EPISODE 31: The Two Types of Content Creators (Task-Focused + Strategy-Focused)

Jessi:
Welcome to the Brand Your Voice Podcast, where we’re digging into how you can create personality-driven content that connects and converts. I’m Jessi…

Marie:
…and I’m Marie. We’re the co-founders of North Star Messaging + Strategy, where we support business owners in outsourcing content without sacrificing authenticity.

Jessi:
Every brand has a unique voice that sets it apart. We're digging into how to capture the way your brand communicates from the words you use to the stories you tell. So you can create more compelling content that strategically helps you meet your business goals.

Marie:
And if you choose to outsource that content, you'll be able to do so with confidence, knowing your brand voice is in good hands and you can reclaim your time. We're so glad you're here and hope you enjoy this episode.
Well, hello and welcome to another episode of the Brand Your Voice Podcast. And today we're talking about the two types of content creators, and yes, of course there's many more than two different types of content creators, but we're talking about content creators who are more task focused versus those who are more strategy focused. And of course there's not, you know, a line and everybody is on one side or the other. But this is an episode that we hope will be helpful for those content creators and for anybody who wants to work with them. So CEOs, if you're trying to decide like what kind of person to hire or work with, this is a really useful dichotomy, I guess, to think about.

Jessi:
Yeah, absolutely. And so just to kind of lay the groundwork for what we mean when we say a task focus versus a strategy focused content creator, this really refers to what type of work is the content creator doing and responsible for and how much of a voice do they have to direct the content itself? And as Marie mentioned, it's not necessarily, you're all one or all the other. You may have a blend of these two. But from a writer perspective, sometimes you run into clients who are looking to hire for one specific area or the other. You may have a client who is outsourcing their blog posts and knows exactly what topics they want. They know exactly how long they want them. They have their keywords figured out. They just need someone to do the writing. On the other hand, you may have a client who is actually in the process of developing their blogging strategy. And so they want a little more input into what kind of posts would be the best for my audience. What makes the most sense, given my own strategic goals in my business, both of those clients can be really, really great clients for a content creator, but they do require slightly different skill sets and a little bit different focus as you go into the relationship.

Marie:
Yeah. And if you're a writer who's, I could do either of those things, I can be a chameleon. I can go in with a strategy that is already laid out for me, or I can be the person to spearhead that strategy and then execute upon it. Or if you're, you know, a CEO who's like, I don't really know what I need, or some projects maybe have a strategy and some don't, that's okay. It doesn't mean that you need to like find, you know, people always like, well, who's your integrator and who's your, like, it doesn't mean you have to find like just a task focused, or maybe like two different writers, one who is more task focused and one who is more strategy focused. Chances are, you can probably find one who can do either. It's really more, just a matter of like having those clear expectations from the beginning so that the CEO can either spearhead sort of that conversation or the writer can, whoever's listening to this conversation.
I mean, for us, I think that's where we've run into trouble with clients is when expectations were not clear from the beginning. And that's on us, right? Because like we can ask those questions and now we often do, or we infer it from the conversations we have. Cause like, there's been times when we've tried to butt-in with strategy for client who doesn't actually want it because they have something that's working for them. And then they're just like, wow, this is a really clunky, unnecessarily complicated process. And I feel like you're just undermining the strategy you already have. But then there's also been, you know, instances where we've seen like a CEO suddenly really needs content support and they just like panic and go straight to a writer. And they're like, I just, I just need you to write something for me. And I just need you to turn, but there's no strategy in place. And the writer may not realize that at first, because maybe there's like a specific reason that the, that the CEO came to them. Like for instance, at the beginning of the pandemic, they were like, I need some content and it's kind of looks on the surface. Like they've got a strategy and then you get a couple of weeks into it and you're like, Oh no, there's no roadmap at all. And so maybe that's something I can support with. Right. And so having those expectations on the front end, through conversation and just like being really honest with each other is a good way to start off a project.

Jessi:
Yeah. And I want to be really clear here too, that there's not a right or wrong way to go about this. If you were the type of content creator who really enjoys task focused writing, you really just want someone to hand you what to write so that you can write it. There's nothing wrong with that. And on the other side of things, there's nothing wrong with someone who's a little more strategy focused. Uh, and I think what is important is to be really clear from the beginning where your strengths are and what kind of work you want to do, how involved you want to be, or don't want to be in the strategy, because there is a difference and that completely reshapes the relationship that you might have with your clients. There's a big difference between a client who's saying, Hey, write this versus a client that is bringing you into a conversation where you are able to make suggestions or, you know, provide feedback around the strategy they already have and where that's an expectation of the writer. And while it is helpful for writers to always have knowledge and strategy, if you're actively providing strategic advice and strategic input, that is a different type of relationship and different type of contract between you and your client then if you are just focused on writing something that is handed to you.

Marie:
Right? I mean, at the end of the day, what this includes is strategy consultation. And so CEOs and writers, please be aware that this can often come with a higher price tag. So writers, if you find yourself doing consults, and it's effective and you're enjoying the work, like raise your price on that. And CEO's please expect to pay a bit more for a writer who's going to be a bit of a hybrid between, you know, somebody who turns and somebody who's a bit more strategic. So, again, nothing wrong with either one at all, it's just helpful to even like have this, this model of like different types of writers in different types of content needs in mind so that you kind of know that you're working with the right person and they're, you know, you're going to be supportive for each other.
But I think at the end of the day, what I want to lean into is, just a reminder that regardless of what kind of writer you are or working with brand voice is the key. Because if you are writing sort of pre-assigned pre-strategized content, or you're helping with deeper strategy, you've got to know how the brand communicates that is a given through all this process. And so, oftentimes in that brand voice process for us, we will discover how much strategy is there. How much of a clear vision does the CEO have for where the business is going so the content can reflect that. And so it may be something where you may not really find out until you start having those deeper conversations.

Jessi:
Yeah. And if you are a writer who is not super involved in the strategy, maybe your client has a director of marketing or someone who is spearheading the strategy who is separate from you. And your job is just to write the content. In that case, the brand voice becomes almost even more important because you have to take that strategy that someone else created. So you don't have the same sort of investment in it and make sure that it is reflected in the client's voice accurately. When you're involved in the strategy, at least that's my personal experience, when I'm involved in the strategy on a deeper level, it's easier for me to slide into the brand voice naturally because I'm having so many conversations around not just the strategy itself, but the vision of what this content is going to do and the vision of how the business is going to evolve. And that makes easier to just take on the brand voice and kind of chameleon yourself into it. When you are writing in a task based style, you don't necessarily have as many close contacts with the client about things that really give you the stronger sense of brand voice. So making sure that you are asking questions that allow you to sink into the brand voice means that that content, that you are turning out and creating based off of something that someone is handing, you still sounds really aligned with the goals and with the voice of the client.

Marie:
And I mean, if you're looking for a way to be really invaluable as a content creator, as a writer, I really believe brand voice is the number one way to do that because you're reducing the rounds of revisions. So that means you're actually taking things off the business owner's plate, and you're really making them feel heard and understood. And that also means that there's going to be more instant connection there between the audience and the brand. So, I say always start there, and sort of see where it goes. So in terms of, you know, how do you sort of, where do you go from here? I think what we want to do is talk a bit first to our writers who are listening and then we'll talk with our CEOs who are listening. So do you want to kick it off Jessi?

Jessi:
Yeah. And I want to start by, and we're going to talk about this in a future episode about those sales calls that writers have with their clients and that, you know, CEOs may have with writers, but I think it's important that this conversation starts right from the beginning. And so as a writer, regardless of which camp you fall in, or if it's a hybrid of the two going into any conversation that you have with a potential client, knowing where you fall is really important. And if you have an established relationship with a client and you notice, Oh, they hired me for really just task based writing and I'm doing more strategy having it set up so that you can revisit your relationship and make those adjustments is really important. And to do all of that, you have to be really self-aware of the type of service that you're providing.
So as a writer, you need to ask yourself some questions around the type of content creation you are. So what do you prefer, where do you feel most comfortable and where do you maybe if not, most comfortable, want to extend more and gather more experience. So for example, do you prefer just receiving a set of expectations from your client, for the content and creating based on that? Do you want someone to hand you, here's what I need, and then you go and create it. You of course know best practices for that piece of content, but you're not involved in the larger content strategy. Or on the other hand, do you really enjoy being a part of those high-level marketing conversations where you're figuring out not just, you know, this, this one blog post needs to be about this, but what types of content need to be created.
In our business we ended up having a lot of these conversations around launches. You know, someone will say, come to us and say, I want to launch this new course. How do I set up this launch with content that's going to help me be the most successful? And so some of the conversations we have early on are not just around what the topic of the content will be, but also what the content itself is, whether it's a sales page or a series of blog posts or a challenge or whatever it might be, those are pieces of the strategy conversation that we're having.

Marie:
Yeah. I think other questions that we writers can ask ourselves is, you know, do you find yourself just unable to stop yourself from actively generating ideas and creative, you know, processes to help improve the strategy around content, right? Like for lead generation or whatever, or is that something that comes a little harder for you or it's not quite as natural for you? How much do you find yourself wishing you could like, just really get your fingers into like the metrics and the KPIs and like, are you like secretly wishing you could get into Google analytics for every website in the world? Like, are you really interested in those types of metrics? Because if you are, then that's probably a hint that you may be a bit more strategy focused if you are. If that's sort of like a back burner or not even a thought that crosses your path than maybe not.
And also how comfortable do you feel with making recommendations to your clients, even if it's something that maybe new or unfamiliar for them, right. Like, are you comfortable with saying like, Hey, I had this idea and let me like, explain it a little bit and sort of make your case, you know? Or is that something that, you know, you feel a little bit more comfortable letting them drive it because they're the one who has a better grasp of the business goals and the business strategy as a whole, which then informs the content strategy again, neither is wrong at all. It's just a matter of like, understanding your own experience, your confidence level and your preference.

Jessi:
Yeah. And when it comes to strategy too, I think something that's important to mention is you don't need to be an expert in all the things in order to provide content strategy.

Marie:
Uh huh.

Jessi:
If this sounds interesting to you and you're like, yeah, I think I would like to maybe add more strategy to the services that I offer as a writer, but I really only know blogging. I don't know, launching, I don't know, website strategy as well. I don't know, you know, all of these other things, that's okay. You don't have to be a content marketing Wiz in all of the areas you could focus in on your area of expertise and offer the strategy in that specific area. And I think too, it's almost more helpful to do that. I keep coming back to blogging as an example, because blogging is one of the most common types of content that is handed off as a task oriented sort of thing to writers. Whereas I know my topics, I just need to outsource it. But it also is an area where there can be a lot of strategy involved. So if that is where you feel comfortable, and you've been turning out blog posts for a while, and you've started to notice trends and you understand not just the strategy behind constructing a solid blog post, which is different from overall content strategy, but you're also starting to get a sense of overall blogging strategy. That's an area where you can potentially offer your services. That doesn't mean that you're coming into all of a sudden help them plan their launch. It means that in this one specific area, you can offer this content strategy support.

Marie:
Yeah. So I think kind of, regardless of where you feel like you land right now, A, know that that can shift over time, because you'll continue learning and that will continue to increase your confidence, and your curiosity, right. And secondly, wherever you're landing communication with your client is absolutely crucial because at the end of the day, you're a member of their team. Whether or not you're actually like a W2 employee or a 10 99 contractor or whatever. It's important for you to stay on top of the business to whatever extent makes sense for the business and for you. Because you know, if you're not being transparent with your client and they're not being transparent with you, the content, and its effectiveness are really gonna suffer.

Jessi:
Yeah. So speaking of those clients a little, I want to talk to CEOs directly about how to make this decision, but also writers. These are all very good questions to ask CEOs if you are on a sales call and initiating a relationship. So keep that in mind as well. If you're a writer listening to this-

Marie:
Yeah, so don't tune out.

Jessi:
Yeah. Stay with me. So business owners, you know, if you're looking to outsource content, odds are, you are probably at a point where you are feeling a little overwhelmed doing it all yourself. And often when business owners get to the point of outsourcing content, they've been overwhelmed for a little while because content is one of the things that feels really hard to outsource because of the voice piece. So you've probably been in that overwhelmed position for a while, so it's really important as you're looking to outsource content to think about what would serve you better. Is it just getting some of those tasks off your plate, where you already know what you want to say, you just need someone else to help you say it more quickly and more efficiently. Or do you want someone who is fully into the strategy piece of it as well, to help you figure out, not just, you know, not just helping you say the things, but helping you figure out what to say when to say it and how through what medium you want to say it that's when you may be looking towards someone who is more of a strategy focused writer who can come in, who can help brainstorm content strategy with you, take a look at your goals and help you figure out, okay, what content is going to help support reaching those goals?

Marie:
Yeah. We have a client who calls me, her brainstorm, buddy. And yeah, like at the end of the day, she's hired North Star for content creation. But one of the things that's really valuable to her because of her specific needs is the strategy piece. And so, you know, she finds herself really craving and excited for those meetings. And then we have another client too, you know, we're one of many sets of writers who work for them. And oftentimes we will be given an outline of a blog post somebody else has already done the strategy for SEO. They've already done some research. There's kind of like, these are the seven bullet points to hit and have at it. Right. And at that point, like, that's great. They already have a strategy. They have people in place to do that. They just need someone to put the words on the page.
And it doesn't mean that it still doesn't take some level of sort of micro strategy for like, this is how one writes a blog post effectively. And this is how one integrates, you know, keyword phrases or whatever. Like there is still strategy involved, but it's more like specific to the type of content we're really kind of churners, right? And so CEO's ask your writers, like, and if they're not asking you, like, you can ask them, like, are you more of like a, are you a brainstorm buddy? Right? Or are you like, I gave you my brainstorm and you go from there. Right. It is Okay not to know also, but also be clear about that from the beginning, if you're like, I'm not really sure if I need to brainstorm buddy or not, like, that's fine, but like just having the conversation in the first place will allow the writer to be like, Oh, well, let me tell you a little bit about me and my process. And you'll probably be able to tell from that conversation, if someone's probably a good fit or not.

Jessi:
Yeah, yeah. I want to circle back to something Marie mentioned, and that I think I already mentioned twice because I think it's super important is when we're talking about content strategy, we're talking about the overall marketing content strategy, not the strategy behind here's how I write a blog post. Here's how I write a sales page.

Marie:
Correct.

Jessi:
If you are hiring a writer to write content, they should know how to write that content. And writers, listening to this, you are pitching services with a specific type of content, even if you're doing that as a charter, make sure that you feel competent enough to actually produce the products that you're selling. That should be a given. But I think it's important to say because the phrase content strategy can be taken in different ways. So when we're talking about this and we're talking about the more overarching content strategy that goes beyond a single piece of content. And it's important, I think as a business owner, when you're having conversations with potential writers, just like they're asking questions to feel you out, you're asking questions to feel them out.
If the things that you end up talking about in that initial conversation feel more strategy focused and more like a brainstorm buddy, that's a sign that you may be talking to a strategy focused writer, even if they don't realize it yet. Because they may, they may not have, they may automatically and intuitively be asking strategy focused questions when they are not necessarily offering that as a part of their services formerly. And so just kind of be aware of how the conversation is going in the beginning and what the expectations are. Because you want to make sure that everyone is on the same page, right from the beginning.

Marie:
So the homework I'd like to encourage you to take a stab at here is to get, get a list of questions for that initial conversation. Whether you're a writer or a CEO, you know, ask them the questions like, Hey CEO, do you prefer a brainstorm buddy? Or do you prefer me to like adapt to the strategy you already have? CEOs can just flip that around and be like, are you more of a this or more of that? Right. So get your list of questions down. And that way, when you have that conversation, A you're, you're planting the seeds for this right from the beginning. And you're kind of opening the airways for clear communication between the two of you, straight from the beginning, but also B you actually get matched with a client slash service provider who's a good fit for you and your needs.

Jessi:
Yeah. If you're a writer, this is a really great way for you to start figuring out whether a potential client is someone who's a good fit for you. If someone is, if you're asking questions about, do you want to brainstorm buddy, or do you just want someone to write the content? And they're saying, I just want someone to write the content and you know that you really want to be a brainstorm buddy, then they may not be the best match for you. So as you're going through and creating these questions, keep in mind what those questions, the answers to those questions are actually telling you that's important too, not just asking the questions and getting the answers, but knowing what those answers mean for you and the services that you want to offer.

Marie:
Right. Exactly. So happy, uh, determining where you are on this process, on the spectrum, I guess. And I hope that this has been helpful for you.
Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Brand Your Voice Podcast. Make sure to visit our website, Northstarmessaging.com, where you can subscribe to the show on iTunes, Spotify, and more.

Jessi:
If you found value in this episode we'd love for you to leave us a review on iTunes and share it with your friends. Thank you and happy content creating.