Branded Content Director

About the Job:

The Real Deal is seeking a strategic and results-oriented Branded Content Director to lead and scale up our Brand Studio b-2-b business of cobranded content offerings for a diverse client base across the real estate industry. This role will be responsible for achieving the marketing objectives of our clients through clear and compelling content marketing across a multitude of media platforms including articles, whitepapers, surveys, and videos. This leader will focus less on day-to-day campaign execution and more on managing high-performing internal and external teams, identifying innovative approaches to content and creative, managing the financial performance of the business, and spearheading marketing initiatives to drive customer acquisition for Brand Studio.

Content Strategy

- Lead the development of bespoke, multi-platform content strategies for clients, ensuring content solutions are innovative, data-driven, and aligned with client marketing objectives and target audience engagement goals.

- Partner closely with sales and marketing teams to design and implement campaigns (e.g., whitepapers, content marketing, industry partnerships) aimed at driving qualified leads and customer acquisition for Brand Studio.

- Oversee expanded content offerings, such as whitepapers and research surveys, by facilitating strategic planning meetings and working cross-functionally with Design, Editorial, and AdOps to ensure clear assignments and timelines for each group.

- Support key accounts by managing ongoing updates to microhubs, collaborating with the development team on layout enhancements that cover the latest content across videos, articles, event recaps, and more.

- Oversee content direction and project flow to support successful delivery and coordinated campaign launch.

- Analyze existing content performance to highlight successes and develop compelling case studies that demonstrate value and ROI.

Product Growth & Demand Generation

- Develop and execute comprehensive product marketing strategies for Brand Studio's suite of content services, from articles to videos, positioning them effectively within the market.

- Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to identify renewal opportunities, ways to optimize the business, and propose expanded content packages for existing clients.

- Stay at the forefront of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in branded content, native advertising, and digital storytelling to ensure Brand Studio's offerings remain cutting-edge.

- Act as a key evangelist for Brand Studio, representing the company at industry events, conferences, and client meetings to build brand awareness and foster relationships.

- Support Sales Marketing on the development of major proposals to ensure Brand Studio offerings are effectively integrated into broader sales strategies.

Reporting, Pipeline and Financials

- Produce clear, data-driven reporting that empowers the sales team to drive renewals and deepen client relationships.

- Work closely with the Finance team to reconcile department P&L on a monthly basis to ensure accurate cost attribution to their respective campaigns, manage the freelancer payment process, and onboard new freelancers as needed.

- Monitor and report on monthly revenue performance across content types (videos, articles) to ensure pacing aligns with year-end financial goals.

- Oversee resource planning for additional freelancers and other support as needed to cover for high-volume project periods.

Qualifications:

- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Business, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.

- 8+ years of progressive experience in branded content, content marketing, or a related field, with a proven track record of scaling content businesses.

- Exceptional understanding of content strategy across diverse media formats (text, video, interactive).

- Demonstrated expertise in developing and executing product marketing strategies and demand generation campaigns.

- Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, and profitability analysis.

- Proven leadership experience managing and mentoring creative and content teams.

- Excellent client-facing communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.

- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

- Proficiency with content management and project management systems, such as WordPress and Monday.com

- Real estate industry knowledge a plus.

- Experience with creativity tools, such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, a plus.

Who We Are:

The Real Deal is the largest real-estate news outlet in the US, reaching millions of professionals daily through our media channels. We have received 60+ awards for editorial excellence over the past six years, including the General Excellence award from the Society of Business Writers and Editors.

Quantcast rates us among the 300-most visited sites in the US and the website with the wealthiest audience and one of the most educated.

As a publication, The Real Deal is to real estate what Variety is to entertainment or what Politico is to Beltway politics – a plugged-in news outlet that is read by the entire industry.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We partner with our employees to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace and through higher education programs supporting rising journalists.