Content marketing has undergone a seismic shift, and brands are no longer relying solely on external agencies for content creation. Instead, many are bringing content strategy in-house, recognizing its vital role in business growth. In this episode of Global Marketing Leaders, Pepper Content CEO Anirudh Singla speaks with Chee Gates, an industry veteran with experience at Amazon, MetLife, Bed Bath & Beyond, and other leading brands. Chee shares her deep insights on why in-house content teams are the future and how to build them effectively.
If you’re a marketing leader looking to establish a high-performing content team, this conversation is packed with valuable lessons.
Why Brands Are Shifting to Internal Content Teams
One of the biggest shifts in content marketing has been brands transitioning from agency dependence to building internal content teams. Chee highlights the reason behind this shift:
“The biggest shift for brands is building in-house content teams; content strategy is now a core part of marketing and go-to-market plans.”
She explains that companies are realizing the value of owning their content strategy, ensuring brand consistency, and developing deeper relationships with their audiences. External agencies, while valuable, often lack the intimate understanding of a brand’s mission and customer base that an in-house team can cultivate.
Another critical reason for this shift is speed and agility. When brands rely entirely on external partners, they can miss an opportunity to tap into the insider expertise of their workforce. An in-house team, has a deeper understanding of customer wants and needs. They are fewer degrees removed from the end user. Additionally, having an internal content team ensures alignment with the company's long-term vision rather than working within short-term campaign cycles driven by external partners.
Building a High-Performing Content Team: Key Roles and Skills
Building a strong in-house content team requires a deep understanding of the audience and a strategic approach. As Chee states:
“The Best Content content comes from deeply understanding your audience, their needs, pain points, and motivations, and crafting a strategy that truly resonates.”
A successful content team should include a balance of strategists, writers, designers, SEO experts, and data analysts. Each role plays a crucial part in ensuring the content is not only engaging but also serves business objectives. Strategists align content with broader business goals, while data analysts track performance and refine the approach. SEO experts help optimize visibility, and designers ensure content is visually appealing and resonates with audiences across different formats.
Additionally, an effective in-house team should foster a culture of creativity, experimentation, and collaboration. This means regularly testing different content formats, exploring new distribution channels, and staying ahead of industry trends. The key is to create a team that adapts and evolves based on audience insights and business needs.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls When Building an In-House Team
Chee emphasizes that simply assembling a team is not enough—content marketing must be viewed as an ongoing strategic initiative:
“The best content strategy blends in-house expertise with agency support—AI is now accelerating this process, making creation faster and more efficient.”
One of the most common mistakes brands make is treating content as a one-time project rather than an ongoing initiative. A content team should continuously optimize and improve based on performance data. Another frequent pitfall is operating in silos—content should align with other departments such as sales, product development, and customer success.
Cross-functional collaboration ensures content is not only engaging but also functional in moving the customer along the journey. Whether it's educational blog posts, video content, or case studies, each piece of content should serve a purpose beyond just engagement. The goal is to create a cohesive strategy that drives business outcomes.
Key Metrics to Evaluate Your Content Strategy's Impact
Content marketing success goes beyond engagement metrics like clicks and impressions. Chee explains how brands should measure real impact:
“Tracking mechanisms are key; tie content to real performance metrics and down-funnel actions to measure true impact.”
Instead of focusing solely on surface-level engagement, companies should track how content contributes to sales pipeline, customer acquisition, and retention. Key performance indicators (KPIs) include:
Influenced pipeline: How many deals did content touch?
Lead conversion rates: Are content-driven leads closing faster?
Customer retention impact: Are educational resources reducing churn?
By integrating these metrics into content strategies, brands can build a strong business case for ongoing investment in in-house teams.
The Competitive Edge of a Strong Content Team
As content marketing evolves, brands that invest in high-performing teams will gain a lasting competitive advantage. A well-structured, audience-focused content strategy enables businesses to scale effectively, strengthen customer relationships, and maintain brand consistency. By fostering agility and aligning content with long-term business goals, companies can stay ahead in an increasingly dynamic market. She shares actionable steps on building a world-class content team, avoiding common pitfalls, and measuring content’s impact.
Past Episodes
Resources for growing your product
