{"id":23664,"date":"2022-12-15T10:49:27","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T10:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/15\/from-freelance-writer-to-in-house-leader-meet-aja-frost\/"},"modified":"2022-12-15T10:49:27","modified_gmt":"2022-12-15T10:49:27","slug":"from-freelance-writer-to-in-house-leader-meet-aja-frost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/15\/from-freelance-writer-to-in-house-leader-meet-aja-frost\/","title":{"rendered":"From Freelance Writer To In-House Leader: Meet Aja Frost"},"content":{"rendered":"

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To work freelance or to go in-house? That is the question.<\/p>\n

And the question is trickier now more than ever \u2013 especially for content marketers.<\/p>\n

According to our State of SEO 2022, freelancing is an increasingly attractive path, with almost 45%<\/a> of freelance and contract respondents earning salaries above $75,000 per year.<\/p>\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the only viable career path for content marketers.<\/p>\n

In fact, the future looks bright<\/a> for in-house professionals as more businesses are finding ways to integrate SEO into broader marketing efforts.<\/p>\n

So, which way do you go at the fork in the road?<\/p>\n

Gain new insight from this Q&A-style interview with Aja Frost, who started her marketing career as a freelance writer making a monthly income of roughly $6,000.<\/p>\n

Now, she\u2019s the Director of English Growth at HubSpot, where she helped its Sales Blog break an 18-month traffic plateau<\/a> by employing an \u201corganic-first\u201d strategy.<\/p>\n

Read on as Frost shares her experience of becoming an in-house content strategist, go-to SEO techniques, and tips for building a rewarding SEO career.<\/p>\n

Becoming An In-House Content Strategist<\/h2>\n

What has it been like transitioning from an established freelance writer to an in-house content strategist?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aja Frost:<\/strong> \u201cMy transition from freelancing to in-house was six years ago, but I remember it was challenging.<\/p>\n

I had to relearn a lot of my instincts \u2013 for example, your manager and teammates tend to want more frequent\/detailed updates than your clients, who typically only care about the high level. I was far less autonomous than I\u2019d been as a freelancer.<\/p>\n

In addition, I had to figure out the dynamics of working inside what, at the time, felt like a big organization (~1,700 people). Now that sounds small, as HubSpot has 7,000+ employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

What unexpected skill or experience has helped you as a marketing leader and SEO strategist?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AF:<\/strong> \u201cActive listening and observing is probably my most-used skill.<\/p>\n

I spend five to six hours per day in meetings, and being able to interpret how someone is feeling, what they\u2019re saying versus what they\u2019re not saying, if they\u2019re convinced or skeptical, etc., is incredibly valuable.<\/p>\n

To facilitate this, I make Zoom full-screen, hide my own box so I can\u2019t get distracted by my face, and turn off all notifications.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m in a larger group, I keep scanning faces, so I\u2019m gauging everyone\u2019s reactions. And I consistently repeat back what I\u2019m hearing so I can challenge my assumptions and make sure I\u2019m interpreting clues correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Go-To Content Tools & Techniques<\/h2>\n

What is your favorite feature within the HubSpot platform, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AF:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m so excited about the free website builder HubSpot launched a few months ago.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s actually a drag-and-drop website builder<\/a> that\u2019s super easy to use (I\u2019ve built a few test sites for fun), and it offers free web hosting and no cost for connecting a custom domain.\u201d<\/p>\n

What trends are you seeing in how AI impact keyword research? How do you take and turn these trends into topic-cluster-driven search strategies?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AF:<\/strong> \u201cAI-driven keyword research is helpful as a foundation.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s far faster to use a tool to come up with relevant longer-tail keywords than manually dig through the SERPs or even Ahrefs results.<\/p>\n

However, nothing beats an SEO\u2019s intuition and expertise for figuring out which keywords belong together in an article and how those articles should be grouped into clusters.\u201d<\/p>\n

How does globalization affect your planning for content strategy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AF:<\/strong> \u201cContent that has traffic and demand potential in multiple markets will be created in English first and then localized into Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and\/or Japanese for our regional blogs.<\/p>\n

Our\u00a0localization team is incredible<\/a>; for every piece of content they localize, they\u2019re translating not just the words and meaning but matching HubSpot\u2019s style and voice to the target audience.<\/p>\n

For example, when localizing an English post to German, the team will replace \u201cgreatest,\u201d \u201cbest in class,\u201d \u201cincredible,\u201d etc. with \u201cit\u2019s good, and it will help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lot of content is created in-language (meaning the keyword research is done in Spanish, and the content is created in Spanish). This ensures we answer the questions unique to our target market.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the most effective SEO technique you\u2019d recommend to someone wanting to improve the results they are getting from organic search?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AF:<\/strong> \u201cFocus on quality over quantity. It\u2019s far more effective to publish one well-written, in-depth piece of content with unique insights and original research than 10 higher-level, derivative pieces.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not getting the results you should be when you look at your keywords\u2019 target MSV (monthly search volume), slow down and spend (way more) time on each post.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helping Women Run The SEO World<\/h2>\n

Any tips for SEO freelancers who have a tough time selling themselves with no past clients under their belts for reference?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AF:<\/strong> \u201cCreate samples for hypothetical clients, ask another freelancer if you can do some free keyword research or content creation for them in exchange for training and your name on a project, and make sure your website looks professional and your own content strategy<\/a> is impeccable.\u201d<\/p>\n

What advice do you have for a woman pursuing a career in SEO? For a woman aspiring to a leadership role in the industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AF:<\/strong> \u201cBeing a woman in the SEO industry<\/a> and a female leader in tech is getting a lot easier\u2026 but it\u2019s still tough!<\/p>\n

My support group has been invaluable for helping me vent when I experience sexism, pushing me to take on new challenges, and brainstorming strategies to get more airtime in meetings, get people to take me seriously, and advocate for myself.<\/p>\n

I highly, highly recommend building your network of peers (both inside and outside of your company) to call on.\u201d<\/p>\n

What empowers you as a strong female leader?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AF:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m empowered by the trust and respect I share with my wonderful (or, for German readers, \u201cgood\u201d) colleagues and manager. And, of course, the live version of Beyonce\u2019s Formation.\u201d<\/p>\n

More Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Featured Image: Courtesy of Aja Frost<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n