We’re looking for a Director of Content Marketing to join our legitimately fantastic team

We’ve got something really exciting going on here at Verblio. We are content marketing enthusiasts with an amazing brand and platform. We’re in full-tilt growth mode with  grandiose plans for world domination (the friendly kind), that show no signs of slowing down. 

What do we actually DO though? Well, Verblio is a unique content writing startup based in Denver, CO. Content is a core foundation of modern marketing—but it’s really hard to create quality content, particularly at scale (it’s hard to do great things in large quantities. That’s why wedding food is often so bad.)  Many companies can’t reasonably staff for the time, resources and talent they need to harness the power of content. So, we nurture a network of over 3,000 writers—plus a marketplace business model and an easy-to-use platform for collaboration—to allow modern digital agencies, businesses, enterprises, and publishers to create truly effective content solutions. 

We’re led by a 15-year marketplace industry veteran and staffed by a team of energetic, eclectic startup junkies, writing enthusiasts, and random liberal arts degree collectors as we brew this powerful SaaS + marketplace potion. We think it’s intoxicating, and we think you’re going to like it.

We have a TON to do, and that’s where you come in!  Yes, our entire business is based on content creation, AND, we need help doing it for ourselves. We are looking for the right Director of Content Marketing to join our team. 

NOTE: Our goal with this job description is to paint a picture of where we are, the opportunities we have, and what we need. 

That means it is looooooooong (<-- Google joke), but also means you should have a much better sense of whether this is a good fit for you than the average JD.

If you read it and think, “Damn, that sounds absolutely energizing!” we want to talk to you. If you think, “I’m pretty lost,” or, “That sounds like way too much work,” or, “These people are insane,” you're probably right, and this isn’t the right role for you. That’s ok; it’s not for everyone. If you think, “This sounds mostly awesome, but I have some questions,” let’s talk. 

About the role:

This role is kinda meta: you’ll lead content marketing for a content creation company that’s focused on helping other companies do content marketing.

While kinda funny it also means we’re in a crowded space: if we create run-of-the-mill content about content marketing, it means we’re competing for attention in the SERP and the mind of our prospect, with companies you might’ve heard of like HubSpot, Moz, etc, etc (etc).

So, we have to be either more thoughtful than that about what we target, or we have to create better content. Or, ideally, both.

To help us in that impossible task, we’ve got some cool things going for us:

• A rockstar content marketing manager who’s also our podcast producer
• A 50 DA
• A brand that is starting to turn heads in our space and a brand voice that helps our content stand out
• Strong partners in SEO, copywriting, design
• An awesome platform/product backed by awesome humans

Plus, we’ve got a number of vehicles for content, too:

• Our blog
• Our site in general
• A newish (1-year old) podcast (The Verblio Show, soon to be Yes And Marketing) that’s off to  a great start
• A sizeable email list
• Our customer base
• Stickers
• Expo booths once that’s a thing again
• The belief (and data to back it up) that we’ve got a long way to run with our content marketing

Until recently, Verblio’s business was built almost entirely on inbound marketing. We’ve got a strong inbound funnel that’s working—it delivers 20+ new customers per week, almost like clockwork.

Here’s the big picture for your role:

We need to keep leveling-up our content. What we’ve done so far in the content marketing space has allowed us to triple organic traffic over the last four years, and we believe with more resources and attention, we can accelerate our growth even further:

• There’s a lot more room to grow through inbound (content for SEO, content for the funnel).  
• We’ve recently begun investing in outbound sales and marketing and need the content to make those efforts more powerful.
• A key focus for the company over the next 24 months is productizing our offerings to go after new verticals and new markets. We’ll need powerful content to support these efforts.

You and your team will create, promote, and measure content for Verblio’s content marketing:

You, our content marketing manager, the team of freelance writers you develop, and outsourced design support will create content for:

• SEO. In partnership with our SEO team, develop blog posts, pillar pages, landing pages, data-driven content, and more that keeps the organic traffic flowing.
• The funnel.
  • Lead magnets & gated content
  • Case studies
  • One-pagers
• The podcast. We see the podcast as adding value in a multitude of ways. And, it’s off to a strong start, one year in. Our content marketing manager serves as the show’s producer; we’re looking for someone who can support her in promoting the podcast, making it even stronger, and creating content around it.
• Maybe social media too. Ah, social media. We have mixed feelings.

On a day-to-day basis that means you will...

Define and organize content marketing strategy. Partner with the marketing team, SEO team, company leadership and sales team to set content marketing strategy based on company goals and go-to-market strategy, keep it all organized, and organize it across our various channels in a disciplined manner.

Execute on said strategy. Working with a team of writers and designers, the broader marketing team, sales, leadership, and anyone else at the company and beyond you recruit to your informal team, create awesome content. This will involve some serious project management and cat-herding skills. You’ve been warned.

Promote and measure said content. We’ll be honest: content promotion and amplification is not where we shine. Maybe it’s because we’ve got a lot going on. Or maybe it’s because content promotion is f&*(ing hard. Regardless of the reason, we need some help in this area, and this will be a key focus of this role.

Build outstanding stuff. With some caveats, we believe in the theory of 10x content. We also wholeheartedly agree with this quote, “The returns on writing something great are enormous; the returns on writing something average are zero.” We’ve got tons of opportunity for great content. And, we don’t always need perfect, sometimes we need A- and out the door.

Do some writing and editing yourself. While writing isn’t the primary responsibility of this position, we’re looking for someone who enjoys writing and would like to do some writing, and certainly some editing.

Serve as editor-in-chief and help steward the Verblio brand voice. Synthesize, be able to embody, and help us manage (with help from the team at large and our copywriter) the voice of the Verblio brand—fun, sometimes daring, and smart. 

Be an effective communicator. We are looking for clear, direct communicators. That means interpersonally and in your writing. We like being clever but clarity is paramount (claramount?). 

Do all of this in a hard-working startup environment. Content marketing is hard (especially, as noted, in the marketing space). And, on top of that, it’s worth reiterating that we’re a scrappy startup, and there are resource constraints that come along with that. So does a huge degree of freedom in what you can create..

Other things to know: 

There’s more to life than content. This role will report to our VP of Marketing and be part of the marketing team. That means that there are also opportunities and needs in marketing outside of content marketing. Content marketing will be your main gig, and there are other areas of marketing that have lots of opportunity. This position will also influence the core product. For example, you'll take your best practices and help turn them into our platform offerings. You'll make  our core product better through your understanding of content marketing, and act as the tip of the spear in testing out what we should build next. We’re looking for someone who’s jazzed about this because we’re jazzed about this! (Fun side fact - Verblio’s CEO loves jazz)

Verblio has a vibrant company culture. We’re smart, welcoming, creative, and engaged in our jobs. We love to share resources and recommendations. We like to make each other laugh. We care about our jobs, but not so much that it kills us. We care about our families, our communities, our hobbies, and our mental health, too. We have a low turnover rate because people love working here. We’re looking for someone that wants to be a part of that. 

Not for the faint of heart. We’ll warn you in advance that this is a big role, with a lot of responsibility, and not for someone looking for a 9-5.

What you will need to be successful in this role: 

• 5+ years of content marketing experience, experience in other digital marketing disciplines a plus
• Experience with, and passion for people/team management. Content marketing is a team sport, particularly at Verblio.
• A deep understanding of and borderline obsession with content marketing and at least a solid understanding of SEO fundamentals. 
  • If words like content refresh/revamp, domain authority, content promotion, people also ask, and SEO optimization are not part of your vocabulary, this isn’t the right role for you.
  • If your main source of content about content marketing is the HubSpot blog or someone with the initials NP, this isn’t the role for you.
• Key content marketing skills: research, incorporation of design elements, selection of content types, content promotion & amplification, etc (etc).
• Serious project management skills—lots of spinning plates to do this well.
• The desire to do what it takes to effectively promote content in our space—get out there (virtually) make connections, pitch, etc.
• Strong content writing and copywriting skills—while you won’t primarily be writing, we’re looking for someone who can do that well.
• A desire to do all of this in a startup environment where budgets aren’t unlimited, systems can be complex and imperfect, and scrappiness is required.
• At least some analytical skills. We believe that (most) content should be measured. We’ve got analytical wizardry on staff, but GA basics, Search Console basics, an SEO tool or two and interpretation of data, plus the desire to track what we’re putting out is important
• A voracious appetite for marketing content.
• Bonus points for social media experience (particularly LinkedIn).
• Double bonus points for experience at a digital marketing agency.
• Cool or unexpected skills that would make you great for the role that we haven’t mentioned? Let’s hear them. 

What makes Verblio a great place to work:

• Competitive salary and stock options.
• Stylish sock options
• Health, dental & vision insurance with a  generous monthly company contribution
• Flexible paid time off and holidays.
• A high degree of ownership  and opportunity to inspire your passion and personal fulfillment.
• Varied and challenging work  to help you grow every day.
• Did we mention we’ve got a really fun team culture and everyone is delightfully intelligent and that we share a wonderful set of company values?
• We work effectively together because we don’t have needless meetings, don’t tolerate egos, and genuinely like each other. It’s awesome.
• Did we mention we’re growing like mad? It’s way more fun to be on a rocketship to the stars than riding in circles on a model train set. (No disrespect to model train enthusiasts.) We made the Inc 5000 list for the second year in a row, won our sixth Mercury 100 award as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Boulder Valley, and just made the Colorado Companies to Watch list.
• Some day when we can safely co-locate again, we’ve got in-person perks like free food & drink, fun events,  a hip centrally-located Denver office, a free RTD Eco-pass, etc… Some day.
• Have you read the website? That’ll give you a good idea of our energy.
• This position pays $75,000 - $100,000/year, commensurate with experience.

How to apply:

Excited about this opportunity? If so, click here  to apply with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile link, the top 1-3 ways you learn about content marketing/ SEO, and your favorite 1-2 sentences that show you went deep into this job description and it speaks to you.