What Does a Content Writer Do as a Digital Marketer?
As a digital marketer, content writing is a core part of the job. Content writing involves creating compelling pieces of text, images, videos and other multimedia content to attract and engage target audiences online. The goal is to generate high-quality, shareable information that positions the brand as an industry thought leader and drives traffic, leads and sales.
Effective content writers thrive on research, creativity and strategy. They understand their audience intimately and produce content customized to meet specific business goals and key performance indicators. Let’s take a deeper look at the key responsibilities of a content writer working as a digital marketer.
Research Target Audiences and Competitive Landscape
Before putting pixels to screen, content writers conduct thorough audience research and competitive analysis. They identify who their target audience segments are, what interests and pains these groups have, and how the brand can uniquely address those needs. Writers also analyze what types of content are popular in their industry and niche as well as how competitors are positioning themselves through their published materials. This foundational research helps writers develop personas, messaging strategies and content plans tailored for maximum relevance and impact.
Develop Compelling Content Strategies and Calendars
Armed with audience and market insights, content writers craft overarching content strategies and monthly/quarterly editorial calendars. Strategies outline high-level goals like lead generation, brand awareness or customer retention. Calendars schedule the creation and promotion of different content assets like blog posts, social media graphics, videos, ebooks and more. They map these assets to strategic goals, search engine optimization (SEO) objectives, and the customer journey or buyer’s personas to maximize effectiveness. Calendars also synchronize content with major events, holidays and industry trends.
Generate Fresh, Engaging Content Assets
The bulk of a content writer’s time involves researching, interviewing SMEs, and crafting fresh content assets according to the editorial calendar. This includes long-form blog posts, social media updates, email newsletters, case studies, bylined articles, ebooks, infographics and other visual/multimedia content. Writers employ best practices in storytelling, formatting, and optimizing content for readability, searchability and sharing. They work cross-functionally with designers, developers and social media managers to produce polished, enterprise-quality materials on deadline.
Optimize Content for Search and Social
Content writers also understand basic search engine optimization (SEO) and social media optimization best practices. They carefully choose optimized keywords, topic clusters, alt text descriptions and other on-page elements geared towards ranking high in Google and other search engines for target keywords. Writers also optimize assets for sharing on social platforms, applying micro-formats, incorporating hashtags, and structuring copy suited for different channel behaviors. Leveraging analytics tools, content is A/B tested and iterated over time based on measurable performance data.
Promote and Analyze Content
Promoting published content across owned, earned and paid channels is also a core duty of content writers at the digital marketer level. They work with marketing and social teams to strategize paid promotions and develop organic promotion plans. Writers craft compelling social updates, handle influencer outreach, write compelling emails promoting new content to existing lists, and pitch stories to media/journalists. Omnichannel promotion requires careful tracking using analytics to continually optimize efforts for higher engagement and returns on investment.
Additional Digital Marketing Content Writing Responsibilities
Beyond the core responsibilities outlined above, experienced content writers at marketing agencies or enterprise organizations may also:
Manage content production for multiple clients simultaneously
Mentor and lead junior content producers
Refine content strategies based on ongoing campaigns KPIs
Develop unique intellectual property like white papers, case studies or ebooks
Conduct user/customer surveys, interviews and focus groups
Give talks/workshops on content marketing topics
Pursue content monetization like creating sponsored posts
Manage vendors like designers, developers, freelance writers
Report content performance metrics to stakeholders
Forecast and manage content production budgets
Skills Needed to Succeed as a Digital Marketer Content Writer
Top-tier content writing as a digital marketer relies on both hard and soft skills:
Superior writing and storytelling abilities
SEO and social media marketing acumen
Leadership, project management and collaboration expertise
Analytical thinking and data-driven optimization mindset
Creativity and passion for developing engaging experiences
Strong research, interviewing and conversation skills
Comfort presenting to both technical and non-technical groups
Mastery of content management systems like Drupal, WordPress
Video editing, audio recording and other multimedia talents
Experience developing high-stakes business content preferred
Domain expertise in multiple industries/verticals a major plus
Growth mindset for continually evolving strategies and tactics
Content writing anchors modern marketing efforts and will continue growing in strategic importance. Digital marketers with both creativity and data analysis strengths make highly valuable content leaders able to develop comprehensive programs that move the business needle. The right combination of skills, work ethic and passion can help content writers rise to the most sophisticated levels of this in-demand profession.
Andrew Stroud