How do you inspire content strategists to perform better?

I agree that setting clear expectations is essential for content performance. It is also important to be realistic about your expectations. If you set unrealistic expectations, your content strategists will be set up for failure. Here are some specific tips for setting clear expectations for your content strategists: 1. Be specific about your goals. What do you want your content to achieve? Do you want to increase website traffic, generate leads, or build brand awareness? 2. Define the scope of work. What types of content do you need? How long should each piece of content be? 3. Set deadlines and milestones. This will help your content strategists stay on track. 4. Provide feedback regularly.

One thing I found helpful is to be consistent with you’re mission and you’re values in the organization. Encouraging team effort recognizing successes and quickly discussing failures and clear adjustments on how those mistakes are learning tools and a means for future successes

Yes, because "better" is vague. Be more specific in what you mean by better. Better writing quality? Better audience tailoring? More views? More leads generated?

Provide Constructive Feedback! Offer constructive and actionable feedback to help content strategists refine their skills. Constructive criticism, when delivered thoughtfully, serves as a valuable tool for improvement. Frame feedback in a positive light, emphasizing growth and development.

One thing I find helpful is to share examples of brands of which are already performing at the level which we aspire to. This doesn’t only provide inspiration but provides a clearer picture of what is expected of them. I also encourage my team to expose themselves more to the industry they are in. The more exposure they have, the more likely they will be inspired to do more.

Content roles, in all their forms, are often very undervalued in organizations. What's good for the bee is good for the hive, so managers should constantly look for ways to celebrate the successes of individual team members, as this will give them a boost, but also raise awareness for content strategy in the organization. It's also important to remember to praise in public, but criticize in private. Make your praise as public as possible so the receiver knows it's genuine. But no one likes being told they did something wrong in front of other people.

I believe it’s essential for content strategists, just like professionals in any other field, to receive recognition for their contributions. However, it may be beneficial to pinpoint what exactly constitutes a 'recognition language' for content strategists—a parallel to the concept of a 'love language'. I’ve found that recognition is most meaningful when it is tied to the impact of the work. When someone expresses how the content has enhanced their understanding, aided them in a sales presentation, or how it has been helpful to them in other ways, it brings to light the tangible value of a content strategist’s efforts. Acknowledgment that is specific and relatable magnifies its significance and reinforces the importance and impact.

Make sure that achievement is purely the content person's effort. A lot of content success is really caused by marketing people and not content people. Be specific.

In general, a majority of content strategists are looking to explore their creativity. What the industry is missing today is a way to explore and reward this. Creativity often gets lost between clients’ requirements, revenue returns and deadlines. I believe the best way to reward content strategists is by allowing them to explore their creativity, and showing that their roles can lead to bigger things than simply creating commoditised content. Further, especially for young content professionals, the path that leads them to upper echelons of business must be shown to them. It will make them believe that they are more than just cogs in a giant wheel.

Rewards and Recognition should be set up to help recognize all colleagues' contributions. In setting up a system, not only leaders recognize but peers recognize each other as well. It boosts morale and helps to assist in collaboration across teams. Making a point to recognize in monthly meetings all those recognitions across an org develops a culture of expressing thankfulness and gratitude to one another. This develops a wonderful sense of pride in the work being done. It takes very little to create the concept and a way to submit. There are also platforms you can implement like WorkHuman has the Bravo platform as an example. It is a decision to implement and the change to a gratitude culture will follow.

The content strategy leader can share their knowledge and experience with the team through training sessions, one-on-one meetings, and team discussions. This can help the team to learn new skills and improve their existing skills. Here is a specific example of how a content strategy leader can provide guidance and mentorship to a content writer: The content writer is struggling to come up with new ideas for blog posts. The content strategy leader can meet with the writer to brainstorm ideas and develop a content calendar

This is something most content people don't have. They usually answer to digital or marketing people. Not content people. And if they do answer to a content person, that person might be an ex-journo, who may lack the marketing knowledge to give the proper feedback, which can be problematic.

To write well you have to write often _and_ receive feedback. Consider regular writing sessions in which you collectively work on writing best practices. Writers can use past drafts to practice new skills. Encourage writers to practice daily and partner with another writer to encourage each other and give feedback on drafts. By creating a safe space to practice writing (and not write well) will give your team more confidence and skills to write well on actual assignments.

If you can’t provide mentorship by yourself (let’s say, you’re a head of marketing, not copywriter), invest in your people. Give them opportunities to learn from online courses, offline courses or books. Reward their attempts, give them time for learning during the week.

Drawing from my journey in content creation, it's akin to how I guided my YouTube audience through my learnings. The same principle applies here: leadership isn't just about direction but also uplifting others. As I learned from my video missteps, growth comes from both guidance and the freedom to make mistakes. By mentoring your content team and sharing real-world experiences, you not only enhance their skills but also instill a growth mindset crucial for long-term success.

I wish more leaders recognized the gold mine that a "devil's advocate" can bring to a team's collaborative efforts. Team members with a history of trauma have this heightened ability to spot problem areas, friction points, and project dead-ends. This is due to the long-term, self-protection effects that trauma has on the brain. Trauma survivors have an uncanny knack for creating opportunities to mitigate risks to the team or the project's success. In the workplace, this *can* become a significantly profitable advantage, but only if the rest of your team welcomes these red-flag notifications. Unfortunately, many teams don't see these comments as contributions but as "wet blankets" or "vibe-killers."

To inspire content strategists to perform better, it's essential to foster an environment that champions diversity and collaboration. By embracing diverse perspectives and encouraging cross-functional teamwork, content can be enriched with varied worldviews, making it more appealing and relevant to a broader audience. This holistic approach not only strengthens the content's appeal but also creates opportunities for organizations to connect with stakeholders beyond their initial scope, unlocking potential growth and innovation.

As someone who digs for raw talent, it so happens that some of the most creative people whom I have worked with are the quiet shy ones, the listeners. They might not necessarily do so well in interviews, but there is a rare sensitivity in the belly which allows them to manage exposure and interest. Being somewhat hidden themselves, they know just where to look and how to look in other to find untapped markets.

Diversity is critical in content strategy. The best ideas often come from dormant departments rarely brought into strategy calls. More voices increase the chances of achieving buy-in across the organization.

To assist my content contributors in getting started, I like to furnish them with a Google Doc containing a curated set of thought-provoking questions and a selection of potential headlines to provide direction for their narratives. Recognizing that not everyone finds the writing process enjoyable, I extend the option to my content contributors to engage with the questions instead of crafting the entire story themselves. Subsequently, I leverage their responses to shape the article. Furthermore, for those who lack the availability or inclination to pen their answers, I arrange dedicated interview sessions to gather their verbal insights, which I then transform into compelling content.

It can be hard for new managers to delegate, especially if the new manager has been a top-performing IC. They can be very unwilling to relinquish control. What you have to remember is that you must allow your team members to fail. It's from failure and mistakes that many people learn best. Obviously, you need to consider the risk of the failure. If it's a major project, you don't just ignore it and let them mess up. But on less important tasks, you need to take a step back and let them figure it out themselves. This shows you trust them and they'll feel the room to grow and explore. The alternative is that you'll tire yourself out checking everything all the time.

I have been incredibly lucky to have great managers early on in my career. One common thing I took away from them - people are their most creative and innovative when they are trusted to own their work. Giving kudos publicly and consistent feedback gives team members enough guidance to move forward confidently. I think in any creative role, employees need freedom in order to create engaging pieces. Especially with AI, the human aspect of marketing is missing. We need to empower our people to make compelling, human-driven content.

Trust plays a big role in the health of team culture. As a leader, Managers would benefit from creating succession plans. By doing so, knowledge is transferred, support is created, and team mates gain the confidence that they're a valuable contributor to the team/company. They may even be more comfortable to add their thoughts to help solve problems and contribute to the team's evolution.

The best work I ever received from my team was when I trusted them to analyze and produce. I would give them a project, they would ask me what to do, and I would tell them "I trust you, just check in with me as you progress or hit walls." I would debrief them along the way at certain check points, ask them about their analysis, their reasoning, challenge for blind spots, and then ask them for their next steps. Every time, they came up with solutions that are superior to anything I could have dictated in a flash. They get buy-in with the people they are running the projects with, and it results in confident, capable team members who will become managers themselves, one day.

Set clear goals, but give them some freedom in the methods. It's easier to give freedom when everyone knows where they're all going.

Be realistic in your deadlines. Content creators are often doing the work of several people: social media, copywriting, email creation, and more. Consider working with your team to set realistic and achievable deadlines, understanding the huge amount of work they are creating. When done well, this helps your team learn boundaries, set clear expectations for turnaround times, and not take on too much resulting in lower quality work.

Learn from mistakes - not only your own ones, but also those made by others before you. No content strategist & no team, no matter how good, are omniscient. This implies that, in addition to clear goals and realistic expectations, there must also be regular reviews. Honesty and the ability to self-criticism allow each of us to perform better.??

Inspiring content strategists hinges on fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation. This involves regularly exposing the team to emerging trends and diverse perspectives in content creation. Encourage them to experiment with new formats and storytelling techniques and provide a safe space for creative risks. This keeps your content fresh and engaging and stimulates your team's intellectual curiosity and passion for their craft.

Training, bootcamps, software development, conference travel and professional magazine subscriptions can never be too expensive. In the end, a few thousand pounds can decide on the project's success or failure.

Certainly, here are those considerations in a concise format: Continuous Learning: Encourage ongoing skill development. Effective Communication: Foster open and transparent communication. Workload Balance: Prevent overwork and maintain balance. Feedback Culture: Promote regular constructive feedback. Creative Time: Allocate time for creative thinking. Recognition: Celebrate achievements publicly. Quality Assurance: Ensure content meets quality standards. Flexible Work: Consider flexible work arrangements. Well-being: Prioritize team members' health and well-being. Long-Term Vision: Share the big picture and align with goals.