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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Content Marketing Specialist

💰 $55,000 - $95,000

MarketingContentDigital MarketingSEO

🎯 Role Definition

The Content Marketing Specialist is an experienced practitioner who develops and executes a content strategy that attracts, engages, and converts target audiences. This role combines strategic planning, hands-on content creation (long-form and short-form), SEO optimization, cross-channel distribution, and measurable performance management. The ideal candidate partners tightly with product, demand generation, design, and sales teams to deliver content that supports the buyer's journey, improves organic search visibility, and generates qualified leads.


📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Content Writer or Copywriter
  • Marketing Coordinator or Social Media Coordinator
  • SEO Specialist or Digital Marketing Associate

Advancement To:

  • Senior Content Marketing Specialist
  • Content Manager or Editorial Manager
  • Head of Content / Content Director
  • Demand Generation Manager or Growth Marketing Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • SEO Specialist / Organic Search Lead
  • Product Marketing Manager
  • Social Media Manager
  • Content Strategist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and own a measurable content strategy and editorial calendar aligned to company goals (organic traffic, lead generation, retention), including topic clusters, pillar content, and campaign-based content to support demand generation and product launches.
  • Produce, edit, and publish high-quality long-form blog posts, thought leadership articles, white papers, case studies, and ebooks that communicate value propositions clearly and drive organic search growth.
  • Conduct comprehensive keyword research and competitive content gap analysis using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to inform content topics, on-page SEO, and targeting for buyer personas at different funnel stages.
  • Optimize content for on-page SEO including headlines, meta titles and descriptions, H-tags, internal linking, image alt tags, and schema/structured data to improve CTR and search rankings.
  • Create persuasive landing pages, product pages, and conversion-focused copy with clear CTAs in partnership with UX/design to maximize conversion rate and measurable lead outcomes.
  • Manage the publishing process in the CMS (WordPress, HubSpot, or similar), ensuring content is properly formatted, tagged, and scheduled according to the editorial calendar.
  • Collaborate with designers, videographers, and motion designers to produce multimedia content (infographics, videos, slide decks) and repurpose long-form content into visual and social formats.
  • Build and maintain an efficient content production workflow—writing briefs, assigning tasks to freelancers or internal stakeholders, editing, QA, and publishing—to meet recurring and campaign deadlines.
  • Produce and execute content distribution and amplification plans across organic social, email, syndication partners, and paid promotion to maximize reach and engagement.
  • Create and optimize email marketing content and nurture sequences in marketing automation platforms (HubSpot, Marketo) to support lead scoring and lifecycle marketing.
  • Develop sales enablement materials (one-pagers, product sheets, case studies, battle cards) that equip the sales team with relevant, up-to-date content for conversion and pipeline acceleration.
  • Track, analyze, and report on content performance metrics (organic sessions, backlinks, leads generated, engagement, bounce rate, time on page, conversion rate) and iterate content based on data and insights.
  • A/B test headlines, page layouts, CTA copy, and distribution tactics to continuously improve content performance and conversion outcomes.
  • Maintain editorial style, brand voice, and content governance guidelines to ensure consistency, legal/compliance adherence, and quality across all touchpoints.
  • Conduct subject-matter expert (SME) interviews and customer research to surface stories, use cases, and proof points that improve credibility and conversion.
  • Maintain and optimize a content library and taxonomy to enable reuse, localization, and quick access for cross-functional teams.
  • Coordinate localization and translation workflows for global content, ensuring nuance, SEO, and cultural appropriateness in target regions.
  • Manage relationships with external agencies, freelance writers, and SEO consultants, including scope definitions, briefs, timelines, and quality control.
  • Maintain knowledge of SEO algorithm updates, content marketing trends, and competitive activity to proactively adapt strategy and seize new organic opportunities.
  • Implement technical SEO and content recommendations in collaboration with web developers (sitemaps, crawlability, canonical tags, page speed optimizations).
  • Use analytics platforms (Google Analytics, GA4, Looker Studio) and dashboards to visualize content impact and tie content activity to business KPIs such as MQLs, SQLs, ARR influence.
  • Develop and present regular content performance reviews and strategic recommendations to product, marketing leadership, and executive stakeholders.
  • Prioritize content roadmap items based on a combination of search opportunity, business impact, and resource capacity to maximize ROI.
  • Mentor junior content contributors or interns and provide writing, SEO, and storytelling feedback to raise overall team capability.

Secondary Functions

  • Support cross-functional campaign launches by providing content assets, timelines, and requirements to paid media and demand generation teams.
  • Assist in competitive intelligence and content benchmarking to identify white-space opportunities for thought leadership and product positioning.
  • Evaluate and recommend content tools and technologies (CMS plugins, SEO platforms, content analytics) to improve efficiency and measurement.
  • Contribute to brand and product messaging workshops and help translate positioning into content frameworks for campaigns and product pages.
  • Participate in editorial planning sessions, sprint planning, and standups to align content production with broader marketing initiatives.
  • Conduct occasional onsite or remote customer interviews and record testimonials to be converted into written or video case studies.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • SEO strategy and execution (keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO basics).
  • Content strategy development and editorial calendar management.
  • Long-form writing and copywriting for web, email, and landing pages with strong grammar and storytelling ability.
  • CMS experience (WordPress, HubSpot CMS, Contentful, or equivalent) and managing published assets.
  • Web analytics proficiency (Google Analytics/GA4, Looker Studio, or equivalent) and translating data into content decisions.
  • Familiarity with SEO and content tools: Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, Screaming Frog, Surfer SEO.
  • Experience with marketing automation and CRM platforms (HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, Salesforce) for lead nurturing and reporting.
  • Basic HTML and CSS understanding to troubleshoot formatting and implement simple on-page changes.
  • Experience producing or managing multimedia content (video scripting, basic editing, and asset repurposing).
  • A/B testing and CRO fundamentals (Optimizely, VWO, Google Optimize experience preferred).
  • Keyword mapping, content gap analysis, and topic cluster/pillar content modeling.
  • Ability to create content briefs, wireframes, and SEO-optimized outlines for writers and agencies.
  • Familiarity with content governance, legal/compliance review cycles, and copyright best practices.
  • Proficiency with collaborative tools: Google Workspace, Notion, Asana, Trello, or similar project management tools.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to simplify complex concepts for target audiences.
  • Strong stakeholder management—able to align cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
  • Analytical mindset with a focus on data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
  • Exceptional attention to detail and editorial judgment for tone, accuracy, and brand consistency.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to balance recurring editorial needs with campaign-driven work.
  • Creative thinking and storytelling capability to craft compelling narratives that resonate with audiences.
  • Adaptability to work in fast-paced environments and pivot strategy based on performance or market changes.
  • Collaboration and team-oriented approach, comfortable mentoring junior writers and coordinating vendors.
  • Project management skills to run multi-channel content initiatives from brief to launch.
  • Problem-solving orientation and a bias toward action when closing content gaps or resolving publishing issues.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, English, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s with marketing/SEO certifications (HubSpot Content Marketing, Google Analytics/GA4, SEMrush Academy).
  • Master’s degree in Marketing, Communications, or related discipline is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Marketing
  • Communications
  • Journalism
  • English / Creative Writing
  • Digital Media / Media Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of hands-on content marketing experience for a Content Marketing Specialist role (B2B or B2C).

Preferred:

  • 3–7 years with demonstrated success in SEO-driven content programs, content performance optimization, and cross-channel distribution.
  • Proven portfolio of published work: blogs, white papers, landing pages, email sequences, and multimedia content.
  • Experience working with marketing automation platforms and integrating content with lead-scoring and lifecycle marketing programs.
  • Prior experience in SaaS, tech, B2B, or vertical-focused industries (finance, healthcare, e-commerce) advantageous.
  • Demonstrated track record of driving organic growth, inbound leads, and measurable business outcomes through content initiatives.