I was talking with a successful business owner not long ago, and he asked me an interesting question.
“If you left Crazy Egg, who would you recommend to take your place?”
It was an honest question. He’s looking for someone to manage his blog and we were talking about possible candidates.
I thought about the people in my network, reviewing their writing and editing ability, their overall understanding of content strategy, and whether they were just a writer or also a marketer.
That’s when it hit me: I don’t know of anyone with the entire skill set needed to do what I do for Crazy Egg.
In spite of the fact that every marketer and writer on the planet is stepping into content marketing, only a few truly understand what it takes to run a business blog and make the brand more profitable…
Which gave me an idea.
What if there were training for becoming a managing editor
I know of a handful of businesses that are looking for a managing editor right now. My network includes big-name entrepreneurs and CEOs. Often, they come to me to get leads when they need a writer or editor.
In fact, I made a handful of recommendations to the business owner I mentioned above. All secured an interview. None made the cut.
So what’s wrong with this picture?
After running a business blog, I have a few ideas.
First, there’s a huge difference between being a writer/editor and being able to run a business blog. There’s also a difference between running a blog and running it strategically.
You have to know content strategy, how to work with writers to get that content developed, how to fix it so it reads well and looks good. You need to be able to build engagement and subscriptions, how to get your content in front of them, and how to keep them coming back for more.
And you have to be able to do all that while supporting the brand’s outbound marketing, voice and personality.
Second, you have to have a 360-degree viewpoint while you’re attending to details. And it can be overwhelming at times, even if you’ve already got all the plates spinning. Imagine if you’re new to the position and still trying to get the plates spinning!
There are so many moving parts to a smoothly functioning business blog, it’s critical that you have systems in place to get everything done when it needs to be done. And honestly, most writers/editors are creative types. Their brains aren’t wired to find efficient, time-saving processes that actually get results.
Finally, because of the huge difference between creating and managing content, this is something you have to learn on the job, which means you’re a bad risk if you haven’t already got experience. Any business owner is going to question whether you’ll “get” it and, if so, how long that will take.
Obviously, there needs to be training before the job. Potential blog editors need to be able to learn the ropes without having full responsibility while they’re learning.
Challenge accepted
During our discussions about what this business owner wanted and the talent that was available, he mentioned that what he wanted was a clone of me.
That being impossible, he asked me to train his new hire so he could just turn the editor loose and trust that the job would get done. Even better, why didn’t I start a training course so people like him could know that a new hire would be a good choice.
Challenge accepted.
It was an exciting idea, and I started outlining my ideas right away. Already I’m collecting emails and case studies that students need to be exposed to.
Of course, now I’m also studying the market to assess the demand for training like this.
What I’m seeing is how big a need this is. I know Crazy Egg appreciates that they don’t have to think about their blog. They trust me to take care of it for them, which means they can put their energy into other projects. Other businesses are looking for the same kind of solution.
That’s what the first business owner wanted. And it was validated again just last week.
The problem is real
I was talking with an owner and mentioned some content I have in development. He was confused for a second and asked if I was developing it for my site or for Crazy Egg—probably because I was talking as if it was for my site.
“We’re a small team,” I told him. “I take care of the blog. It’s like it’s mine.”
The business owner said, “Wow. That’s nice.”
I thought he was talking about the freedom I have to take care of things, and I wholeheartedly agreed. “It’s great.”
But then I realized he was looking at it from the blog owner’s perspective. “I’m trying to get my people to take that much ownership, but we’re not there yet.”
In other words, he’d also like a managing editor who actually takes it off his shoulders.
Yes, there are micro-managers. But for the most part, businesses need an editor who can get the job done without them having to think about it. That leaves them free to build the business, which should, of course, be their primary focus.
Based on what I’m seeing, most small to medium businesses want the same thing. They want to be at the front of this content marketing trend, and they want someone to do it for them. They don’t want someone to execute their orders. They just want results.
Of course, they need to know you’ve got their best interest at heart when you’re running their blog. Trust is a two-way street.
They key is to develop the skills in advance. Use them. Prove your value in every project for every client. Then offer your services to take the hard work off their shoulders. Done right, it’s a win-win proposition.
