Choosing a Content Marketer

When looking for a content marketing professional, you have overwhelming options. So beware of novice decision-making. Choosing wrong from the start will likely lead to a tangled mess of logins, passwords, and inconsistent branding that is time-consuming and costly to unravel.

Don’t begin your Content Marketing unless you are Serious and Prepared.

What to AVOID when you unleash your marketing strategy to the world

• Initially, you might choose someone within your company, but their content marketing role will likely suffer if they are too stretched and busy.
• Are you considering someone from your family or inner circle who is not a professional? Forget it. If content marketing isn’t their main focus, your online presence will appear broken and not give a trusting impression.
• There might also be someone in your network who is creative and good with a camera but lacks the experience and full spectrum of digital skills to build your brand’s presence effectively. You will miss out on valuable leads when your content goes directly to the information landfill.
• & lastly, BUYER BEWARE:  You can hire a company with big SEO promises but deliver impotent content, and all the while, you are locked into a regrettably costly contract.

It’s challenging to erase your cyberspace past, so do your due diligence. This content creator is your online representative, and you want to trust them to do an excellent job for your Small Business!

Get the Answers to these Questions Before you Hand Over the Keys to Your Online Kingdom.

• Are you attracted to their online presence? The first thing is appearances. Is their online presence attractive to you? If so, you will feel connected to their branding and want to engage.
• Is conversation easy? That is a good conversation starter if their messaging resonates with your worldview. There is someone for everybody, and every content marketer will not be for you! So, put the time in to outsource your small business’s content management to someone who intuitively aligns their creativity with your goals.
• What experience do they bring to the table? Whether you hire a team or an individual, you want your content creator to have mastered the tools of the trade and the experience to turn problems into solutions, which gets easier with experience.
• Do they possess a creative style that matches your brand’s image and has the work ethic to consistently produce digital content to keep you up-to-date on the web? 
• You might not think to ask, but are they proficient in video production, photography, Photoshop, graphic design, writing, email blasts, and web design? Do you know those things you cannot learn or do? A fundamental expectation is that they are proficient in Adobe Creative Suite Software.
• Do you bond? It is to your benefit if your digital content creator likes you. By “like,” I mean, do you connect? The bonding sensation is valuable to your relationship with the marketing person. They are your eyes, ears, and voice on the web—the employee responsible for your online reputation front-facing with your customers and prospects.

Using social media platforms for everyday sharing is straightforward. For business, however, layers of tools and resources are available to proliferate your awareness of your small business and bolster your media presence. Navigating your business profiles so they are effective and producing meaningful outcomes is a skill that an experienced content marketer will fully utilize to your benefit. Choosing your content marketing team is a Wild Card. Experienced digital creatives share many processes in common, but this typically stops where creativity and reliability begin.