Content and Thought Leadership Strategist

Position Summary:

For over 40 years, Drake Software LLC has designed and developed tax preparation solutions for tax professionals. We are looking for an experienced professional with a passion for content strategy and thought leadership in the B2B software sector. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of developing and implementing effective content strategies that elevate brand positioning, engage target audiences, and drive business results including top of the funnel engagement with our brand through content and thought leadership. This role requires a combination of creativity, strategic thinking, and leadership to guide the development of impactful content that showcases our industry leading tax expertise and thought leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Content Strategy Development:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive content strategy aligned with business goals, target audience needs, and industry trends.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure content aligns with brand messaging and overall marketing strategies.

Thought Leadership Initiatives:

• Drive thought leadership initiatives by identifying key industry trends, conducting market research, and collaborating with internal subject matter experts.
• Develop and execute plans to establish company executives and experts as thought leaders through articles, whitepapers, webinars, and speaking engagements.

Content Creation and Management:

• Oversee the creation of high-quality, engaging content, including blog posts, articles, whitepapers, case studies, and videos, that resonate with target audiences.
• Manage content creation processes, collaborating with internal teams and external contributors as needed.
• Partner with key stakeholders in the company to create compelling presentations for Industry conferences, webinars and seminars for our sales team.

Distribution and Promotion:

• Develop strategies for effective content distribution and promotion across various channels, including social media, industry publications, and our company website.
• Utilize SEO and analytics to optimize content for visibility and impact.

Brand Alignment:

• Ensure content aligns with the company's brand voice, messaging, and overall positioning.
• Collaborate with the brand and marketing teams to integrate content into broader marketing campaigns.

Performance Analysis:

• Monitor and analyze the performance of content initiatives, using data and insights to refine strategies and improve engagement.
• Provide regular reports on key content metrics and their impact on business objectives.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, or a related field; advanced degree is a plus.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in content strategy and thought leadership, preferably in the B2B software industry.
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful content strategies.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Leadership experience with the ability to lead and inspire a team.
• Familiarity with content management systems and analytics tools.
• If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for developing thought leadership initiatives and impactful content in the B2B tax software sector, we invite you to join our dynamic team.

Content Strategy Goals for 2024:

We have 40+ years experience in Tax and a wealth of staff knowledge, relationships ad customer relationships that give us an advantage in the market and ability to give thought leadership on topics from how to run your tax practice to what to look out for in tax code changes to key aspects of the industry to be aware of (i.e. cyber security topics). We need to do a better job of harvesting and surfacing that info to our customers. Key initiatives include:

Improve Webinar Program to drive increased prospect leads:

• Enhance the webinar program to serve as a powerful tool for generating leads and expanding the top of the funnel.
• Develop engaging webinar topics that address key pain points and interests of our target audience in the tax software market.
• Implement strategies to increase webinar attendance and audience engagement, such as targeted promotion and interactive elements.
• Leverage webinar content to nurture leads throughout the sales funnel and drive conversions.

Custom Research and White Papers to Drive industry coverage, site traffic and leads:

• Create custom research studies and white papers that establish our brand as a thought leader with a unique voice in the tax software market.
• Identify industry trends, challenges, and opportunities to inform the development of research topics and white paper content.
• Conduct thorough research and analysis to produce insightful findings and actionable recommendations that resonate with our target audience.
• Leverage custom research and white papers as valuable assets for lead generation, brand building, and establishing credibility within the market.
• Develop a distribution strategy to ensure that research findings and white papers reach the right audience through various channels, including digital platforms, industry publications, and targeted outreach efforts.

SEO Blog Content to drive increased site traffic to key Tax Preparer topics:

• Collaborate with internal subject matter experts, including product managers, developers, and customer support teams, to produce high-quality blog content.
• Identify topics and trends relevant to our audience that align with our brand messaging and SEO objectives.
• Work closely with the SEO team to optimize blog content for search engines and maximize organic traffic to the website.
• Implement a content calendar and editorial process to ensure consistent publishing of blog posts that address key industry insights, product updates, and customer needs.
• Monitor blog performance metrics, such as traffic, engagement, and conversion rates, and iterate on content strategies based on data-driven insights.
• Encourage employee advocacy and participation in content creation initiatives to amplify our brand voice and expertise across social media and professional networks.

Create and Support Industry-Leading Topics for Conference Presentations:

• Coordinate with learning and John Sapp to Identify additional opportunities to get free presentation and keynote opportunities at industry conferences and events.
• Develop compelling presentation topics that showcase our expertise, innovation, and thought leadership within the tax software market.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and industry partners to refine presentation content and ensure alignment with key messaging and branding guidelines.
• Provide support and resources to speakers, including presentation materials, talking points, and rehearsal sessions, to ensure effective delivery and engagement with the audience.
• Maximize the impact of conference presentations by promoting them through pre-event marketing efforts, such as email campaigns, social media posts, and targeted outreach to industry influencers.
• Capture feedback and insights from conference attendees to inform future presentation topics and content strategies, and leverage post-event follow-up to nurture relationships and drive further engagement.