What is the ideal content marketing team structure?

Content marketing can help you distinguish yourself from your competitors.   

It can even help you educate your audience, increasing the value they get from interacting with you. 

Of course, the only way it can do these things is if you can do it right. Content marketing isn’t easy to execute effectively. You’ll need a dedicated content marketing team in place with well-defined team roles. 

Here’s how to build the right one. 

What Is a Content Marketing Team?

In essence, your content marketing team should be made up of specialists with various job titles meant to help you develop content that creates awareness of what your organization is trying to build. 

Whether you work at an old-school brick-and-mortar shop or a start-up, there’s value to be had in using a content marketing team. You just need to make sure you build it the right way. 

What Is the Ideal Content Marketing Team Structure? 

Each person on your content marketing team (or, in the case of larger teams, each department), will have a specific role and skill. Those roles include:  

• Content manager 
• Content strategist 
• SEO specialist 
• Content marketing writer 
• Graphic designer 
• Social media manager 
• Videographer 

Every one of these people has a unique skill set. Whatever the makeup of your team, they’ll have to collaborate, aligning all of their work toward your team’s common mission.  

Here’s what each one of these roles will be responsible for on your content marketing team. 

Content Manager

The content manager is the leader of your team. They’ll direct workflow, track project progress, and lead any interactions with the client.  

Your content manager will operate team meetings, set the agenda and review the work of the other members of the content marketing team.

This team member should have a project management background of some kind, understanding how to hit deadlines and keep your project on track. 

From time to time, they may even generate content ideas. It helps in getting the most out of your team’s content marketing efforts. 

Content Strategist

Creating content is great, but to avoid wasted resources, you’ll also want to be sure it’s created with a specific goal in mind. To do that, you’ll need a content marketing strategy – this is where your content strategist comes in.

The strategist is responsible for: 

• Developing content ideas that match up with what you’re trying to accomplish.  
• Planning the types of content, you’ll need to publish to be successful.  
• Including all of this information in a marketing campaign strategy that the entire team can use. 

SEO Specialist 

Content marketing often helps attract customers looking for your specific solution online. 

A search engine optimization (SEO) specialist understands the ins and outs of internet algorithms. For example, they will know which keywords to use in a blog post and how to draw Google’s attention to your content.  

By performing keyword research, your SEO specialist can help get more eyes on your organization’s content. 

Content Marketing Writer

A content writer will develop your blog and other web content. While they should have a solid grasp of technical writing skills – proper spelling, grammar, etc. – they should develop content that compels your target audience to take action.  

Content writers should be effective storytellers, crafting words that persuade your reader to take a specific step. 

Graphic Designer

Often, your content will need eye-catching images to capture interest or keep the reader from getting bored. Or maybe you need an artistic eye to create logos and branding for your website.

Enter your graphic designer. 

The graphic designer takes all the components of your brand – your messaging, goals, and overall mission – and uses those to pick out striking visuals that line up with them. Their job is to visually improve your content. 

Social Media Manager

Your team’s social media manager should know how to craft effective content for platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.  

The specific platforms you use will vary depending on the type of social media goals you have. Social media managers often work together with strategists to create a social media sub-strategy. This often includes creating an editorial calendar that plots out social media posts throughout a campaign. 

Videographer

Video is one of the most popular content formats online today. A videographer who understands the finer points of video production is invaluable to your content marketing efforts. You can have your copywriter develop a script, but the videographer can: 

• Create a storyboard to plan every frame of your video.  
• Shoot the video itself, suggesting the best angles and locations for optimal results.  
• Edit the video, trimming it so that it flows tightly.  
• Suggest ways to post the video to either your website or social media channels to maximize engagement.  

A videographer understands how to perform the technical feats required of a polished, quality final product. 

The Size and Scope of Your Content Marketing Team

So how big should your content marketing team be? 

Only you can answer that question. In other words, the answer depends on the budget, resources, and scale of your campaign.  

Some teams ask one person to fill multiple roles. Others feature teams within teams, dedicating multiple staff members to one function.  

The most important factors to consider in building a content marketing team are communication and cohesion – and that all starts with your content marketing platform. 

Why Your Marketing Team Needs These Roles – and Why They Need to Work Together

All the folks described need the ability to communicate with each other. Working in silos is never good. It leads to ineffective content marketing.  

Whether your entire team is in-house or comprised of freelancers, working from the same platform will keep their efforts standardized and consistent.  

Give them a marketing platform that sets them up for success.  

Content Marketing Platform software offers solutions for every marketing challenge you can think of. Our suite of content marketing services makes planning and execution easy.