From Reads to Leads is a newsletter for writers who want more. It's about marketing. Strategy. Positioning. Operations. Results. And yes, it talks about writing too. But through a marketing lens. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next email.
In today's newsletter:
This week, several people asked me if I could recommend a Head of Content.
I can't. (In case you wanted my recommendation) But what I can do is point you in the right direction about how to find this person.
If you've ever had a Head of Content, you should know ↓
Head of Content isn’t just about content creation. This is a marketing role.
Companies usually promote a strong writer into a Head of Content role. Only to find they know nothing about marketing. They focus on what they know – blogs, ebooks, newsletters – and become editors who manage other writers.
If you're an editor, you're not a Head of Content.
The Head of Content needs to be focused on how to achieve business goals through content. Distribution, lead generation, and content performance are not afterthoughts in their content strategy. They are the core priorities.
It might vary across organizations based on their team setup and priorities, but here is how I would describe the role of Head of Content in an organization where the product marketing manager (PMM) plays a key leadership role and SEO is a key growth driver ↓
Your hiring approach should align with the marketing results you want to achieve.
For example, if you work at a B2C company and increasing traffic is your marketing priority, look for candidates from companies with large website traffic.
In niche B2B markets, traffic isn't a key metric. It can be low. So you need to ask the candidate about lead generation and funnel optimization during interviews.
If you want to build a strong brand presence on social media, see whether the candidate’s current company has a CEO with a significant following or a LinkedIn page with strong engagement.
If you want to put your efforts into video content, look for candidates who work at companies with a YouTube channel.
Do some homework. Search for companies, not people. You want to pay attention to:
Once you've selected the companies whose marketing activities align with your strategy, find the Head of Content in these companies and invite them to a job interview.
There’s no one-size-fits-all set of interview questions that works for every company. But you can focus on key areas to assess the right candidate.
Since content strategy is their core responsibility, ask:
To evaluate their ability to deliver business outcomes, ask:
To understand their approach to high-quality content, ask:
To assess their ability to stay ahead in the marketing game, ask:
Finally, do you want a test assignment?
If I needed to hire a Head of Content, as a test assignment, I would:
Last week, I talked about how not to write a case study and promised we’d rewrite the poorly written one that other writers had submitted for our client. In this video on LinkedIn, I walk you through how we approached the rewrite and also share a tutorial on creating Google Doc wireframes, like we do at Zmist & Copy.
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Kate
P.S. If we aren't connected already, follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. If you like this newsletter, please refer your friends.
P.P.S. Need a hand with content? Fix your mediocrity problem with Zmist & Copy
Want to start a blog and maybe even grow it into a business? Great idea! But, what should you write about? In this blog post, I’ll help you zero in on the perfect niche for your new blog.
Need to hire a great content writer but the job market is full of unqualified candidates? Let's figure out what your job ad should say so you could make better hires.
Articles no one reads... Non-stop requests from ebooks to Instagram captions... Feeling a cog in the content machine... If you're thinking "Oh sh*t, that's me!" it's time to pivot into high-impact work. My newsletter will tell you how.
