{"id":22706,"date":"2023-06-08T12:14:03","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/library\/meet-the-team-content-marketing-manager-kait-spong"},"modified":"2024-09-17T10:15:36","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T10:15:36","slug":"meet-the-team-content-marketing-manager-kait-spong","status":"publish","type":"library","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/blog\/meet-the-team-content-marketing-manager-kait-spong","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Team: Content Marketing Manager Kait Spong"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kait is a member of our Marketing team, and has been with Bloomreach for 9 months now. We spent some time chatting with them about their experience with the company to give prospective candidates a chance to better understand what it\u2019s like being part of our Marketing team and creating amazing things together.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    When and how did you realize that you would like to work within technology?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Funnily enough, I am not a super technical person \u2014 even though my parents always want me to troubleshoot all of their electronic and Wi-Fi issues (but maybe there\u2019s an advantage to that when you\u2019re a writer in tech!). Honestly, I have an old, dear friend of mine to thank for getting me into the tech field. Shout-out to Rachel Thomas, who is now bringing her expertise to Twitter as a Senior Product Designer!<\/p>\n

    About a year into my graduate program in English, Rachel hit me up and told me about a Content Strategist position at a SaaS company in the Greater New Orleans area. I learned very quickly that my creative and analytical background from my humanities-based education transferred quite well to marketing strategy and digital copywriting. It was easy to get behind the new and exciting possibilities that awaited me in tech, so here I am now. <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      How did you find out about Bloomreach?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      I stumbled upon Bloomreach on LinkedIn when I was on an active job search in 2021. This might sound a bit odd, but from the moment I saw the ad, I had a gut feeling that everything would work out because of how the company presented its brand online; our values<\/a> seemed to be so well aligned. Sometimes, things in life are just meant to be.<\/p>\n

      I was immediately compelled to apply, and my intuition was right. From the moment I talked to Kim Benton (one of our amazing recruiters), everything felt so incredibly natural, and that feeling just continued from there as I met everyone on the Brand team and in the larger marketing organization \u2014 all the way to my final culture call. <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        What was your journey to becoming a Content Marketing Manager?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Believe it or not, I began my college education with the full intention of becoming an English professor, but I fell into the marketing field. As much as I loved writing and research on an academic level, I wasn\u2019t sure if I could make it as an English professor. Students and faculty are amazing \u2013 don\u2019t get me wrong. When it comes to publishing, however, there is a very individualistic mindset in academia. It\u2019s always about establishing yourself as the smartest one in the room. By nature, I\u2019m more of a team player. I am always eager to make something great with my colleagues and build off one another\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n

        Once I landed in the SaaS marketing world, I tried to absorb everything I could! I was a bit of a generalist for a while and did a lot of marketing work outside of branding. I was also very proactive about putting myself out there to explore verticals outside of tech and began a marketing consultancy, partnering with local agencies across all verticals \u2014 from B2B manufacturing to restaurant, hospitality, and tourism.<\/p>\n

        If you want to become a great creative, you shouldn\u2019t be afraid to tackle any project with eagerness. I feel like this open-mindedness, combined with my willingness to continue my education outside of a traditional college setting, has made me into the professional I am today. Luckily, it all worked out to where I\u2019m still able to teach through the content I write internally and externally. <\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Walk us through a day in the life of a Content Marketing Manager at Bloomreach!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          A lot of quiet time, collaborative efforts, and iced coffee! But seriously, one of the perks of working at Bloomreach is that all meetings are scheduled and structured with pure intent. You\u2019ll rarely have useless meetings or go over the time allotted because of these ideologies. I have the perfect amount of focus time to do my tasks, sprinkled with helpful and informative meetings that range from collaborative and strategic sessions to just touching base. By 1 or 2 p.m., I usually have my head down working on assignments, which is great for me, as this is when I am most productive with my writing. <\/p>\n

          On the Brand Content team, we are structured by the types of content we work on. For me, I handle a lot of our marketing campaigns and sales enablement materials. I love this unique mix because I am focused on demand generation, like most Content Marketing Managers, but I also work closely with inside sales and our partner ecosystem to make sure our Revenue and Partner Channel\/Marketing teams have everything they need to succeed. <\/p>\n

          Since we are a small team, there\u2019s no telling what the day holds when it comes to writing assignments because we help one another out based on our bandwidth. If I had to summarize common formats, though, I\u2019d say I work a lot on long-form guides and whitepapers, blogs, third-party articles, one-pagers, and battle cards \u2014 and I\u2019ve just begun dipping my toes into more case studies! I also focus a lot on Bloomreach Discovery<\/a> (aka our product search, merchandising, recommendations, and SEO modules) and B2B market with my B2B co-conspirator, Jason Hein.<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \n

            What is the most rewarding part of your role?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            I don\u2019t want to speak for all creatives, but I think many of us feel rewarded when we hit the mark and realize the vision of a request. Nothing feels better than hearing that I\u2019ve nailed an idea for a campaign or the content of a one-pager. In our field, you have to learn how to get the words on the page no matter what, and it can be a challenge, especially when it comes to writing about technical concepts that funnel into our products or starting a piece without every piece of information you might need. <\/p>\n

            I am also very proud that I have the opportunity to contribute to the powerful brand we\u2019re trying to build at Bloomreach. Our Brand team doesn\u2019t just consist of Content, but it also houses Design and PR & Comms. All of these talented individuals, who I have the pleasure to work with every day, are geared toward a common objective to make Bloomreach a recognizable brand across the globe \u2014 and I couldn\u2019t be prouder to add a small part to that big initiative. Oh, and making a living off your chosen craft is never a bad thing!<\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

              \n
            1. \n

              What do you consider the most challenging part of your role?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Working on any Brand team can feel like a bit of a fire drill, especially at a high-growth SaaS company. You have multiple teams coming to you with numerous requests that need to be fulfilled to move the needle on company objectives and goals. We\u2019re a super solid Brand team at Bloomreach who react very well to sudden requests, but it can be draining some days \u2014 albeit very rewarding (and exciting).<\/p>\n

              When it comes to writing specifically, it can also be difficult to be creative and productive on a 9-to-5 schedule. Even with strict deadlines, creatives need quiet moments, particularly when trying to wrap our minds around difficult concepts like product technology. Bloomreach provides me with all the resources I need, and I am lucky enough to have an amazingly intuitive manager, Carl Bleich, who works with me whenever I\u2019m feeling stuck, whether I\u2019m working through an idea or concept or figuring out who I need to talk to for a specific piece in a company of 800+ employees.<\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

                \n
              1. \n

                What would you say is your favorite thing about working for Bloomreach?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Growing up in New Orleans, community is something that\u2019s always been very important to me. It helped me survive the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In the desolate times when I was displaced and not sure if I would ever make it back home, I saw the beauty of my city flourish through community, activism, and art. Bloomreach is all about community and about being and doing better than it was the day before. It isn\u2019t just a company that says; it\u2019s a company that does.<\/p>\n

                I knew that culture was a huge priority as I moved into the next phase of my career. From the start, Bloomreach demonstrated that it lived its values, and it reflects in its people and culture. At Bloomreach, I am not only able to progress in my career as a Content Marketer, but I am also able to fulfill my personal missions, particularly in creating a more inclusive environment. Being a member of the DEI committee allows me to continue the work I began in graduate school in the place I spend most of my time, and it means a lot to me.<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. \n

                  What is the best part of being on your team?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  So. Many. Things. Everyone on my team will probably tell you this \u2014 but I am extremely vocal about all of the amazing artistry on our Brand team. Fortunately, I have many teammates who are the same way. Every week, we have a weekly Brand meeting where we share updates on what we\u2019re working on, and it fuels the creativity of my work when I see how much everyone is rocking it. <\/p>\n

                  We also have a running writing workshop \u2014 started by our awesome Senior Editor, Michael Lee \u2014 called \u201cThe Write Way,\u201d which serves as a great incubator for ideas (or just fun and playful banter) for the entire marketing org. My teammates keep me on my creative toes, and the trust I\u2019m given by leadership to do my job is unlike any I\u2019ve ever experienced professionally. What I mean is the support is unreal! <\/p>\n

                  <\/p>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. \n

                    In three words, how would you describe the culture at Bloomreach?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n