What Does A Content Marketing Consultant Do And How To Hire One?

Everybody knows content marketing is a great way to build an online community, establish topical authority, and nurture customer relationships. 

But up to 60% of B2B marketers don't have a documented content marketing strategy. Meaning they are winging it as they go. 

Now if you were just starting out with content marketing, winging it might give you some results. But if you are looking to get some serious results from your content marketing, you may benefit from hiring a content marketing consultant. 

In thisblog, we explore the topic of content marketing consultants, what they do, what skills they bring to a content marketing team, and how to hire the best ones for your business.  

What is a content marketing consultant?

A content marketing consultant is a person who works in the field of content marketing and gives advice and guidance for improving the results of a content marketing plan. They can help you create and manage your content marketing strategy, which includes creating engaging and effective content for your website, social media, and email campaigns. 

A content marketing consultant can provide tips on how to market your content through paid and organic channels. They help business owners optimize their digital marketing strategies by providing insights into audience behavior, creating quality content, and developing search-engine-friendly content strategies.

What do content consultants do?

A content marketing consultant is a business strategist specializing in planning, executing, and measuring the success of content marketing. These professionals help businesses develop a strategy for attracting and educating their target audience through social media, SEO, email marketing, blog posts, and other forms of content creation. 

A content marketing consultant has extensive experience with all aspects of content marketing, which allows them to know how to create an effective strategy that engages customers and leads to increased conversions. 

They are able to ensure that marketing campaigns achieve their business goals. As part of the execution of the plan, they assist with the creation of great content, distribution of that content, tracking success, and other essential tasks related to the campaign.

10 must-have skills of content marketing consultants

Every content marketer must have a specific set of skills in order to contribute to the company’s bottom line. For example, a content marketing consultant has in-depth knowledge and experience in content creation that enables them to create engaging content that meets the target audience's needs and increases organic traffic on the website. 

Besides, content marketing consultants are experts in social media marketing and have the tracking skills to analyze the success of content marketing campaigns. Thus, they can help you measure the impact of content marketing strategies. 

A content marketing consultant helps in building relationships with key partners, customers, and clients through content creation. They can also help in developing a digital asset management plan to track digital assets and measure quality metrics of digital assets, such as keyword optimization, on-page optimization, and traffic generation. 

Here is a ready reckoner of the 10 must-have skills for capable content marketing consultants:

Analytical Skills

Content marketing consultants use an array of analytical skills to help businesses identify the right content for their audience, analyze traffic sources and landing pages, and develop content strategies rooted in facts. 

1. Research and data analysis: Experience with digital marketing platforms such as Google Analytics and Facebook Ads, which allows them to provide business-relevant insights into content performance. 
2. Design thinking: They must have a human-centered approach to creative marketing strategies that enables the target audience to identify with the brand's products and services.

Technical Skills

A content marketing consultant is a digital marketing professional with in-depth knowledge of content creation, social media management, email marketing, and so on. They typically offer a one-stop shop for these skills because they have experience in all areas of content marketing. 

3. Content production: They are adept in planning and creating a wide variety of content formats, such as blogs, infographics, ebooks, videos, podcasts, etc.
4. Copywriting and editing skills: Shot-from content such as ad copy and landing pages are crucial for successful content marketing. The consultant must be a master of copywriting. An ideal consultant is someone who is also able to act as the editor-in-chief of your content marketing campaigns.
5. Search Engine Optimization: As everything you do is aimed at increasing website traffic and generating business opportunities, your content marketing consultant should be experienced in on-page and off-page SEO.

Business Management and Communication Skills

For a content marketing consultant, there are a number of business management and communication skills to develop and have in their arsenal. 

6. Strategic planning: Identifying key opportunities in the existing market and planning a content marketing strategy for increasing brand awareness and attracting the target audience.
7. Project management: They must be capable of handling multiple projects with ease, as well as handling the details along the way. 
8. Storytelling: They must be a master storyteller who can effectively communicate your business value propositions to relevant audiences and grow the business online. 
9. Collaboration skills: A business consultant must be able to communicate effectively with stakeholders, team members, and customers, whether through face-to-face interaction or digital marketing.
10. Financial management: Additionally, a business consultant must know how to manage finances effectively by balancing budgets and cash flow. 

A business consultant must also be able to problem solve creatively in order to develop solutions for various business challenges. They must also have excellent people management skills as they work with teams and subordinates daily.

How much does a content marketing consultant earn? 

If you are hiring a content marketing consultant, looking at the long-term cost will give you a fair idea of the budgets you will need. Content marketing is a continuous process. Once you hire a consultant, you must look to engage with them for a considerable amount of time before you can assess the success of your hire.

Content marketing consultant salaries in the United States

In the United States, the average salary of a content marketing consultant is $68,190, with payouts ranging from $42,000/year to $110,000/year. 

Content Marketing consultant salaries in New York

New York is a costly place to live in, and naturally, the average salary of a content marketing consultant is on the higher end of the spectrum. A content marketing consultant in New York can cost anywhere from $52,000/year to $136,000/year, with the average salary being $83,686/year. 

Content Marketing consultant salaries in California

The salary for a content marketing consultant in California ranges between $47,000/year and $120,000/year, with the average being $74,943/year.

Content Marketing consultant salaries in Florida

Content marketing consultant salaries in Florida range between $39,000/year to $103,000/year, with an average of $63,485/year.

Content marketing salaries in Canada

Content marketing consultants in Canada can cost you between CA$ 43,000/year and CA$ 102,000/year, with an average salary of CA$ 66,088/year.

Content marketing salaries in Toronto

Toronto is a major city in Canada with a big pool of talented professionals. Content marketing consultants in Toronto make between CA$ 41,000/year and CA$ 91,000/year, averaging about CA$ 61,000/year.

Content marketing consultant salaries in Vancouver

In Vancouver, content marketing consultants are paid between CA$ 42,000/year and CA$ 111,000/year, with an average pay of CA$ 68,463/year.

Content marketing consultant salaries in Brampton

Content marketing consultants in Brampton make anywhere between CA$ 41,000/year and CA$ 91,000/year with an average salary of CA$ 61,116/year.

Content marketing consultant salaries in Hamilton

Content marketing consultants in Hamilton cost between CA$ 41,000/year and CA$ 91,000/year, with an average salary of CA$ 61,116/year.

Content marketing consultant salaries in Mississauga

Content marketing consultants in Mississauga, a major city in Canada, will cost you somewhere between CA$ 41,000/year and CA$ 91,000/year, averaging about CA$ 61,116/year.

Content marketing consultant salaries in the United Kingdom

The UK is another place where you will find a lot of talented content marketing professionals but at a higher price compared to other countries. The average salary of a content marketing consultant in the UK is £45,704/year, ranging from £30,000/year to £70,000/year.

Content marketing consultant salaries in London

A content marketing consultant based out of London will cost you anywhere between £34,000/year and £70,000/year, with an average salary of £48,822/year.

Content marketing consultant salaries in Birmingham

Content marketing consultants in Birmingham get paid £47,345/year on average, with £30,000/year being the lowest salary and £75,000/year being the highest salary.

Content marketing consultant salaries in Leeds

Leeds is comparatively cheaper than the previous two UK cities. Content marketing consultants in Leeds are paid between £24,000/year and £57,000/year, with an average salary of £36,866/year.

Content marketing consultant salaries in Manchester

Content marketing consultants in Manchester cost between £23,000/year and £56,000/year, with an average salary of £35,529/year.

Content marketing consultant salaries in Bradford

Content marketing consultants in Bradford get paid £36,866/year on average, with £57,000/year being the highest and £24,000/year being the lowest salary.

Content Marketing Consultant salaries based on experience

The salary of the content marketing consultant of your choice will also depend on the number of years of experience they have in the field. A content marketing consultant who is just starting their career will cost anywhere from $42,000/year to $68,000/year, depending on their educational background. 

On the other hand, the salary of a content marketing consultant with a few years of experience from a mid-senior level will cost you from $53,000/year to $88,000/year. Finally, a senior content marketing consultant with over 10+ years of experience will cost you $88,000/year to $1,10,000/year.

Questions to consider before hiring content marketing consultant

Before hiring a content marketing consultant, it's important to consider a range of qualities. A content marketing consultant's expertise in the industry is vital, as is their evidence of success with customers. 

Ideally, the content marketing consultant will have experience creating engaging content that targets specific audiences and solving problems using content strategies. In addition to this, keyword research, competitor analysis, and content management are all important services to ask for. 

Here are a few important questions to ask while hiring a content marketing consultant:

• What is your content creation process?
  
  The answer to this question will inform you about the creative process that the candidate follows and the quality checks that your company’s content will go through if you were to hire the individual.
  
  
• How do you brainstorm ideas for a content marketing campaign?
  
  This question will give you a sneak peek into their thought process and help you understand whether they will be able to deliver truly original content ideas for your company.
  
  
• What are your favorite tools for managing and tracking content marketing campaigns?
  
  This question is a must, as it will help you understand the versatility of the content marketing consultant in using the most effective tools for campaigns.
  
  
• How do you ensure that your content gets maximum visibility?
  
  A content marketing consultant must have more than one way of ensuring that your content gets maximum visibility. The answer to this question will help you understand the marketing strategies in the candidate’s arsenal.
  
  
• What are the most important aspects of a content brief?
  
  Content briefs form the basis of all content creation. The candidate you are interviewing should have a concrete answer to this question that details each and every step in the process of creating content briefs and ensuring the highest quality of content creation.
  
  
• What is our company’s voice according to you? And how do you plan to bring that out through content?
  
  A well-prepared candidate will have a ready answer to this question. They should have researched your company and prepared a working content marketing strategy according to their perception of your company’s brand voice.
  
  
• What is the biggest challenge that you face in content marketing?
  
  Content marketing is a challenging field, and the candidate you are interviewing must have faced these challenges while working with previous organizations. Ask this question to get a better idea of how they overcome the challenges of content marketing.
  
  

The answer to these questions should help you understand the thought process of candidates and shine some light on their technical and creative skills. 

Pros and cons of hiring content marketing consultants

A content marketing consultant can be a valuable asset for any business looking to improve its content marketing strategy. However, it's important to consider both the pros and cons before making a decision on hiring one. 

Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of hiring a content marketing consultant to help you make an informed decision.

Pros of hiring a content marketing consultant:

1. Expertise: A consultant brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table, which can be leveraged to improve the effectiveness of a company's content marketing strategy.
2. Fresh perspective: An outside perspective can help identify new opportunities and areas for improvement that may not have been obvious to internal staff.
3. Time-saving: Hiring a consultant can save time and resources for a company, as they can handle the implementation and execution of a content marketing strategy.
4. Cost-effective: A consultant can be hired on a project basis, which can be more cost-effective than hiring a full-time employee.

Cons of hiring a content marketing consultant:

1. Cost: Hiring a consultant can be expensive, especially for small businesses or startups.
2. Dependence: A company may become too dependent on the consultant, leading to a lack of ownership and accountability for the content marketing strategy.
3. Lack of understanding: A consultant may not fully understand the company's business, culture, and audience, which can lead to a disconnect between the content marketing strategy and the company's goals.
4. Limited duration: The consultant’s engagement will be limited to a specific period, and after that, it will be difficult to sustain the momentum.

Is there a better way to scale up your content marketing efforts?

Hiring a content marketing consultant can be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. Further, finding the right consultant with the necessary skills and experience can also be a challenge. On the other hand, AI-powered platforms can automate many content marketing tasks. 

You can use these AI-enabled platforms to research topics, create content briefs, write content, and optimize it for search engines. This can help save time and money compared to hiring a consultant and can also provide a more efficient and effective solution for your content marketing needs. 

Introducing Scalenut, an AI-powered SEO and content marketing platform that can revolutionize the way your business approaches content marketing. With Scalenut, you can research, plan, create, and execute content marketing campaigns all in one place and at a fraction of the cost of hiring a content marketing consultant. 

Our AI technology uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyze data and generate insights to help you target the right audience with the right message.

Scalenut's user-friendly interface makes it easy for businesses of any size to plan and execute effective content marketing campaigns without the need for specialized knowledge or expertise. With its ability to automate repetitive tasks and optimize content for search engines, Scalenut can help you save time and resources while improving the effectiveness of your content marketing strategy.

Don't let the high cost of hiring a content marketing consultant hold you back from reaching your target audience. With Scalenut, you can achieve your content marketing goals at a fraction of the cost and with ease. Try Scalenut today and see the difference it can make for your business!