The need for content marketing has never been more prominent for businesses that are hoping to compete online. With the two largest job search sites boasting over 10,000 content marketing vacancies, SEMrush analyzed job offers to see exactly what skills employers are looking for. In this article, we will review their findings and look at some of the most valuable content marketing skills employers are looking for.

To complete this study, SEMrush reviewed vacancies for content writers, content marketers, content specialists and content managers across 5 distinct countries. For the purposes of this study, all vacancies from the United States, Canada, India, the United Kingdom and Australia were considered.

Vacancy Poster

Here are the most required skills that were outlined by these content marketing vacancies:

  • Social Media Skills

    As social media continues to become a prominent fixture of digital marketing, employers are actively seeking content marketing specialists that can help craft the content needed to increase engagement. In this study, nearly 46% of employers expressed how important this skill was, making it the most prominent found in the study. This metric was also observed as the top need across all countries included in the study.

  • Research Skills

    Knowing how to efficiently research a topic is a critical skill for employers that want their content marketing specialists to use their time appropriately. Depending on the requirements of the employer, this could span anywhere from finding the right sources online to knowing how to navigate scientific journals. However, the fact still remains that an ideal content marketing specialist candidate should be able to find the information they need quickly and accurately.

  • SEO Skills

    As competition for search engine rankings continues to grow, the need for content marketing specialists that can effectively implement SEO strategies has become more prominent. While being able to write great content used to be enough, having a firm understanding of SEO concepts will help set one candidate apart from another without that same knowledge.

  • Editing Skills

    Editing skills are invaluable for content writers because they have the ability to review their own work and correct errors that may be present. This will ultimately require a firm grasps on grammar and punctuation, as well as the various writing styles that exist. This will ensure that the content a candidate writes is tailored for the right audiences while remaining legible and easily understood.

  • Marketing Skills

    While some employers in the study were willing to train their employee, the vast majority preferred some prior experience in marketing. By ensuring a potential content marketing specialist candidate has experience, businesses can remain confident that their marketing strategies are being effectively implemented. This also included knowledge of email marketing campaigns and how to effectively utilize them.

  • Presentation Skills

    Content marketing specialists may have to interact with clients at some point to detail their strategies or results. For this reason, many employers are looking for candidates that have presentation skills. While not required by all employers, 23% of American companies expressed an interest in this skill.

  • HTML Skills

    Because many content marketing specialists will be directly interfacing with a company’s website, it is important to ensure they have at least a basic knowledge of HTML. This will ensure that content is formatted properly and other minor details like alternate text and links will be executed properly. While not a high-demand skill for employers, it can help limit problems that can arise throughout their working process.

  • WordPress Skills

    Because nearly 75 million websites are now powered by WordPress, employers have expressed a unique interest in candidates that have WordPress skills. This includes understanding how to navigate the dashboard, create pages and posts or effectively utilize plugins. While generally considered one of the lowest skills required worldwide, it still is an appreciated skill by employers.
    If you are currently looking for a content marketing specialist for your business, these skills may prove beneficial in your search. While only a small sample of the skills employers are looking for, it serves as a good basis for finding the right candidate.