9 hours ago
Hiring A Content Writer? Maybe You Need A Content Strategist Instead
A content strategist carries out content strategy. Do you have a content strategy for your business?
You know you need content. Blog posts. Emails. Lead magnets. Maybe even an entire content library. You want to attract customers, earn trust, and grow your business. So you do what seems logical: Hire a writer.
And what do you hand them?
A topic. Maybe a keyword. Maybe a vibe. Maybe a deadline.
And then you wait for magic.
But if what you get back feels off—scattered, superficial, or otherwise not the right fit—you might not have a writing problem.
You might have a strategy gap.
Writers write; content strategists decide what gets written
Content strategists may writer, but they also decide what to write about, for whom, and where to ... More publish.
Here's the simplest way to understand the difference between a content writer and a content strategist:
It's the difference between saying, "Write me a blog post about humans-in-the-loop for humanoid development," and saying, "We want to build authority in the humanoid development space, especially among humanoid engineers. Let's map out a three-month content series that educates, attracts search traffic, and nurtures people toward our services."
That second one? Strategy.
From that strategy comes a writing brief.
From that brief comes content that has a damn good chance of actually working.
A content brief in my inbox: A real-world example
Here's a real-life example of what a content strategist does, right from my inbox
Just last week, I received an email that said, "We're looking for articles that answer common questions readers are already searching for. We'll provide a detailed brief, created by an SEO expert, designed to help you maximize long-term traffic."
See, a brief does more than provide writing direction. It puts content strategy into motion. As soon as I read it, I realized someone had already spotted an opportunity, researched what the audience wants, and built a container for the content.
The brief included:
I'm a good writer, so all I have to do is follow the brief. But what I want you to see here is that someone had to make that brief. And that someone was a content strategist.
If you don't have a strategist in your corner, you're likely relying on your writer to make strategic decisions, which can be good or bad, depending on the writer.
Why content strategy matters to your business
A content strategist helps your content have pinpoint focus.
Here's the thing. You can hire the best content writer in the world, but if you don't give them strategic direction, you're making them guess.
That humanoid article I mentioned? It's a real assignment that landed in my inbox without a brief. So I had to email my client back to ask:
Without that clarity, content gets fuzzy. Outcomes get fuzzy. ROI gets fuzzy, or disappears.
Ask yourself these questions to know if you need a content strategist
If you're not sure whether you're hiring a writer or a strategist, ask yourself:
If your answer to most of those is 'me, I guess,' you probably need a strategist.
How to hire smarter (without doubling your budget)
Content strategist or content writer? Here's help for you to decide.
Fret not about your budget: You don't need to hire both a content writer and a content strategist right away. But you do need to be clear about what you're asking for.
If you only need words on a page, say that. And give your writer a solid brief. If you need help deciding what to create, hire someone who can see the whole forest, how content maps to your brand and content goals, and how it changes the lives of prospects.
Some content professionals do both. Others specialize. Know which one you're getting. (Side note: I do both, in case you're wondering. I love helping founders turn scattered content efforts into clear, connected strategies and pieces that work.)
The truth is, most good content strategists started as writers. They learned to think beyond the words on the page. So when you hire a content strategist, chances are you're getting someone who can both plan the strategy and do the writing. But when you hire just a writer, you might only get half the equation.
The bottom line? When you think 'content strategist,' think "thinker"
Content strategists are thinkers.
Great content doesn't start with writing. It starts with thinking.
If your content efforts aren't working as you'd hoped, or if you've hired writers and still feel like you're not results, it might be time to stop looking for wordsmiths and to start looking for thinkers.
With better strategy, you'll get better writing. And with better both, you'll get better results.
