The 5 Characteristics of a Rock Star Head of Content

Creating good content that drives the results you want is trickier than it looks. How do you crack that nut? First, you have to find the right person to lead your content marketing team. I’ve found it comes down to them harnessing these characteristics:

1. They are nimble. SEO is out, SGE is in. Homepages are hot. Podcasts are not. Newsletters are new again. … The distribution channels open to brands have become unpredictable and more costly in this transition stage where AI’s power is looming. You need someone who is versatile across channels — audio, video, social, even print (!) — and can quickly adopt and adapt the content strategy to reach your audience, wherever they are.  
2. They are audience-driven. This is where hiring talent with an editorial background provides an advantage. Former editors and journalists are trained to see through the lens of the audience. It’s also a huge win if they are an expert in your brand’s industry — be it healthcare, personal finance, technology, beauty, fashion, you name it. They will inherently understand how to create and execute your brand voice.
3. They are AI curious. Your head of content doesn’t need to be an expert, but they do need to whole-heartedly embrace AI. The most desirable talent is someone who is willing to experiment with the variety of AI tools on offer and be strategic about when to use them, and when not to.
4. They are diplomats. A huge part of the job as a content marketing leader is taking input from multiple stakeholders who often don’t share the same POV on how a piece of content should be executed. You need a leader who is skilled at juggling conflicting interests and is politically savvy about who to appease and who frankly to say no to. You don’t want to end up with a content pizza. 
5. They mix science with art. A strong head of content must have a knack for numbers and embrace the importance of hitting KPIs. But the best content leaders are ones who also know when to go with their guts. It comes back to understanding their audience well enough to take risks, think outside of the box, and allow for creativity to fuel the strategy. This is where editorially trained leaders thrive: They don’t just give audiences what they want; they anticipate and deliver what they didn’t know they wanted.

Chandra Turner is the founder of The Talent Fairy, a boutique recruiting agency that specializes in hiring editorial and content marketing leaders.