that the content you are delivering will work.
10. Great Writing Skills
Marketing is more about quality than it is quantity, so as a content marketer, you must deliver engaging written content. While your writing skills will improve while studying for your masters in content marketing, you should also practice other ways to develop this skill, including –
-
Writing More Often
It sounds obvious, but writing directly improves your writing skills. The best way to get better at writing is to write more often, so practice writing blog and social media posts until you nail it.
-
Always Start With a Hook
Not only does the hook serve to pull readers in, but it also gives you direction with your writing. Remember to make it as clear and assertive as possible so that your readers know what the piece is about.
-
Edit Your Writing
Editing can turn an average piece into a brilliant one, so make sure you proofread and edit your work before sending it out into the online world.
11. A Genuine Desire to Learn
Content marketing is not a field that stands still. The content that marketers are creating now will not look the same in a few years, so you must have a genuine passion for learning before applying to a master’s in content marketing. Fortunately, it means that you will never grow bored with your work for those who enjoy learning. So, if you are someone who always seeks out new information, then you might make the ideal content marketing candidate.
12. Persistence
Another needed quality for content marketers is persistence. A lot of content has little impact standing alone, but it drives real results with other pieces. Plus, many marketing campaigns do not work because they are pulled too early due to the absence of fast results. A lot of the time, they just needed time to flourish. To ensure your marketing campaigns reach the point of success, you must be consistent with your content.
13. Tech and Social Media Savvy
These days, many careers require the candidate to be tech and social-media savvy, but this is especially true for content marketers. A lot of your job will be creating content for social media, which means you not only need to create engaging content, but you also need to know how to use the sites, for example, scheduling posts.
Social media is a large part of marketing in general, so if you are planning on entering the marketing field, you should get as comfortable with it as you can. That includes Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more. If you do not already, create accounts, so you know how each social media site works. Plus, a professional social media account could even help you land a marketing role.
14. Goal-Oriented
Marketing is one of the most goal-focused careers out there. From the moment you start your master’s in content marketing to your last day of marketing, you will be striving toward both small and large goals. This is a massive plus, especially for goal-oriented people, as it will help increase your focus. So, if you are motivated by achievement, you are far more likely to thrive.
15. An Active Listener
As a content marketer, it is up to you to soak up as much information as possible, and that means actively listening, whether you are in a meeting or at a networking event. In addition, you must always be on the lookout for new information, so keep an ear out and provide your full attention to anyone in the marketing business.
16. Communication
Arguably the most important quality of a content marketer, communication is a must for anyone wanting to deliver successful marketing campaigns time and time again. That involves writing and speaking in a clear, consistent tone that easily delivers your message. If you need to work on your communication skills, your masters in content marketing are a great time to do so, so put yourself out there during projects.
How to Become a Successful Content Marketer?
-
Education
The first step to becoming a content marketer is to get educated. Fortunately, you can do this from the comfort of your own home by applying for a master’s in content marketing. It will take you around two years, and you can keep a professional role on the side for work experience and a paycheck.
-
Work Experience
Work experience is arguably even more important than a degree, so keep an eye out for marketing opportunities. Of course, you might have to intern at first, but that could give you a straight path toward a well-paid content marketing role.
-
Networking
Networking is another crucial step for starting your successful content marketing career. During your master’s in content marketing or your marketing internship, you must try to introduce yourself to as many people as possible. The connections might come in handy in the future!
-
Growing Your Skills
Next, of course, is the crucial task of growing your skills. Even if you already possess all of the fifteen qualities listed here, you will still need to improve your skillset if you dream of climbing the ranks as a content manager. That means becoming a better communicator, writer, researcher, and strategist. For true success, your growth will never end.
As you will have gathered, it takes a large variety of qualities combined with a lot of effort to become a successful content marketer. It is more than worth it, though, as the career provides stability, a promising paycheck, and endless variety.
