Content Specialist vs. Content Strategist: What Are the Differences?

If you’re interested in a career in content development, you may be wondering what the difference is between a content specialist and a content strategist. Both roles are involved in creating and managing content, but there are some key differences between the two. In this article, we’ll discuss the similarities and differences between these two job titles, and we’ll provide some tips for choosing the right path for you.

What is a Content Specialist?

Content Specialists are responsible for creating, editing and managing digital content for their organization. This can include website content, blog posts, social media posts, articles, e-books, white papers and more. Content Specialists often work with a team of other content creators, such as writers, designers and developers, to ensure that all content is high-quality and aligned with the company’s overall marketing strategy. They also collaborate with other departments, such as sales, customer service and product, to create content that meets the needs of their target audience.

What is a Content Strategist?

A Content Strategist is a professional who helps companies create and manage their content. They work with businesses to understand their goals and objectives, then develop a content strategy that will help them achieve those goals. A Content Strategist oversees the creation and distribution of content, making sure that it is high-quality and aligns with the company’s overall strategy. They also track the performance of the content and analyze the results to help improve future content plans. A Content Strategist typically has a background in marketing, communications, or journalism.

Content Specialist vs. Content Strategist

Here are the main differences between a content specialist and a content strategist.

Job Duties

Both content specialists and content strategists have varied job duties, although the type of tasks they complete may differ based on their expertise. For example, a content strategist may focus more heavily on creating strategies for an organization’s content needs and implementing those strategies by developing processes and writing guides. A content specialist may instead handle the creation of specific pieces of content, like brochures or newsletters, using the strategy created by the content strategist.

Content specialists typically perform tasks related to the actual content being produced. This can include things like researching information to include in a piece of content or editing existing content to ensure it’s accurate and easy to understand. Content strategists typically perform tasks related to how an organization approaches creating content, which can involve things like deciding what types of content to create or choosing tools that will help with content creation.

Job Requirements

Content specialists and content strategists typically need a bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, marketing or another related field. Some employers prefer candidates to have a master’s degree as well, but it is not required for entry-level positions. Additionally, many content specialists and content strategists pursue certifications through the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) or the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). These organizations offer training programs that teach professionals how to develop and execute content strategies, write compelling copy and measure the success of their campaigns.

Work Environment

Content specialists and content strategists typically work in different environments. A content specialist may work in a variety of settings, such as marketing or communications departments for companies or organizations. They also may work on their own to create content for websites, blogs or other digital platforms.

Content strategists usually work in an office setting with teams of people who collaborate on projects. They often work in the marketing department of a company or organization, but they can also work in other departments like sales or customer service.

Skills

Both content specialists and content strategists need to have excellent writing skills. They also both need to be able to research topics thoroughly and understand how to develop an argument or tell a story. However, content specialists tend to focus more on the individual pieces of content that they create, while content strategists focus on developing overarching plans for all the content created by a company or organization.

Content specialists need to be able to edit their own work and the work of others. They also need to be able to format content in different ways, depending on the platform it will be published on. For example, a piece of content might be published as a blog post, an infographic or a video. Content strategists also need to be able to edit and format content, but they also need to be able to see the big picture and develop plans that consider all the different types of content that might be needed to achieve a goal.

Salary

Content specialists earn an average salary of $59,458 per year, while content strategists earn an average salary of $74,692 per year. Both of these average salaries may vary depending on the size of the company at which you work, location of your job and the level of experience you have prior to pursuing either position.