If you’re new to content creation online, these are the skills you’ll need to succeed in the online world

Long before I became a digital brand marketer, I’d written for a wide range of newspapers and magazines, national and regional, even serving as senior editor for a national pregnancy magazine for a time. During an interview that marked my transition from paper-based publishing to the digital world, I was asked what skills I brought to the job. My wide range of publishing credits, I responded. I’m a strong, writer, able to create content on wildly diverse topics – good writing is good writing, whether it’s online or in print.

Looking back at that interview, I’m struck by my shocking lack of digital skills. While being a competent writer provided the vehicle to get me going on my digital journey, paying close attention to the rapidly changing signs along the way helped me stay on the road. There were more than a few dead ends, switch backs and even some traffic tickets along the way – the road was anything but smooth.

If content marketing is part of your daily life – or you’re looking to begin your journey in the world of digital marketing, you’ll need to hone a few key skills to succeed.

• Hone your copy writing skills. Content marketing for a business usually involves creating content that converts leads and drives sales. If a client is using their blog to drive sales, you’ll want to be clear and concise and include a strong Call to Action (CTA). The pace of a video script will differ from the social update for it and press releases are whole different beast. Most importantly, check your ego at the door. A good content marketer can write in the brand voice – not their own writer’s voice. The good news is that writing in a voice not your own is a learnable skill – it just takes time. And a lot of practice.
• Practice your researching and interviewing skills. Chances are you’ll be creating content on subjects that are unfamiliar to you, which means you’ll either be doing a lot of research or you’ll be interviewing subject matter experts. Content based on research will ensure you’re providing the most up-to-date information for your readers – and will improve the value of the blog from a business perspective. Interviewing subject matter experts – whether it’s on video, a podcast or in a blog post – can make your content rich and engaging. Think back to grade school and prewrite questions based on the 5W’s (and how too).
• Develop your SEO skills. Great content that no one reads is waste of resources. You may have written a brilliant blog post that (you think) is a guaranteed winner to convert customers but if you’ve used keywords that no one’s searching for, it’s useless. Make it your business to learn the basics of SEO (search engine optimization) and continue to build on those skills. Understanding not only the importance of the right keywords but how to use them in different headings will help you stand apart from other freelancers – and make you a valuable asset to the companies that hire you.
• Sharpen your editing skills. An editor once told me the average piece of writing requires 17 edits – from back in the day when everything was done on typewriters. While that number might horrify you, a good content marketer has trained themselves to not only edit for tone, texture and flow but for missed words and typos. Learning how to create content quickly is a mandatory skill for content marketers – but learning how to clean and polish that content is equally critical. Content that’s published with errors tarnishes both the business you’re writing for and your reputation as a content marketer.
• Improve your time management skills. Speaking from experience, writers are among the best procrastinators on the planet. But to be a successful content marketer, mastering time management is essential. Schedule your writing time during your most productive part of the day and be ruthless when it comes to writing quickly – and editing with speed and precision. But remember that writing – any creative pursuit – can be exhausting so build in time for not thinking too. Whether it’s going for a walk or bike ride or visiting a friend, your brain needs downtime to rest so it can be at it’s best when you need it to be.
• Learn some data analyzing skills. As a content marketer, it might not be your job to measure the reach of the content you produce. But understanding how to read and understand the analytics of a blog post (or social media) will help you make smart content suggestions. As a writer, you’ve got the creative side nailed but understanding the metrics will make your writing stronger and more focused – and will help solidify your role in the organizations you serve.

If you’re struggling with your digital strategy, I’d love to hear your questions and how I can help. Drop a comment below or shoot me an email and let’s start talking.

In the meantime, these posts might help you begin your content marketing journey:

• 10 commandments of blogging
• Creating high-quality blog content
• Social media branding – why it matters