Why Brands Still Need a Content Strategist When They Already Have a Brand Strategist？

By The Olivia
Content & SEO Strategist for the China Market
This post is part of the “Content Strategy” series. Click here to view the series introduction and why it was created.

When brands hear the term “content strategist,” they might think:
“We already have a brand strategist. Why would we need another one for content?”
This article is here to answer that question.

1. How This Role Emerged

The role of a content strategist didn’t appear out of nowhere.
It developed gradually as communication environments changed.

In the past, brand communication was fairly linear: strategists set the direction, creatives made the ads, and media handled the placements.
Information was concentrated, the communication path was clear, and a strong idea or slogan could make real impact.

Today, that environment has changed.
For a brand to be understood, it now takes a whole system of content—from social platforms and search engines to private channels.
Rednote, WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin each have their own logic and rules.

A brand strategist defines meaning and personality.
But for those ideas to be seen and understood across platforms, a different role is needed—
someone who can tell which content should appear in search, which should tell user stories, and which fits most naturally in social conversations.

That role is the content strategist.
They don’t replace the brand strategist — they make the brand strategy work within the content ecosystem.

This role isn’t unique to China—it’s a global response to how communication has evolved.
In Western markets, it already sits between brand and content teams. Agencies, media companies, and consultancies all have it.

But in China, it has become especially important.
With many fast-moving platforms and different audience logics, a brand can easily end up sounding like several different brands.
That’s where the content strategist becomes essential—keeping coherence in a fragmented system.

2. What a Content Strategist Actually Does

A content strategist delivers a map for what content should exist, where it should appear, and what purpose it serves.

For example, when a brand plans to enter China, it often faces questions like:

• Which platforms should we focus on?
• What tone should we use?
• Should we open a Rednote account?
• Should our content talk about the product, or about lifestyle?

These aren’t questions a brand strategist alone can answer—they require structural judgment at the content level.

A content strategist usually does three things:

• Turn brand goals and audience needs into an actionable content structure — defining what each stage and platform should achieve.
• Work with the strategy team to set content themes and tone frameworks — so all channels connect back to one brand impression.
• Connect the execution layer — making sure copy, art, and operations move in the same direction.

In short, the content strategist doesn’t write every piece.
They decide where each piece belongs and what it’s meant to do.

3. How It Differs from Brand Strategy

A brand strategist answers “Who are we?”
A content strategist answers “How should we be seen?”

The brand strategist works on positioning and meaning.
The content strategist focuses on structure, sequence, and rhythm.

For instance, a brand strategist might write:

“We want to convey a sense of lightness in life.”

The content strategist breaks it down into actionable parts:

• On Rednote, emphasize relatable, lived experiences.
• On Baidu, build searchable credibility.
• On WeChat, create long-form pieces that show depth and consistency.

They judge how these channels relate to each other,
so the brand’s voice stays coherent across all touchpoints.

4. Do They Write Copy?

Usually not.
A content strategist’s job is to help copywriters write with clarity and direction.

They define tone, topics, and structure so copywriters don’t have to keep guessing what the brand wants.

For example, a Rednote content guideline might clearly specify:

• How many posts to publish each week
• Which topics form the main thread
• That the tone should feel like “sharing experience,” not “selling”
• Which themes to develop as a series, and which to post just once

Copy, art, and operations can all follow it directly.
Community replies, account management, and analytics belong to the execution layer.
The content strategist ensures the overall direction stays right.

They make execution smoother, not heavier—by setting tone, structure, and logic early on.
Copywriters still write.
The strategist’s role is to make sure they don’t have to rewrite.

Some teams also involve the content strategist in key examples—like drafting tone samples or writing a style guide—to help the team align faster.
But this role doesn’t cover daily operations such as replying to comments or tracking data.
The strategist’s focus is whether every action still fits the brand’s direction.

5. Why It Matters Now

Brand communication used to rely on concentrated bursts.
Now it depends on continuous accumulation.

As content multiplies, problems multiply.
Different teams write in different voices, and the brand sound scatters.

A content strategist helps keep coherence—
so every part of the system still builds toward one clear image.

It’s not an extra layer of work.
It’s the layer that keeps work consistent and efficient.

6. Closing Thought

A brand is defined by brand strategy,
but understood through content strategy.

Making that understanding last—
that’s what a content strategist is here for.

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