Campaign Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a campaign manager. Feel free to use our campaign manager job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a campaign manager.
Who is a Campaign Manager?
Some individuals plan, track, analyze, execute, and coordinate marketing initiatives, promotional campaigns, and political rallies; they are called campaign managers and the process is termed campaign management. The process seeks to attract more clients, voters, customers, and subscribers to a particular need or endeavor. Though difficult, campaign management and manager play crucial roles in promoting a business by raising awareness and convincing the audience. He or she focuses on selling a brand or candidate to all and sundry. Campaign management has several stages or phases; the campaign manager sets goals alongside the candidate or employer, decides on appropriate resources to be used, drafts and manages the budget, and monitors or supervises the entire campaign. These experts are equipped to handle electioneering and brand promotional campaigns and all related activities. They direct and help their employer or client achieve their ultimate goals.
A campaign manager in politics coordinates organizes, supervises, and monitors fundraising, voting, advertising, online and face-to-face meetings, voter sensitization and awareness, and other related activities. Most times, the campaign manager is the visible leader besides the candidate. Nowadays, the role of a campaign manager has shifted from planning to execution; they are at the forefront of rallies and campaigns. They are responsible for staff management, volunteer onboarding, cooperating with other consultants to achieve targets, and liaising with the candidates on the best approach to adopt. In a business, a campaign manager cooperates with the sales and marketing unit to promote products and create awareness of services and the organization at large. They develop excellent knowledge of the brand and its history.
Additionally, a campaign manager is strategic in nature, has perfect timing, and is innovative. He or she releases information or data at the right time to gain as much publicity as they can. They are composed and can work effectively under pressure. Also, a campaign manager analyses risks and resolves misunderstandings to protect and sustain the image of the brand or candidate. While creating or forming the campaign team, these professionals use their intuitive and analytical minds to carefully select the best persons to occupy open positions. They build lasting relationships with partners and develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate strategies. To assess the progress or not of a campaign, these professionals create and attend symposiums, organize focus group discussions, travel for meetings and trade shows, and use feedback from customers or the audience. When a campaign strategy isn’t yielding the desired result, a campaign manager uses feedback to adjust or formulate new strategies entirely to help promote the client or employer. Though the campaign team might help in determining priorities and other activities, a campaign manager approves the final content that would be advertised or promoted.
Campaign Manager Job Description
Campaign managers mastermind the entire process of a political and marketing campaign. They are responsible for the welfare and well-being of the whole campaign team; they ensure everything goes according to plan. He or she coordinates the different stages of the campaign such as policy development, goal setting, voter and customer outreach activities, marketing, social media, online sensitization and enlightenment, fundraising, and project development and management. Importantly, these experts perform supervisory roles and ensure that the aforementioned processes are anchored and executed accordingly by qualified personnel. A campaign manager performs other related duties in an organization, political group, or firm. The major duties of a campaign manager are summarized below;
- Serve and report to the client always.
- Conduct and direct the entire campaign process according to the values and mission of the employer.
- Act swiftly and organize the campaign; take prompt decisions on budgets, personnel, and equipment.
- Ensure campaign grounds and sites are ready when needed.
- Document and report challenges, problems, and mitigations faced during the campaign process.
- Work and stick to campaign plans; where adjustment is necessary, communicate to the client and team members.
- Liaise with stakeholders, consultants, team members, and advisers to recruit, hire and supervise the campaign operation.
- Develop an all-inclusive, combined, and comprehensive marketing and promotional campaign that cut across all segments.
- Supervise, execute, monitor, and measure the success of marketing and campaign activities.
- Provide feedback to employers and team members.
- Follow a client or brand’s principles, policies, and guidelines to ensure that the campaign is implemented successfully.
- Hire and train new employees to join the campaign team.
- Perform weekly, monthly, or quarterly reviews of campaign activities and performance.
- Use feedback and available data to create new strategies to enhance the brand or client.
Qualifications
The field of campaign management can be demanding and exhausting; individuals need patience, endurance, creativity, and doggedness to succeed in the role. They also need to attain certain qualifications and requirements needed for a career as campaign managers. To adequately navigate a marketing or political campaign, such individuals must direct and monitor partners, coworkers, brand enhancers, and hired influencers. They perform recruitment and training functions as well and use slogans and words that can uplift or enhance a candidate or company. Since campaign forms part of the general marketing or promotional process, these individuals liaise with marketing managers to develop powerful messages to entice or attract the audience and attain targets. Regardless of the employer, a campaign manager needs to fulfill the following requirements;
- Training and education: A bachelor’s degree in arts, marketing, communication, or other related fields is the minimum requirement for campaign managers. Often, organizations, celebrities, or politicians seek highly educated individuals to control and handle their campaigns. However, some employers and clients accept degrees or associate degrees in English, business administration, public relations, and political science. Education, knowledge, and proficiency in digital marketing are a bonus; employers prefer an individual that can engineer or develop attractive digital campaign content. Training on how to use software for campaigns is an added advantage. The ideal candidate should be trained in policy and strategy development, project implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
- Experience: An essential cog of a campaign process is setting and developing marketing and campaign goals and strategies. Arguably, it is easier to formulate targets if you have worked as a campaign manager before. Previous work experience as part of a campaign team is equally crucial for an aspiring campaign manager. Experience in content development, project management, and talent identification is important in this regard. Budget management, meeting deadlines, and streamlining activities are other areas a prospective campaign manager needs experience in. To effectively target and coerce certain voters or customers, the individual must have expertise and experience in paid ad campaigns and promotions.
Essential Skills
A campaign manager needs skills to devise and run political events, rallies, and promotional campaigns. They work directly with the client or senior management and coordinate different projects. They require essential skills to efficiently lead the team and supervise the general campaign process. They also need skills to create an enabling and ambient work environment as well as to build excellent personal and professional relationships. Certain skills are also needed to effectively connect with the target audience which may comprise voters and new customers. Hence, the campaign manager must possess the skills below to work diligently;
- Communication: Communication means the ability to relate and exchange facts, information, and data with others. The role of a campaign manager entails working and trying to connect with several people; he or she requires excellent communication skills to pass the message across. This will include being unambiguous and speaking or writing clearly. Essentially, a campaign manager is the mouthpiece of a candidate or client; thus, they must always communicate effectively.
- Be organized: Organization skills are crucial for campaign management. The role involves planning and execution; therefore, the individual must be supremely organized to document and remember important events during the process. Also, this skill enables the campaign manager to stick to deadlines and prioritize tasks.
- Marketing skills: A campaign is aimed at selling a candidate, product, or service in the best way possible. Thus, a campaign manager needs to be an astute marketer. Marketing skills help them to promote a brand and ensure that they reach the target customers or audience through various platforms.
- Attention to detail: An electioneering or advertisement campaign requires details from policy development to strategies and implementation. The campaign manager must be attentive to details to ensure no stone is left unturned. They need this skill to plan and implement logistics, budget, and other aspects of the campaign successfully.
- Negotiation skills: Sometimes, a campaign might involve partnering with stakeholders, other professionals, and even the target audience. Hence, a campaign manager must have good negotiation skills to get the job done. He or she should ensure the candidate or organization is protected or covered from potential financial and material losses.
- Other relevant skills include project management skills, leadership skills, fundraising skills, and creative thinking among others.
How to Become a Campaign Manager
A career in campaign management is worth a trial if you are interested in swaying people’s opinions toward a particular product or candidate. Campaign managers are well paid by their clients or employer and have flexible schedules. Depending on the arrangement, the job may involve traveling from one region to the other to promote a brand. There may be unusual hours, especially when preparing for an election; you may be involved in a series of meetings and consultations with clients and other members of the team to innovate new strategies to use. Thus, an individual can become a campaign manager by following the steps below;
- Complete a relevant bachelor’s degree: Education imbibes and instills much-needed knowledge, skills, and expertise in an individual. Thus, complete a relevant bachelor’s degree after high school to begin a career in campaign management. Specific courses that can be accepted include communication, English, history, business administration, and public relations. A political science major can serve as well; political science students learn the specifics regarding the law, diplomacy, and policy. The major also teaches the individuals the core of campaign management and strategies.
- Get relevant work experience: Experience is the best teacher; hiring an experienced campaign manager is the desire of all clients and employers. Experience is essential to delegate responsibilities, nominate and appoint unit heads, manage budgets, and develop campaign strategies. An internship, volunteerism, or apprenticeship with a media or campaign organization or group can suffice. You can also participate in marketing promotions in a firm to gain campaign-related experience. Another path to gaining experience is by applying for entry-level positions. That way, you can learn the craft, master your skills, and grow in your career respectively.
- Be part of a professional organization: Next, look for and apply to become a member of a professional organization. For example, you can join the international association of political consultants if you plan to pursue political campaign management. Professional organizations provide networking and mentorship opportunities as additional perks.
- Pursue advanced education: To become the ultimate campaign manager, consider pursuing an advanced degree in campaign management, marketing, political science, and political management. Though not mandated, this degree can help you defeat your competitors during recruitment. You will also learn the basics of how to resolve conflicts and crowd control among others.
Where to Work as a Campaign Manager
Campaign managers coordinate, direct, and manage an individual’s or organization’s campaign activities. They raise funds, reach and approach voters, advertise products and services, and maintain a presence on social platforms and the media. They ensure candidates and brands have successful running. He or she enlightens and educates voters and customers on the reliability and validity of a product or candidate to sway public opinion positively towards the brand or client. They can be employed by individual politicians to navigate campaigns for local, national, state, and council elections. They may also be hired by political parties to lead and direct a mega campaign team. Similarly, a campaign manager can work for a firm that is on the verge of rebranding its services. Some campaign managers work in the public relations unit of marketing and advertising firms to coordinate promotional and campaign activities.
Campaign Manager Salary Scale
Decision-making is an important angle of the role of a campaign manager; he or she decides on the composition of the team, sets deadlines, validates and approves campaign strategies, and disseminates resources to different units. They may attend conferences, events, workshops, town hall meetings, and other symposiums to promote the brand or client. The remuneration or salary of a campaign manager depends on who they work for and where they work. However, a campaign manager earns an average salary of $61, 383 per year.