“Content marketing—we’ve been told over and over again—is a long game, and so is nurturing your network. It’s not something that you can all of a sudden snap on. When you get laid off or when you need a new job, you need to [have] put a lot of work and effort into [your network], to make sure that you’ve built these relationships to where when you do need them, you’re able to leverage them and not randomly ping some manager that you haven’t talked to in eight years.” – Amy Fair

It’s understandable that marketers often prioritize work needs over personal networking, but building an engaged network and consistently marketing yourself will greatly help when job hunting and establishing your personal profile. To help you do this well, in this #ContentChat recap, Erika joins Amy Fair (@AmyLonghorn) to discuss how content marketers can market themselves.

Read through a few highlights from the conversation below, and listen to the full audio recording here. If you’re looking to learn more about the topic, don’t miss Amy’s Content Marketing World 2023 session on Nurture Your Network: How Content Marketers Market Themselves!

Q1: What are some signs that it’s time to find a new content marketing role, whether internally, or with a new company?

In the audio recording, Amy explains that marketing roles are often seen as an “easy target” for company layoffs or reductions, especially during a merger or acquisition. Marketers also experience high levels of burnout if they do not receive the support they need to thrive in their roles. If you feel like you may be at risk of losing your job or that your current work situation is not healthy, Amy recommends you put feelers out for or actively pursue new roles. 

“We really need to take care of ourselves, because we can be in situations that can just really have negative impacts on [our] mental and emotional health. It’s important for us to be aware of that and take the necessary steps to find a better place because—I promise you—they are out there.” – Amy Fair

“If you’re working in a big company, one of the other signs it’s time to go—and this is a reason I left a position—[is if you have] things on the roadmap that need funding from corporate and [you don’t] get the funding because they put all their eggs in one big technology project’s basket [year after year].” – Erika Heald

Further, you may find that your company does not have the potential for upward mobility you need.

“There may not be an opportunity for the growth that you’re looking for where you’re at. If you’re in a smaller organization, there might only be opportunities for content marketing roles in one specific area, or there is only one specific content marketing role. If you have aspirations to manage a team or grow in different areas like SEO or analytics, that may not necessarily be a focus for where you’re at in that role, and that might be another time where it could behoove you to start seeing what other opportunities may be out there.” – Amy Fair

A1: Signs of the times:

1️⃣ The role doesn’t match your expectations for career growth.

2️⃣ Few or no opportunities to work with a variety of clients.

Make sure that your jobs are always increasing your knowledge and expanding your networking opportunities ♡ #ContentChat

— Sweepsify 🎈 (@Sweepsify_) June 12, 2023

As Shruti shared on Twitter, if you lose motivation to create new content, it could be time to explore a new role. 

A1. I think when you start lacking motivation to create new content it’s time to jump ship. You need to be creative and motivated to put out relevant nurturing content and when that’s not happening…may be it’s time to go! #ContentChat

— Shruti Deshpande 🇮🇳🇬🇧 (@shruti12d) June 12, 2023

Q2: How should marketers plan their next career move? What should they consider to keep their search productive and focused?

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