I have found there are some “soft skills” that can really help your content marketing plan move the needle for your organization. While finding the right content development team is paramount — and every organization needs something a bit different — here are some of the traits I suggest looking for:
- An understanding of the customer:
- A love of learning: Content marketing is a field that is rapidly evolving, so to keep up with the trends, you need to find someone who’s constantly reading, learning, and applying the new skills they gain. Remember that sometimes the best learning experiences and most inspiring moments occur when you make the effort to break out of your regular routines.
- Willingness to innovate/experiment/fail: The best ideas are often not those that cost the most but rather those that are most creative. And, to be truly creative you need to be OK with failing sometimes. Look for someone who is willing to try new things — and learn from inevitable missteps.
- Comfort in working with technology: There are a lot of systems involved in content marketing — from email marketing to web platforms to marketing automation tools and more — and even though a managing editor does not need to be a master at all of these, it helps to have someone who has a basic understanding of how these tools work and is comfortable with incorporating new systems into his or her existing processes.
- The ability to communicate well with others: Content marketing is very much a team sport, and a managing editor needs to communicate with many different people. On one end, you need someone who is clear and diplomatic. But that person should also be strategic, business-minded, and able to communicate and justify programs with management.
