How to Hire a Director of Content Marketing

3 minute read

Upland Admin

The top new marketing title recruited and hired in 2014 will be “Director of Content.” Or at least that’s what Forbes is betting on.

Why? Because companies are investing more budget than ever before in their content marketing efforts. If they want to see any return on investment, those same companies must also hire someone to manage the development and promotion of all of that content.

But, aside from writing and editing skills, what specific characteristics should you look for when hiring a director of content marketing? Here are five key qualities that will ensure you’re hiring the right person.

A director of content marketing is concerned with a lot more than just the content. One of their primary responsibilities is staying in tune with the major business objectives of the organization and aligning major content campaigns with those objectives. This person must be able to see beyond the nitty gritty—the content’s style, word count, and design—to how the content supports your companies’ overarching marketing objectives.

Whoever you choose to fill this role will be in close and constant communication with your companies’ key stakeholders to understand major marketing initiatives for the quarter, and to identify the content themes that both support those initiatives and resonate with your target audience. Without stellar communication skills, they simply won’t be able to get the job done.

In addition to managing up, the director of content marketing must also guide the content producers and editors on his or her own team. S/he is responsible for communicating the big-picture content themes to the people who are actually going to produce the content. Rather than dictating what’s going to be done and when, the director should tap into the creativity of his team by allowing them to share content ideas and granting the opportunity to implement those ideas.

Great content delights and surprises by offering something different. If your director of content isn’t comfortable pushing the boundaries and creating stand-out campaigns, your company won’t reap many benefits from the budget you’ve invested in your content operation. Make sure you’re choosing someone who thinks creatively about strategy, as well as someone who comes up with innovative new concepts for content.

A content genius who isn’t well-versed in the latest marketing trends isn’t going to be very valuable to your business. The director of content marketing should be the bridge from the creative side of your company to the business side. They need to be as comfortable talking about revenue targets with the C-suite as they are talking about wireframes with your web designer.

Finding the right person to manage your content marketing operation isn’t easy, but it’s a lot easier when you know what to look for. Keep any eye out for these qualities, and you’ll be ahead of the game.

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