How to Tell Your Friends You're a Content Marketer

Having trouble explaining to your friends what you do? Keep these three things in mind.

Is it that time again already? Your palms get sweaty, your head is spinning, and you blurt out a phrase like, "Me content person!" Whether it's dinner with your relatives, a high school reunion, or a simple night out with friends, that evil question could be lurking at any turn: "So, what do you do?"

Such conversations are seemingly destined to end in confusion when you are a content marketer. Luckily, we've compiled a few steps you can take to avert disaster in these situations.

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1. Rehearse

Let's face it, you barely even know what you do every day because it can range from a variety of tasks. So how are you going to explain it to someone else on a dime? The easiest thing to do is rehearse how you will describe your career. You can even memorize a few lines if that helps ease the tension. Professionals are often encouraged to develop their elevator pitch for networking events, which is very similar. The only difference here is that you won't be surrounded by people in your industry - you'll be surrounded by confused grandmas.

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2. Keep it Simple

Start with something simple and unmistakable, such as, "I work with words." This can be said for many professions, but at least your friends and family know what words are (hopefully). Then you can dive a little deeper by mentioning the company or organization you work for. If you run your own business, you'll have to set up another meeting with friends and family to explain that -- their brains will be overloaded by your content marketing gibberish (we're kidding -- kind of).

Once you've made a basic statement about your career, sit quietly and let the torrent of questions flood forth. Answer each one as simply and directly as you can, or the follow-up questions may never cease.

3. Make it Relatable

A lot of people can't relate to the tasks a typical content marketer performs in a day. However, if they don't live under a rock, they are probably familiar with some aspect of what you do. For example, social media. Most people have their eyes glued to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and various other social media platforms each day. So you can explain to them how you utilize these outlets to promote certain products or services. If all else fails, you can simply say, "Grandma, I play around on Facebook all day." It may not get you respect, but at least it's partially truthful and easy to understand.

Those lucky enough to be in the presence of business owners or executives can simply throw around some jargon. Try phrases like inbound marketing, SEO, or PPC. Those around you will launch into a jargon-filled discussion about business and forget all about your vague job description.

According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is "the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling." Simple enough, right? So you can tell friends and family that you communicate for a living because that's what content marketing is all about, right?

How have you described your job to family and friends? Share your stories with us in the comments section below!

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