Content is key for any marketing campaign, but any business will find it hard to achieve their goals without a clear content strategy.

If you currently don’t have one, you’re not alone. According to a 2020 survey by MarketingProfs, 67% of B2C marketers don’t have a documented content strategy.

The same report reveals that only 54% of companies provide optimal experiences for engagement through content.

Meanwhile, HubSpot says that just 40% of businesses say that content marketing is a very important part of their overall marketing.

This is where a content strategist comes in. As only few businesses understand the importance of having a designated specialist, having one of your team will help you gain a competitive advantage.

The question is, how do you find the best candidate for the job?

Craft a better description

It’s important to be clear about what you’re looking for. This enables applicants to determine if they’re really up for the position or not.

At the same time, you’ll spare yourself the heartache when you realise later on that they’re not up to standard.

Account for the following factors when making a listing:

Labels

Maybe you want a content-focused person on your design team or an editorial project manager to oversee publications. In that case, use those labels instead of the term ‘content strategist’.

Be straightforward and clearly define the role you’re recruiting for.

Needs

Ask yourself if you really need a content strategist. It’s possible that what you require is a social media expert, a customer service lead, or data analytics specialist.

Carefully consider what you already have in your team and what you’re missing.

Direction

Think about where this person will fit into the team. When you’re needing a strong-willed person to push your company towards your goals, a seasoned expert is the right fit.

When you want someone to introduce new ideas, an inexperienced person may bring fresh inspiration.

Skills

There aren’t a lot of legitimate experts out there so don’t get caught up with titles. Rather, focus your search on foundational skills such as video production, analytics, graphic design, SEO, blogging, or coding.

Writing and editing, of course, are prerequisites.

Budget

Determine a content strategist salary that makes sense for the role you’re trying to fill. If you’re aiming to fill a senior position, for instance, 5 USD per hour isn’t good enough to attract the right candidates.

Do your homework to find out what amount is reasonable.

Expectations

While some workers are amazing at what they do, you don’t want to ask for the moon in your job description. An unrealistic set of criteria only invites applicants to embellish their applications and over-promise during interviews. Set attainable expectations instead to appeal to qualified people.

After fully evaluating what you need, craft a listing that includes their responsibilities, your company culture, your regular expectations, and reasons they should apply.

Cast a wider net

Posting a classified on a directory won’t get you as far as it used to. The good news is that there are several ways to broaden your search, including:

Groups

LinkedIn, Facebook, and Slack have active groups where you can reach out to those who already care about content strategy.

Associates

Look back to the people you worked with in the past. Someone might be hunting for a new job in digital communication. Try asking your existing employees if they have any recommendations or referrals too.

Profiles

You might not offer a content strategist salary to attract top names but it’s worth checking their social media profiles all the same. Check who they’re following or who has caught their eye that are available for work.

Blogs

There are plenty of blogs about content and inbound marketing—and they’re hotbeds for quality contributors. You’ll also want to scour industry blogs catering to your audience for guest writers worth contacting.

Events

This doesn’t mean you should attend every marketing livestream to know who’s presenting. Look at the agenda to see who’s been invited then consider who to get in touch with to work with you.

Remote

Some of the best employees you could ever hire may be from another country altogether. Outsourcing to an offshore specialist is always a good idea, especially when you want more quality choices.

Conduct screening more precisely

Think about what matters for your team and screen applicants accordingly. Narrow the pool of candidates with these recruitment best practices:

Read blindly

During your first pass on resumes, remove all identifying information and concentrate on their skills and experience. Unbiased screening allows you to unearth the best choices.

Scan strengths

Create categories for certain traits then organise incoming applications into piles. Compare and contrast your applicants according to the criteria you’ve set.

Think broadly

Look at the bigger picture and determine what really matters and would be the best match for you. For example, Educational background might not but journalistic experience may.

Examine skills

Be sensible when asking candidates to show their expertise. Don’t waste their time with complicated deliverables. Instead, invite them to change a sample article or to respond to a fictitious email.

Invite staff

You don’t have to invite the whole team to the interview though you can include someone in the same position. Get the other team members to review materials or help with making questions too.

Write more targeted questions

Forget about the standard enquiries of “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” and “What are your weaknesses”. Ask what you actually need to know about the applicant and what they need to know about you.

Sample questions:

• Describe your ideal day of work as a content strategist.
• How do you measure and track success in your work?
• How do you manage changing deadlines and expectations?
• Describe one content project that went well for you.
• Give an example of a company that does content right – and explain what they do right.

With the right interview questions, you can get at the heart of what the role requires and what the applicant can bring to the table.

Decide and communicate more wisely

Discuss with your HR department and the rest of your staff about how you’re deciding on candidates and extending your invitation. Be as transparent with all parties involved as possible.

Upon finding the right person, strive to be genuine. Tell the team about the status of their recruitment to get everyone excited to work together.

Provide answers for any questions the applicant may have about the schedule, holidays, benefits, and so on. Be ready to negotiate when you believe they are good options for the role.

Hire the Best Content Strategist—the Easier Way

Nothing can be more overwhelming than a stack of resumes that need to be screened. If you need assistance with hiring and prefer offshore workers, we at Remote Workmate have the perfect solution for you. We provide staffing services for outsourced work.

But unlike freelancing marketplaces where you do everything yourself, we handle the heavy lifting for you, including recruitment and payroll.