Help! Do My Journalism Skills Convert to Content Marketing?
Welcome to another edition of our weekly newsletter! Today, we’re looking at the career shift many of us have made from journalism to content marketing. Talented journalists can have a great second career in content marketing, but it helps to understand what will change in your new role.
Dear Content Therapist: We’ve all seen the massive layoffs at traditional media outlets like Sports Illustrated and the Los Angeles Times. It’s shaken what remaining faith I had in building a long-term career as a traditional journalist. It’s hard enough to make a living, much less feel confident about holding down a job. As I think about what else I can do, friends keep mentioning content marketing or PR as alternative career paths. These make sense as industries where I can transfer my skills as a reporter and writer. But I wonder, is the job market any better in these fields? I’m sure thousands of other journalists also have the same idea. How do I position myself as a good fit for content marketing positions as a soon-to-be former journalist? — DISILLUSIONED JOURNALIST
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An Ex-Journalist’s Advice for Embracing Marketing
Lots of content marketers were once journalists. I started in newspapers almost 20 years ago before moving to a B2B email news service in the middle of the Great Recession. It was during another watershed event, the pandemic, that I shifted once more, into content marketing.
One of my former colleagues, Tom Anderson , wrote about his personal journey from journalism to content marketing. In part:
“As a journalist, your job is to tell a compelling story. As a content marketer or brand journalist, your role is more complex. You have to tell a great story that sells, that fits the brand and can demonstrate value beyond its editorial merits to many stakeholders who may have less than literary taste. You have to bring more to the table than journalism.”
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In 2022, she shared lessons from this unexpected career path, how she’s built a community and what product-focused books she recommends for content marketers.
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