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    Learn B2B SaaS Marketing

    Must-Have Skills for a B2B SaaS Content Marketer

    Last updated: May 27th, 2024

    Finding an A+ B2B SaaS content marketer who not only understands the nuances of B2B marketing but also has specific skills that align with your company’s goals is easier said than done.

    The right candidate will be able to craft compelling narratives and, with that, influence both lead generation and conversion rates, so focusing on a set of core skills when hiring is key.

    In this article, we present the essential content marketing skills you need to prioritize when recruiting. Learn exactly what a B2B content marketer is responsible for and how you can improve the recruitment process to ensure you only hire the very best talent. Let’s get to it.

    Main Responsibilities of a B2B Content Marketer

    SaaS content marketers are responsible for a variety of tasks and usually collaborate and work alongside other departments, especially sales.

    Key responsibilities of a SaaS content marketer include:

    • Researching competitor content and keywords to identify gaps and opportunities
    • Understanding the target audience through research and analysis
    • Strategically integrating keywords into content to improve SEO
    • Developing a content strategy and schedule that aligns with business goals
    • Repurposing and republishing existing content to maximize its value
    • Developing content for landing pages and other company pages in collaboration with the sales team
    • Creating email marketing content and managing campaigns

    With these responsibilities, there are some core skills B2B content marketers need to have to really nail the job.

    Essential Content Marketing Skills

    The skill set required of a content marketer is not limited to their writing and editing skills. They need to be able to think strategically and long-term, but also manage multiple projects with varying deadlines. They will also have to use a variety of software and tools for research and content development, so here are the essential skills you should look out for.

    Strategic Content Planning

    A talented content marketer can envision the company’s long-term goals and develop content that aligns with the overall marketing strategy. This requires a combination of critical thinking, analytical skills, and creative problem-solving skills to outmaneuver the competition.

    Research Ability

    Effective content marketing goes hand in hand with thorough research. This includes trend analysis, competitor benchmarking, and audience insights. Prioritize candidates who know how to use the latest research tools and techniques to carry out this research.

    SEO Knowledge

    Even though collaboration with SEO specialists is common, a good B2B content marketer will have a solid understanding of the latest and most effective SEO practices. This knowledge is crucial for optimizing content, implementing technical SEO changes, and developing link-building strategies.

    An Understanding of Different Marketing Channels

    There are many channels a B2B SaaS business may utilize to promote content. A B2B content marketer should be able to navigate various platforms and tailor content to fit each platform’s unique style and audience.

    High-Quality Writing

    It goes without saying that content marketers must possess excellent writing skills. Even if the position mainly requires them to manage a team of in-house copywriters or freelance writers, they still need to know how to craft compelling content and have meticulous editing skills to ensure the content is clear, coherent, and error-free.

    An Eye for Detail

    Whether it’s for editing content or designing layouts for social media posts, a keen eye for detail is essential. This skill ensures the content not only reads well but is also visually appealing and accessible across different platforms.

    Project Management

    Managing multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities is part of a content marketer’s role. To keep content initiatives on track, proficiency in project management software and time management techniques are additional must-have skills.

    Data Analytics

    To refine content strategies and measure their effectiveness, content marketers must be able to understand and interpret performance data. This involves using analytics platforms and analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify trends, track progress, and make informed decisions about future content initiatives.

    Tech Skills

    While a content marketer doesn’t have to be a tech genius, a solid foundation in tech skills is an advantage. Familiarity with content management systems, like WordPress and Wix, is a must, but knowledge of coding languages like HTML and CSS should most certainly be welcomed, as it will make troubleshooting much easier.

    Talent-Trajectory Fit: Recruit with Business Growth in Mind

    Recruiting new staff can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve made poor hiring decisions in the past. We have a solution that’ll help you find the right person for the job, and it’s called talent-trajectory fit.

    Talent-trajectory fit is the framework we’ve developed that requires you to make a connection between your business growth goals and your next hire.

    Here’s a quick run-down of the talent-trajectory fit process:

    • First, define your business growth and revenue goals. Then, identify what exactly needs to be done to achieve those goals – this is what will be required from the new hire, so it will help you shortlist the candidates.
    • When assessing applications, eliminate the unsuitable candidates immediately. Establish a criteria or skills-fit challenge to shortlist the applicants further.
    • When you move on to interviewing candidates, consider questions that take into account both demonstrable skills and intrinsic motivators. The candidate needs to have the skills to do the job, but they also need to have the drive and motivation.

    The neat thing is that the talent-trajectory fit model works in different scenarios, whether you hire completely in-house, outsource to an agency, or mix a bit of both.

    Related:

    Can You Hire a Partner For Your Content Marketing Needs?

    It’s not always necessary to hire a SaaS content marketer in-house. There’s always the option to hire a partner for your content marketing needs.

    To help you make a decision, here are the pros and cons of hiring externally or in-house:

    Hiring In-House

    Pros:

    • Develop skills over the long term that the business can retain.
    • Can build professional relationships and a network that is valuable to the business.

    Cons:

    • Slow recruitment process.
    • Time spent training and onboarding a new employee.
    • Costs of the recruitment, onboarding, and training process.

    Agency or Consultant

    Pros:

    • Ready-to-go from day one.
    • Get a range of specialist knowledge and connections to professional networks.
    • Your business is able to scale rapidly.
    • Save money on HR, recruitment, and other in-house staff overheads.

    Cons:

    • Can be expensive.
    • You need to develop a system for evaluating performance or money can be wasted.

    Do You Need a Marketing Agency or a Consultant?

    If you decide to hire externally for your marketing needs, you’ll have to choose between a marketing agency or a marketing consultant. There is a distinct difference between the two, so let’s go over a few considerations that’ll help you decide.

    • Do you currently have a functional marketing team?
      If not, then engaging a marketing agency will give you the full team and functionality you need. If you have a marketing team but need additional expertise or oversight, a consultant can offer the guidance your team needs.
    • Do you already have a marketing strategy and plan?
      If not, a marketing agency can step in to develop and implement a comprehensive content marketing strategy tailored to your business needs. If you already have a strategy or a plan, a consultant can help refine and execute it.

    Wrapping Up

    To summarize, prioritize candidates with a blend of hard skills, like exceptional writing, project management, and data analytics, and soft skills, like meticulous attention to detail, and you should find the right person for the job.

    Hiring an A+ content marketer will undoubtedly help your SaaS business grow, but so will completing a strategic assessment of business scalability. Take our SaaS scalability score self-assessment and receive an immediate scorecard to assess how scalable your business is. This will help you understand how well you attract, engage, and convert leads, which is highly beneficial for developing a successful growth strategy.

    What you should do now

    Whenever you’re ready…here are 4 ways we can help you grow your B2B software or technology business:

    1. Claim your Free Marketing Plan. If you’d like to work with us to turn your website into your best demo and trial acquisition platform, claim your FREE Marketing Plan. One of our growth experts will understand your current demand generation situation, and then suggest practical digital marketing strategies to hit your pipeline targets with certainty and predictability.
    2. If you’d like to learn the exact demand strategies we use for free, go to our blog or visit our resources section, where you can download guides, calculators, and templates we use for our most successful clients.
    3. If you’d like to work with other experts on our team or learn why we have off the charts team member satisfaction score, then see our Careers page.
    4. If you know another marketer who’d enjoy reading this page, share it with them via email, Linkedin, Twitter, or Facebook.