Traditional marketing has changed. Consumers are bombarded with commercials, billboards, web ads and more so often, they've started to tune them out. Content marketing is one answer that has helped even small start-ups grow rapidly. And, many content marketing jobs can be done remotely. So, what exactly is content marketing and how can a work-at-home mom get started?
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing creates a relationship with the consumer through information. Most content marketing is in the form of blogs and other written resources, but infographics and videos could be utilized as well. A peanut butter company, for example, may have a blog with topics like “10 Ways To Make A Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich” or “How To Make The Best Peanut Butter Cookies.”
In content marketing, a business offers valuable information to their target audience in order to build a relationship with them. When a consumer finds a helpful blog post, they're likely to sign up for email newsletters or follow the social media page, but at the very least have heard the name of a new brand, and in a way that doesn't feel like marketing.
Most content marketing campaigns come in the form of company blogs. Content marketing is a bit different from starting a blog and earning money from the advertising on that site. Content marketing builds business-consumer relationships in order to sell a product or service.
What Skills Do Content Marketers Need?
With a large potion involving written work, content marketing is often a good fit for writers or aspiring writers. Content marketers may write blog posts, social media posts and even mini eBooks. Of course, some great content also comes in the form of infographics and videos as well, so while most content marketers are writers first, there are other specialties as well.
But writing a good blog post doesn't do much good if no one can find it. Content marketers should also know some SEO basics. There's a lot to know about SEO, but content marketers should learn how to research keywords and choose options that are likely to rank. Content marketers need to know how (and where) to use keywords in the post and other factors that affect search engine rankings, like links.
Content marketers are often creative and continually seek out new ideas to reach the target audience. They're able to handle multiple deadlines and work under pressure. Content marketers also often work with social media, so understanding the different platforms and how to reach potential customers is ideal.
How Do You Find Work In Content Marketing?
Once you have the skill set, potential content marketing professionals will need a portfolio. Getting started on a portfolio is hard (when you have no portfolio to show potential clients) but you could get started by creating content for your own blog or submitting guest posts to publications that accept them. Many content marketers work in a niche area and write about a narrow range of topics that they're knowledgeable in.
While some content marketing positions are in-house, many small companies hire freelance content marketers, often paid on a per-article basis. There are many different places to find these types of job postings—you can use a freelance platform like Upwork or set up job alerts on websites such as freelancewritinggigs.com and bloggingpro.com jobs. Online classifieds such as Craigslist may also list freelance content marketing positions.
Content marketing is a new but rewarding career. With many possibilities for telecommuting, it's a good opportunity for stay-at-home parents, particularly those with writing or even video production skills.
