Name: Meet the Chief Content Officer: Ann Handley
Uploaded: 2023-11-03T11:32:14.097Z
Duration: 351.45
Description: Any company wanting to grow needs to produce content, whether through the job advertisements they post or the social pieces they share. Developing a consistent identity takes a careful strategy spearheaded by the Chief Content Officer. But what is life really like in this lesser-known C-Suite role? Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at Marketing Props, explores how vital the role is today.

Meet the Chief Content Officer v3.mp4

Meet the Chief Content Officer v3.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
I'm Ann Hanley, Chief Content
Officer of Marketing Props.

{{00:00:04}}
Prior to that, I had the role of
chief content officer at my prior

{{00:00:08}}
company, ClickZ, and fun fact, I am the
world's first chief content officer.

{{00:00:19}}
So the role of the chief content officer,
I think in any company is to be the

{{00:00:25}}
one who ensures consistency in the
content that any organisation publishes.

{{00:00:30}}
Now that may seem like it's kind
of a small job, but it's actually

{{00:00:33}}
an enormous job, especially The
bigger the company, the more content

{{00:00:37}}
it's producing, and therefore the
more challenging that role can be.

{{00:00:41}}
And when I say content, I mean everything
from content that HR puts out to

{{00:00:46}}
attract great candidates to the blog,
to social media, across everything

{{00:00:51}}
that we do, any communication that
we produce so I think that's the role

{{00:00:55}}
of the chief content officer is to
not only to manage the content and to

{{00:00:59}}
maintain consistency, but also to be
sure that it actually maps to strategy.

{{00:01:05}}
We want to make sure that the content
we're producing actually is meeting

{{00:01:09}}
the objectives that we need it to meet.

{{00:01:11}}
That it's actually meeting the goals
that we set out for the organisation.

{{00:01:15}}
The most important thing that a
great CCO can bring to a company is

{{00:01:19}}
the ability to manage in two ways.

{{00:01:21}}
To manage up, to manage expectations
about what is this content going to

{{00:01:27}}
do for us and the role of content,
the critical role of content.

{{00:01:31}}
In an organisation, so I think
managing up, managing expectations,

{{00:01:35}}
and also laterally, right, other
people that are also in the, in the

{{00:01:38}}
C suite who may have their own idea
about what content should be doing.

{{00:01:42}}
So I think you've got to be really
skilled at managing, managing

{{00:01:45}}
up, managing laterally, but also.

{{00:01:47}}
You're managing a team.

{{00:01:48}}
In some organisations, you're
managing a lot of people.

{{00:01:52}}
And so what does that mean?

{{00:01:53}}
That means that you want to make sure
that the kind of content that you're

{{00:01:56}}
producing, the tactical aspect  of the
content you're producing, you know, again,

{{00:02:01}}
does map to strategy and that you're able
to really articulate what your vision is

{{00:02:06}}
for the content that you're producing.

{{00:02:08}}
I think that the most important
attributes that a chief content officer

{{00:02:12}}
needs is, first of all, a passion for
content you have to love what you do.

{{00:02:16}}
I mean, I think that's true of anybody
who is, you know, spent their career

{{00:02:21}}
working in a particular discipline but
I think it's especially true for content

{{00:02:26}}
because you've got to really feel like
you care a whole lot about the quality of

{{00:02:31}}
what you produce, you have to make sure
that you really believe in the mission

{{00:02:34}}
of content to further the objectives to
drive the strategy, but I think also to

{{00:02:40}}
truly believe in its mission to drive
on business on behalf of the company

{{00:02:45}}
to meet those goals, those objectives.

{{00:02:47}}
So number two but number three,
I think they have to have a keen

{{00:02:51}}
sense of how important content is.

{{00:02:54}}
And I think they have to be able to
articulate it to other people around them.

{{00:02:58}}
Very often content programs
fail because they stop, right?

{{00:03:04}}
And so what does that mean for people who
are leading content within organisations?

{{00:03:08}}
We've got to make sure that we're
constantly articulating how important

{{00:03:12}}
and how critical content is.

{{00:03:13}}
Across everything that we're doing,
not just in marketing, by the

{{00:03:16}}
way, but especially in marketing
at this point in my career.

{{00:03:19}}
I feel like I have grown up with with
content that, you know, I'm not kidding.

{{00:03:25}}
I really was the world's
first chief content officer.

{{00:03:28}}
I think I was the first person to
ever have that job title, and I

{{00:03:31}}
kind of gave it to myself way back
like years ago because I wanted to

{{00:03:37}}
elevate the role of content within
the organisation and so I think what I

{{00:03:42}}
love about it is that it's still true.

{{00:03:45}}
Like I still love content,
but it's always changing.

{{00:03:47}}
You know, I haven't been doing the
same job for decades at this point.

{{00:03:50}}
Instead, you know, content always
evolves, the programs always

{{00:03:55}}
evolve, the platforms always evolve.

{{00:03:58}}
The content world is immersed in or I
should say obsessed with AI right now.

{{00:04:04}}
Like, it's all about AI.

{{00:04:06}}
But here's the deal.

{{00:04:07}}
There's always something new.

{{00:04:08}}
There's always been something.

{{00:04:10}}
And so I love that about content.

{{00:04:13}}
I love it about marketing and it's
always changing, always evolving.

{{00:04:16}}
And that's, what's just such a, it's,
that's, what's so interesting about it.

{{00:04:19}}
But in terms of your needs and
priorities clashing, I mean, the,

{{00:04:22}}
the antidote to that is to make
sure that you're constantly managing

{{00:04:26}}
up and managing laterally as well.

{{00:04:28}}
so, keeping a constant communication with
what you're doing and why is so critical.

{{00:04:33}}
That's not a small thing because
you've constantly got to be educating

{{00:04:37}}
those around you, leading them along.

{{00:04:39}}
Because invariably there's going to
be one person, like, I don't know,

{{00:04:42}}
Steve in accounting, who's going to
be like, why don't we have a TikTok?

{{00:04:45}}
Like, why don't we have a TikTok?

{{00:04:46}}
Well, maybe because that's not
a priority for us right now.

{{00:04:49}}
It doesn't map strategically
to what we're all about.

{{00:04:52}}
Maybe we can experiment,
we can play with it.

{{00:04:54}}
Steve, thank you for your suggestion.

{{00:04:56}}
You're one, my God, you look great today.

{{00:04:58}}
But at the same time, you know,
you've got to constantly be managing

{{00:05:02}}
those, that kind of,  that kind of
input in general  any content role

{{00:05:07}}
is going to work pretty closely with.

{{00:05:10}}
Legal customer success, but also just
surprisingly like HR, for example, I

{{00:05:16}}
think there's lots of opportunity there to
attract people to us through the content

{{00:05:20}}
that we're producing, especially in a
world where budgets are tighter, where

{{00:05:24}}
it's harder to attract the kind of people
who are perfect fits for our company.

{{00:05:28}}
And so yeah, I think just constantly
having those conversations internally.

{{00:05:31}}
If I wasn't a CCO, I would be  probably
like a very, very chill dog walker.

{{00:05:38}}
I'm kind of obsessed with my dog.

{{00:05:40}}
He's kind of obsessed with me,
if I'm being honest so yeah, I

{{00:05:44}}
don't know, something outside.

I'm Ann Hanley, Chief Content
Officer of Marketing Props.

Prior to that, I had the role of
chief content officer at my prior

company, ClickZ, and fun fact, I am the
world's first chief content officer.

So the role of the chief content officer,
I think in any company is to be the

one who ensures consistency in the
content that any organisation publishes.

Now that may seem like it's kind
of a small job, but it's actually

an enormous job, especially The
bigger the company, the more content

it's producing, and therefore the
more challenging that role can be.

And when I say content, I mean everything
from content that HR puts out to

attract great candidates to the blog,
to social media, across everything

that we do, any communication that
we produce so I think that's the role

of the chief content officer is to
not only to manage the content and to

maintain consistency, but also to be
sure that it actually maps to strategy.

We want to make sure that the content
we're producing actually is meeting

That it's actually meeting the goals
that we set out for the organisation.

The most important thing that a
great CCO can bring to a company is

To manage up, to manage expectations
about what is this content going to

do for us and the role of content,
the critical role of content.

In an organisation, so I think
managing up, managing expectations,

and also laterally, right, other
people that are also in the, in the

C suite who may have their own idea
about what content should be doing.

So I think you've got to be really
skilled at managing, managing

In some organisations, you're
managing a lot of people.

That means that you want to make sure
that the kind of content that you're

producing, the tactical aspect  of the
content you're producing, you know, again,

does map to strategy and that you're able
to really articulate what your vision is

I think that the most important
attributes that a chief content officer

needs is, first of all, a passion for
content you have to love what you do.

I mean, I think that's true of anybody
who is, you know, spent their career

working in a particular discipline but
I think it's especially true for content

because you've got to really feel like
you care a whole lot about the quality of

what you produce, you have to make sure
that you really believe in the mission

of content to further the objectives to
drive the strategy, but I think also to

truly believe in its mission to drive
on business on behalf of the company

So number two but number three,
I think they have to have a keen

And I think they have to be able to
articulate it to other people around them.

Very often content programs
fail because they stop, right?

And so what does that mean for people who
are leading content within organisations?

We've got to make sure that we're
constantly articulating how important

Across everything that we're doing,
not just in marketing, by the

way, but especially in marketing
at this point in my career.

I feel like I have grown up with with
content that, you know, I'm not kidding.

I really was the world's
first chief content officer.

I think I was the first person to
ever have that job title, and I

kind of gave it to myself way back
like years ago because I wanted to

elevate the role of content within
the organisation and so I think what I

Like I still love content,
but it's always changing.

You know, I haven't been doing the
same job for decades at this point.

Instead, you know, content always
evolves, the programs always

The content world is immersed in or I
should say obsessed with AI right now.

I love it about marketing and it's
always changing, always evolving.

And that's, what's just such a, it's,
that's, what's so interesting about it.

But in terms of your needs and
priorities clashing, I mean, the,

the antidote to that is to make
sure that you're constantly managing

so, keeping a constant communication with
what you're doing and why is so critical.

That's not a small thing because
you've constantly got to be educating

Because invariably there's going to
be one person, like, I don't know,

Steve in accounting, who's going to
be like, why don't we have a TikTok?

Well, maybe because that's not
a priority for us right now.

It doesn't map strategically
to what we're all about.

Maybe we can experiment,
we can play with it.

You're one, my God, you look great today.

But at the same time, you know,
you've got to constantly be managing

those, that kind of,  that kind of
input in general  any content role

Legal customer success, but also just
surprisingly like HR, for example, I

think there's lots of opportunity there to
attract people to us through the content

that we're producing, especially in a
world where budgets are tighter, where

it's harder to attract the kind of people
who are perfect fits for our company.

And so yeah, I think just constantly
having those conversations internally.

If I wasn't a CCO, I would be  probably
like a very, very chill dog walker.

He's kind of obsessed with me,
if I'm being honest so yeah, I

Meet the Leaders

Expert Insight

Any company wanting to grow needs to produce content, whether through the job advertisements they post or the social pieces they share. Developing a consistent identity takes a careful strategy spearheaded by the Chief Content Officer. But what is life really like in this lesser-known C-Suite role?

Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at Marketing Props, explores how vital the role is today.

thumbnail_Ann Handley photo_459526_1520000821.jpg

xsmall_Ann Handley photo_459526_1520000821.jpg

Ann Handley photo_459526_1520000821.jpg

Ann Handley

Chief Content Officer

Handley dives into the crux of the role and its importance within the company. 

The role

Every role has commonalities when it comes to the type of qualities required to do the job well. Handley breaks them down. 

Personal attribute pre-requisites 

See what conflicts Handley comes up against in her role and how to best navigate them.