When the term content marketing was coined (around the same time Brafton was founded in 2008), every strategy was based around a skilled writer. “Content” isn’t limited to a series of keyword-dense articles, although this method was once rewarded.
It’s still imperative to have a strong writer, but you will only get so far with a content strategy that’s solely text-based. Whether you’re choosing a content marketing agency or are setting up a marketing team in-house, you need to have your brand’s best interests covered from Point A to Point B. Or in this case, strategy through production of multimedia content and seamless delivery of all formats.
In 2015, data makes the case for including diverse forms of media, not limited to but including:
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Custom images: 95% of marketers say visuals are more effective than text-only content, and 9% say it’s 10 times more effective.
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Video: 68% of B2Bs and 73% of B2Cs say videos are the most effective tools in their web marketing belts.
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Social media: 92% of marketers say social media is a content marketing tactic they use, and 72% say social content has helped them close deals.
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Marketing technology: Over the next three to five years, more than 80% of marketers will rely on technology to engage customers in conversations and build advocacy and trust.
Content marketing is more complex than it used to be. And hiring one content marketing consultant to run the entire show is optimistic, but not realistic. Even if a single team member possessed skills that ranged from video production, graphic design, and writing to web development and analytics measurement – there wouldn’t be enough time in the day to get it all done.
What you need is a content marketing team and at Brafton, that’s exactly what our content marketing agency provides. Here’s a look at some of the key players of a successful content marketing strategy:
The content marketing strategist:
Think of a content marketing strategist as the root of your online marketing efforts. Killer organizational skills, business acumen and statistical reporting prowess are only the start.
A strategist’s duties are broken down into consultancy and project management. This role requires someone who know contents and its use cases, and they have to know how to apply them to the nuances of your business. At Brafton, we think of our team of account managers and content strategists as chameleons. They can dive into data and turn raw numbers into insights on opportunities, while also acting like an extension of your team and fostering relationships among the team of content creators.
Meet a content marketing strategist: Casey Brusch joined our San Francisco team with a background in travel marketing. Casey says her biggest strength is teasing out growth opportunities within the strategies she and our editorial teams deliver.
Content writers and editors
A strong writer creates the glue that holds a page together. As our CEO Richard Pattinson put it, “good content writers are like good architects. They sketch an idea, galvanize a team and begin to assemble materials. From this blueprint everything flows.”
What makes a good content writer?
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They can find and tell stories even on „boring“ topics
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They do their research, ask questions and pick up the phone if they need an interview
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They’re creative and collaborative
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They’re confident enough to take charge of copy, but don’t have egos that make them ignore important feedback
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They’re passionate and have real-world writing experiences
At Brafton, our 170+ editorial teammates are set up like a traditional newsroom, with editors, writers, researchers and managing editors. With a variety of around 20 types of content marketing offerings, our writers are responsible for an array of different formats, including landing pages, industry news, white papers, case studies, interviews and more.
Meet a content writer: Dylan Cinti, a senior writer and white paper expert on our tech desk in Chicago, is known for his ability to make sense of highly technical topics for the average reader. Check out this blog post to learn his secrets for crafting a compelling white paper.
Video producers
There’s been a revolution in content marketing and it’s based around visuals. Take this into consideration:
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Videos and images are the most engaging formats on social media
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Websites with diverse content are rewarded more heavily in search
Simply put, having a video production team is crucial for content marketing in 2015.
At Brafton, our Director of Video Product Perry Leenhouts refers to video marketing as “the new Hollywood.” “Since brands realize that video is an essential piece of their content strategy, the creative visionaries have been able to rise to success and knock out the once-boring videos that dominated websites of the early 2000s.”
Meet a video producer: Zoe Arniotis has an extensive background in video production and photography, and brings a creative eye to our client’s on-location video shoots. “Shoots can range from basic testimonials and interviews, corporate promos, to conferences! It’s always interesting to hear what the client needs, and being able to assist them to achieve their goals.”
Designers & UX specialists
While video covers one aspect of a visual campaign, you can’t overlook having a designer who can create custom CTA buttons, images to break up blog text, infographics and custom illustrations.
Consider that almost half of website viewers are making a snap judgment of a website based solely on visual appeal. A strong designer has the creative skills to take a business concept and turn it into a compelling graphic.
Meet a graphic designer: The perk of working alongside fellow designers? Our Lead Designer Steve Colombo says it best: “We all bring different skills to the group. We all learn from each others varied design approaches and styles. There’s never a shortage of inspiration.”
Social media and email strategists
Content promoters know the mantra “if you build it, they will come” doesn’t always apply to online marketing. A company’s web presence is so much bigger than its own website – and to get people onto your website, you need to be present where they’re active, like social media and email.
A strong promotional strategist has:
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Writing chops that meet a brand’s style and tone
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A thorough knowledge of branded content that can be repurposed on multiple channels
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Data savvy to define campaign goals and measure success
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Platform knowledge to make the most of unique social networks or email providers
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Confidence to experiment with new and alternative ways to leverage the ever-changing social media and email trends
There’s a big difference between posting on social media and developing a social media strategy. Most marketers admit they’re unsure if social media is effective – but at Brafton, our teams know what data to measure to prove clear social media ROI.
Meet a social engagement strategist: Emily Joria focuses on a number of Brafton clients in the retail space. Her favorite part of the job? Experimenting with social campaigns on networks like Pinterest and Instagram. Read about how she balances innovation with proven strategies.
The behind-the-scenes web and UX developers
Marketers rely on technology more than ever, and a web developer who can bring complex content formats to life is essential. If you can’t easily publish blogs, graphics or videos on the web, your content investments will go to waste. More, online assets need to be tied to forms, ecommerce carts and related lead capturing technology to turn virtual visitors into real world revenue.
When it comes to improving site functionality and user experience, behind-the-scenes tech support is key. Web developers may often get overlooked by marketing teams, because their work doesn’t get the same visibility or recognition as content producers. But, as our tech manager John Parks said, “It’s important to have a tech team for the same reason it’s important to know a good carpenter.“ They can fix things you might not recognize were broken.
Meet a Brafton tech manager: John Parks didn’t initially picture himself in web dev. – but his academic background in game design allowed him to experience both development and basic design essentials – something he says is a rarity in tech. Learn about how he contributes to our clients content marketing success.
