How can you become a more valuable content marketer?

This is an easy answer. To stand out, you must be original. To be original, you have no choice but to add your own personality and narrative to the story. Providing information is no longer enough. You have to provide INSIGHTS, and that can only come by adding your own personal perspective.

The difference between being a good content marketer and a great one is: *deep* audience understanding This depth of understanding does NOT come from keyword research. It comes from spending time with your customers, and those departments that interact with them - sales, customer service, product, Executives. Learn their pain points, motivations and how they make decisions. Conduct 1:1 interviews, attend customer events, listen in on sales and service calls. You will learn how customers speak, what questions and concerns they have and how to make your content more relevant and useful.

Know your target audience's preferences, needs, and pain points. Create content tailored to their interests. Conduct thorough keyword research to optimize your content for search engines. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can help. Build relationships with other content marketers and influencers in your niche for collaboration and exposure

At this inflection point of content, AI and GPT, it’s important to remember that AI will most likely not replace content marketing. It will most likely replace content marketers not willing to adapt and learn how to use it effectively to streamline routine tasks and improve and optimize day-to-day processes, giving them more time to focus on creating deeper, higher-quality content that resonates with their audience. Embracing AI doesn't signify the end of content marketing but rather an opportunity for marketers to elevate their strategies and produce more impactful content. Keeping this in mind will deepen your value as a content marketing professional in the days ahead.

Might be controversial here, but straight to the point: don´t waste time and energy building "personas". Focus on hot topics and situations that has impact over a sector, business or group you need to connect with. An engaging and compelling content is the "promise land". Build it and they will come.

Don't try to be a master of everything. Get the fundamentals right before you start going into making content. Learn how to do research and gather insights and diagnose. Conversations, Experimentation, Desk Research. Learn how to build a strategy Good research will reveal the who which will tell you the Where (What is the distribution platform) then you can determine the what (What form of content) THEN the HOW - We use a long form video as our starting point and pull all other, text, images and audio from there. THEN you get to the when, which is the frequency or how often. If your company is VIDEO first then go to YouTube and learn..its free. If your company is copywriting first learn then you got to write and so on and so on

Content marketing doesn't exist in a vacuum. Collaborate with experts from various fields, both within and outside your organization.

Here are concise tips for mastering your craft as a content marketer: -Continuous Learning: Stay updated on industry trends. -Practice Writing: Regularly write and edit your work. -Basic Design Skills: Learn design principles. -Storytelling: Develop compelling storytelling abilities. -Experiment: Try new content formats and platforms. -Analytics: Analyze content performance and optimize. -Networking: Connect with peers and mentors. -Consistency: Stick to an editorial calendar. -Feedback: Embrace constructive criticism. -Set Goals: Define clear content objectives.

Never stop learning. MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute among others are my go-to sources to stay informed and knowledgeable about the latest and greatest. Also, if you haven't become HubSpot Content Marketing certified nor Content Marketing Institute certified, do so.

Trends will come and go, but there are a few things that will always help sharpen your content marketing skills: - Build relationships. Keep expanding your network of peers. And foster partnerships within your org to get more SME perspectives for your content. - Practice personally. Don't wait for company resources to work on your skills. Test out a new channel or put in more reps on a personal favorite with side projects to hone your skills. - Stay curious. You don't have to jump on every new trend immediately. But stay aware of what's going on and be flexible in the face of new trends. Plenty more things could help, but these 3 stand out most to me.

It might have been Gary Vaynerchuk who mentioned this in a video a few years ago. I'm paraphrasing but it was something like "each piece of content we publish is an opportunity to blow up or learn something" Personally as a content marketer I live by this, having published more than 2300 videos and 15,000 pieces of content in the last 7 years. This means I have 15,000 tests that I've ran to learn from. Testing is the name of the game and publishing regularly is the recipe to win. I'd suggest checking out Seth Godin's books too to learn more about marketing.

Beyond the typical metrics, delve into user behavior analytics. Track how long visitors stay on your page, what parts of the content they engage with the most, and where they drop off. Tools like heatmaps, scroll maps, and session recordings can provide valuable insights.

Testing applies to content types, formats and channels, but it also applies to the tools you use to build, localize, repurpose and scale up that content. Take advantage of AI tools to build your content briefs, including SEO and keyword research; install translation connectors or plugins in your CMS to automate the process of translating and publishing multilingual content; and test out different AI and non-AI tools for repurposing and multiplying your content into different formats, including preparing promotional content for content distribution through social media, newsletters, ads, etc.

Content Roulette: Dump the dull tests. It's not science class; it's a content party. Throw wild stuff—memes, haikus, interpretive dance videos. Forget A/B; try A to Z testing. Measure impact? Ditch the calculators, trust the vibes. Analytics are the party crashers; let content speak louder. Data's a DJ, not the boss. Your goal isn't traffic, it's a content rave. Conversions? Make it a cult following. Retention's not a metric; it's a loyalty tattoo. Experiment like content's a mad scientist's lab, not a sterile clinic. Be the wild artist, not the cautious analyst. Content's a beast; tame it with chaos.

If you've never cooked a particular dish, chances are, it won't taste as great as you hoped it would. Your content is no different. You need to be continuously experimenting, seeing what works, what doesn't, what you can add or remove to have the right balance of "ingredients" and get the right taste. Try different formats, analyze how your content performs, and do A/B testing to see what has more impact on your audience. The key is to stay humble and flexible, and let the data guide you. No opinions necessary!

We've all heard the saying, "Two heads are better than one," and this is true when it comes to content marketing. Learn from others, share what you know with them, and collaborate with those whose values align with yours. I've met amazing people through collaboration and learned so much. But what makes collaboration amazing is that you'll be exposed to the audience of whoever you're collaborating with just as they'll be exposed to yours. So it's win-win!

You become more valuable when you understand your business of content marketing AND the business you're playing in. So, if you're in SaaS, understand who that company sells to, how they sell, what the typical buyer's journey is, what are their paint points, etc. Then you can start to really address objections and grow consideration, and impact the bottom line.

Build in public. Share what you're working on with your LinkedIn network. Publish the results/efforts/learnings. Even if it "failed." Get feedback and show your willingness to iterate and experiment on your content projects.

Collaboration is essential - especially for small, or one-person content teams. By working across the company - you can find internal SME’s that can inform or star in your content - giving it more authenticity, authority, or credibility. Plus, collaborating with those in customer-facing roles will give you valuable insights that can help you to tailor your content to your audience. Being valuable as a content marketer means you are able to find and utilize all of these internal resources. This also helps to create a shared vision within the company around the content that is created. And can bring the role of content into better focus in the business strategy.

There's no way as a content marketer to be an expert in everything. Collaborating with a range of experts, both inside and outside your company, is a great way to include new voices and social proof in your content marketing efforts. Share the love. It's also a great opportunity to give women a platform to speak and share their expertise. You always have choices when inviting collaborators, and there is an opportunity to be very intentional about those choices.

One of the easiest ways for you as a content marketer or personal brand to become irrelevant or forgettable is to keep doing the same thing over and over again. People get bored easily and as human beings, our brains are wired to notice what's new (new-looking) or different. So if you want to add value and inspire others, constantly look for ways to try new ideas, bring fresh perspectives or approach an old topic or idea from a new angle. The goal is to be valuable and you can't be valuable if you're not adding value.

An excellent method to foster innovation is to seek content inspiration beyond your customary sources. While it's common to draw insights from your competitors or industry specific trends, there's also considerable value in exploring industries vastly distinct from your own. By doing so, you can discover fresh and transformative ideas to innovate and elevate your content strategy.

Think about what makes you stop scrolling. What makes you read a full email or comment on a post? What makes you hit the subscribe button? Write down some videos you remember. Why do you remember them? As a content marketer, you're trying to win over users in a saturated market. So think about your own experience as a user and get in the mindset of your fellow users while producing content. From branding techniques to entertainment niches to production tips. Learn what's working, why it's working, and vice versa, then figure out how to integrate those insights into your approach. Oh, and while you're at it, do what literally no one else is doing. Simple, right?

Innovation isn't about reinventing the wheel; it's about making it spin better or finding another angle. 💡 For e.g. Find 2 topics to talk about that you are an expert in and that are not commonly seen being talked about together, and how they can work together for maximum results. For instance: Design and Sales

Everybody tells you to create "valuable" content. But what does that even mean? Simple. If your audience would be happy to pay you $5 after reading your post, you've nailed it. This is what differentiates the average content creators from the top 1%. If you want to up your game, put yourself into your target audience's shoes. List what pains they have, and what dream outcomes they're looking for. Then create content to help them avoid those pains and get those outcomes. But don't go too fast. The typical error here is to talk about deep pains your product or service resolves, but that your audience doesn't even know about yet. Instead, talk about the symptoms, what they experience and know about. Talk about what keeps them up at night.

Learning is in the doing. Content marketing is heavily practical and experiential. Theory can help to define some concepts but unless you plan to put your hand in and actually try new things you're always going to be behind marketers with real life experience. That's why it's important not to attempt to learn many skills all at once focus on one skill at a time and as you practice, experiment and begin to become functional in that skill you can decide if you want to master it or move on to another skill that you can add to your content marketing tool box. You can add a bit of everything but the focus has to be what applicable practical skills can I add that helps on the type of client I would usually serve. How can I serve them better?

Humility is as useful to a content marketer as confidence, if not more. Be aware of what you don't know, and use that to motivate yourself to get better. Even if you think you know everything, you're definitely missing something. No one knows everything about content marketing.

Cultivate a data-driven mindset. Analyzing performance metrics, understanding audience behaviors, and adapting strategies accordingly is akin to navigating the ever-shifting currents of the digital landscape. In my own content odyssey, leveraging data insights has allowed me to refine content strategies, ensuring that every piece contributes meaningfully to overarching goals. This analytical approach not only enhances the effectiveness of your content but also positions you as a strategic content marketer who delivers measurable impact.

For me, one of the most important aspects of growing in content marketing is accepting that you're not going to excel in every single aspect of the craft, whether you feel a little weaker in strategy, as opposed to content creation or distribution. I think the first step is just accepting this, and being willing to grow from your strengths. Look to other people on your immediate team, follow top creators and industry experts on LinkedIn and YouTube, and commit to continuing education in whatever form makes the most sense to your life (i.e. webinars or podcasts, seminars or conventions, online courses, etc.). The worst thing you can do in any sort of marketing, but especially content marketing which is changing so rapidly, is stay stagnant.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit.” - Aristotle. In content marketing, or any other field, practice makes perfect. But practice is nothing without feedback. If you want to be good - ask for input. If you want to be better, ask for constructive feedback. If you want to be excellent, practice, ask, learn, improve, practice some more and then step aside, see what you've done, and start again. When writing, write everything! You never know whether that poetry, short story, piece of fiction or diary entry will lead you to a new idea or an innovative structure that you could use in your work.

Most content marketers are great at creating content. Where they can separate themselves right now is through distribution. Being able to connect the dots between what the audience wants, what you create, and how the audience engages with that content makes you more valuable. It's not enough to just create content anymore, you need a plan to get that content in front of your audience consistently.

"Valuable" content marketers are famous ones. There are three ways to get famous in content marketing. 1. Be good at your job and have an affluent and supportive employer who enters you into awards competitions and helps you win. 2. Write bylines for content marketing trade media. 3. Build up your personal brand on your own. So try one or more of these.

I have a question for you; aren't we content marketers? So, do you think we shouldn't start by personally engaging in content marketing first? In my opinion, we can only become valuable content marketers when we create content across various channels, share our knowledge with our audience, experiment with different content formats, produce and publish content continuously, and, in short, stay active. For example, I myself try to consistently create content on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. On the other hand, I have launched my own personal podcast and publish long-form content in the blog posts.

Find what makes you unique. Build on your opinions and be known for something. For me, it is strategy and storytelling. That is what I talk about, that is my point of difference. I shake up my industry with my opinions around these things too.

All other things aside, your value as a content marketer for your organization will be decided by the actual and perceived value you add to the business. If your organization's key focus is new revenue, make sure your goals and activities align with this, and measurably so. If brand awareness is a bigger priority, you'd better be looking beyond inbound leads. And so on.