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Preliminary data is in from The State of (Dis)Content survey. The most interesting finding (to me) so far?

The majority of content marketers report not being creatively fulfilled.

I took the survey and interpreted this to mean, "Are you creatively fulfilled in your content job?"

My answer: no, not really.

But I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

You see, I write long-form content for SaaS companies. If I were to dive deep into my creative soul, I'm not sure software would be the first place I'd turn to fulfil my creative needs.

I picked SaaS as a niche for different reasons:

• It's a fast-paced and innovative industry which keeps things interesting.
• Trends are often rooted in data, which appeals to the academic part of my brain.
• It pays well.

Now, even though I write about software, it doesn't mean I'm not a creative person at heart. I am. And I often look for creative approaches to present content--even in the SaaS space.

But my job isn't what fulfils me creatively. It's what puts bread and butter on the table. And I think that's okay.

For creative fulfilment, I write poetry, I create travel content, and I immerse myself in poetry, music, and art.

So, am I creatively fulfilled as a content marketer? Sometimes. But not really. Am I creatively fulfilled in general? Absolutely.

What do you think? Is content marketing supposed to be a creative practice? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading,

Ashley

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Expert Interview | Renee Lynn Frojo

1/ Tell me more about yourself and your journey into content.

I’ve always said that my ultimate goal is to be a well-paid journalist. And building my own content business seems like the best way to achieve that.

However, that journey has been windy.

I started my career as a journalist covering two topics I knew absolutely nothing about: Pharmaceuticals and medical devices. I wrote for a publication called FDAnews, which is about as dry and boring as it sounds.

While brutal (and not very fun), that job taught me that if I could write about drugs and policy, I could write about anything.

Two years was more than enough time to learn that lesson.

So, after meeting my now ex-husband, I quit that first job to backpack around the world and freelance for international publications for about a year.

When we returned to the U.S., I managed to convince the people at the San Francisco Business Times to give me a job and snagged the departing hospitality reporter’s beats.

For two (very fun) years, I wrote about hotels, restaurants, nonprofits, small businesses, and startups.

I loved the restaurant beat so much that I started my own food blog. And that’s when I finally married journalism with content creation.

That food blog led to my first in-house job as the head of editorial content for a fast-growing (and now multi-million dollar) startup. Then came an online magazine for new mothers, which was acquired as the content marketing branch of another startup.

After one final in-house stint during my divorce as the head of content marketing for an established startup, I started what’s now my freelance content marketing consulting business.

2/ How can content marketers create content that means something in today’s saturated world (especially with AI in the pic)?

Tell more stories.

That means getting clear on your bigger brand story and why you exist, what purpose you serve, and the impact you’re making.

But it also means weaving more stories into everything you produce. Your customer’s stories, your team’s stories, your founder’s stories—anything that’ll make content more relatable and resonant that can only come from you.

The most effective way I’ve done this with my own clients is by getting everyone on the team involved in creating content—from engineering to sales.

It’s basically taking a journalistic approach to creating content. And (IMHO) all the most memorable brands are doing it. Seen by Renee Lynn Frojo ✨ at 12:36 PM.

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