What does a content strategist do?
A content strategist plans how content is used across a business to meet goals such as brand awareness, lead generation, or customer retention. They define tone of voice, develop messaging frameworks, and work across teams to ensure consistency and clarity.
Their work includes conducting audits, planning editorial calendars, mapping content to the customer journey, and aligning with SEO or UX teams. Strong writing, analytical, and planning skills are essential.
In smaller teams, they may also write or edit content. In larger organisations, they focus on governance, optimisation, and supporting multiple departments with scalable content solutions.
Key responsibilities of a content strategist.
Content strategists often take ownership of structure, planning, and optimisation across all content types. Their responsibilities include:
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Auditing content to identify gaps, duplication, or underperformance
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Creating frameworks for tone of voice, messaging, and information hierarchy
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Mapping content to customer journeys, intent, and brand pillars
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Working with UX and SEO teams to improve structure and discoverability
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Supporting cross-channel content governance
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Building taxonomies and metadata strategies for large content libraries
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Briefing editorial teams on structure, purpose, and user needs
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Reviewing analytics to inform strategic updates or content retirements
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Collaborating with designers and developers to improve page structure
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Ensuring content is accessible, searchable, and conversion-optimised
This role blends planning, editorial thinking, and platform coordination.
Skills and requirements for a content strategist.
Content strategists lead the planning, structure, and performance of digital content. Employers typically look for:
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4–7 years of experience in content, editorial, or UX writing roles
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Experience defining content goals, tone of voice, and messaging hierarchies
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Strong understanding of user journeys, personas, and content mapping
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Experience with SEO strategy, keyword research, and content optimisation
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Skilled in auditing, structuring, and improving large content libraries
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Familiarity with CMS platforms, content governance, and workflow tools
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Confident briefing and reviewing content from writers or subject experts
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Ability to collaborate with designers, developers, and product teams
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Strong attention to detail and structured thinking
Most content strategists have experience across publishing, UX, or brand roles and may have worked with enterprise CMS or complex digital products.
Average salary for a content strategist.
In the UK, the average salary for a content strategist typically ranges from £39,500 to £50,000, depending on experience, audience complexity, and sector.
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Mid-level content strategists tend to earn between £39,500 and £44,500
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Senior strategists or those building multichannel frameworks can earn between £45,000 and £50,000
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Roles with customer journey mapping, UX writing, or SEO integration tend to pay more, especially in high-growth sectors
Top salaries are seen in product-focused teams, SaaS companies, and enterprise-level digital departments.
Career progression for a content strategist.
A content strategist helps shape long-term content direction, ensuring alignment with brand goals and audience needs. This role sits at the intersection of UX, SEO, and storytelling. A typical progression includes:
Content executive / assistant
Creates content and supports execution. Builds understanding of platforms, tone, and structure.
Content strategist
Owns strategy, planning, and audience alignment. Works with writers, designers, and marketing managers.
Content lead / UX writer
Guides content systems across platforms. Balances brand voice with usability.
Head of content / editorial lead
Defines brand narrative. Oversees teams and content operations, including localisation or global rollout.
Director of brand or customer experience
Influences messaging across every touchpoint. Drives cross-functional cohesion from content to comms and product.
salary guide
Our UK marketing salary guide.
Content strategy is no longer a nice-to-have. Businesses are investing in it because it drives results. If you’re hiring a content strategist, it’s essential to offer a package that reflects their expertise.
Our 2025 UK marketing salary guide includes benchmarks for content planning and strategy roles, helping you understand where your offer sits in the wider market.
FAQS
Content strategist FAQs.
Any business that uses content to influence buyer decisions or communicate complex value propositions benefits from a content strategist.vThis includes SaaS, fintech, B2B services, and ecommerce — especially where the customer journey is multi-touch and high-consideration.
A content strategist works closely with marketing and product teams to map content to each stage of the funnel. They define audience segments, uncover content gaps, and shape messaging that educates, converts, or retains customers — all while supporting campaign KPIs.
Balancing creative quality with performance metrics is a constant challenge. Content strategists must also adapt to shifting algorithms, cross-channel complexity, and internal pressure to show ROI — often with limited resources or competing stakeholder demands.
Yes, particularly in growing teams. They often brief freelance writers, oversee tone of voice consistency, and guide editorial structure. In smaller businesses, they may also act as senior editors or hands-on contributors.
Both. Agencies often hire social media executives to manage multiple client accounts, requiring fast context switching and strong time management. In-house roles usually offer deeper brand involvement and opportunities to grow into strategy or influencer marketing.
Strategic thinkers excel in customer journey mapping, topic clustering, competitive content audits, and aligning content to brand and performance goals. They bring a research-led, insight-first approach that connects business objectives with creative execution.
