Content Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a content manager. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a content manager.
Who is a Content Manager?
Have you imagined owning a website? How will you post content on the site regularly? Will the website be active always? Who is in charge of posting content on such platforms? Undoubtedly, content managers are vital employees in digital and other organizations. Hence, this article will explore what content management is, who a content manager is, what a content manager does, and other aspects of the content manager’s job description.
Information collection and publishing in various forms and mediums is supported and managed by a series of processes and technologies; this is called content management. Specifically, the concept of content management involves the coordination of digital content in businesses and firms. The process is most common in news agencies, citadels of learning, and e-commerce. Although the process is the same, every corporation has different goals and targets for content management. Some experts are tasked with managing content in businesses and corporations; they are referred to as content managers.
A content manager refers to an individual or professional that possesses the tact, ability, skill, and knowledge to post information, materials, and content on different online platforms including websites. The main responsibility of content managers is to ensure the organization’s products or services is promoted. With the advent of technology and digitalization, content managers are found in almost all sectors. This makes them ubiquitous and sought-after to spearhead the content management department of firms or enterprises.
Additionally, these professionals are essential staff in every organization; they ensure the right content is displayed on the platform on time. There is no room for errors in this profession; remember, information must also appear at the right place or section on the site. These professionals must ensure that information is edited and perused before they post them. Software plays an integral part in the completion of several duties by a content manager; he or she utilizes software like WordPress or Drupal for editing content. As a content manager, you will handle the editorial and technical undertakings of a corporation or business and ensure the right tools are used to upload graphics, videos, and texts. In line with other careers, the specific daily routine of content managers differs based on where they work. For example, a content manager working for a news agency will have a slightly different daily routine than someone employed by an educational institution.
Similarly, a content manager is trained and equipped to come up with content plans, strategies, and policies to guide the entire team. Importantly, these professionals are responsible for ensuring that each published content meets the organization’ standards, goals, and vision and reaches its target audience. This profession requires organization, creativity, technical knowledge of content, intuition, and adaptability among others. Often, content manager has excellent knowledge of image and video processing; they are marketing experts and are familiar with the Knitty gritty of social media and other online activities. Nowadays, there are rules and principles governing the use of websites and blogs; a content manager is usually aware of these principles. This enables them to optimally increase traffic on various platforms, build and develop their employer’s brand, and perform other duties without hitches. A content manager disseminates several multimedia contents and helps boost a firm’s online presence, credibility, and customer bases respectively. Leadership is an integral part of the role of a content manager; they supervise the team, innovate ideas that highlight the company’s activities, and create an ambience at work.
Content Manager Job Description
Below are the content manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a content manager job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
These professionals are part of the core of a business or company. Content managers are responsible for promoting the brand and ensuring that the business’s merchandise gets to the customers. They also ensure that content uploaded on websites and other platforms is enticing and exciting to attract new customers. Similarly, a content manager ensures that content is posted and displayed frequently on the sites. Apart from these functions, the job description of a content manager includes;
- Write, edit, and proofread the relevant content.
- Supervise, coordinate, and lead the team of content writers, graphic designers, and videographers.
- Technically, editorially, and creatively support the content development team always.
- Ensure the right content is posted in all outlets such as Facebook, blogs, Twitter, etc.
- Ascertain content engagement levels by tracking and using web analytics.
- Liaise with the company’s marketing department and monitor how effective and efficient the content is over time.
- Monitor how content is created and ensure the content meets the company’s target.
- Support the brand’s identity by researching and familiarizing yourself with its goals and vision to develop matching content.
- Develop an optimum search engine operation by using unique keywords.
- Stay abreast of industry-based best practices and development.
- Ensure there is web traffic in all online outlets and ensure content is distributed to all channels including websites and social media.
- Ensure the organization’s data and information comply with rules and regulations; this will enhance copyright and safety.
- Make sure content fits the guidelines of social media, video production, and publishing media.
- Evaluate experts for content on specific subject matters both internally and externally.
- Create different information dissemination materials for the organization including emails, eBooks, newsletters, and workflows.
Qualifications
The qualifications for a content manager encompass completing high school, earning a university degree, proficiency with computer appreciation, and experience. Below is a summary of the major qualifications for content managers;
- Education is key for content managers; thus, an individual must possess a bachelor’s degree in a related course such as Mass communication, English, or Journalism.
- He or she should be conversant with different styles of editing content including the Chicago Manual and AP styles respectively.
- Experience is vital; the preferred candidate must have experience or training in endeavors like journalism and writing.
- He or she should be able to tell stories using compelling and intriguing images, audio, and words.
- To be employable, you must have a good understanding of how to draw an audience through content creation.
- Proficiency in English and excellent editing and writing expertise are desirable. Firms favor applicants that can speak and write good English.
- The best candidate should have a minimum of three years of work experience in content creation; this can be for websites or other platforms. Also, verifiable experience leading a content creation team is an advantage.
- Voluntary certification in content management such as the content management certification offered by the American Marketing Association is accepted by some employers.
Essential skills
Content managers are often passionate individuals; based on reports, the most successful content manager are passionate about writing, editing, and inscription. Also, a content manager needs a combination of hard and soft skills to be successful in the role. To know what skills to develop or work on, a content manager must understand the duties and tasks of the career. Remember, they work in a competitive and fast-paced digital environment. Therefore, a content manager must have the following skills to thrive in the career;
Search engine optimization (SEO) skills: Have you wondered why some websites or webpages always appear at the top of a search result? It’s a brainer; it is merely the effectiveness and competence of the page’s content manager. Knowledge of SEO is undoubtedly crucial to effectively managing content. This skill helps content managers to use unique keywords to effectively tailor and modify content. Arguably, this makes a webpage or blog appear at the top of a search results page.
Ability to use content management software: Though proficiency with search engine optimization is important, the ability to use relevant content management software to display and update content is equally essential. Your organization’s webpage might appear at the top of the search results page but if the content is bad, your company’s reputation might be in jeopardy. A customer, reader, or researcher is after premium quality; hence, the content manager should develop proficiency with software to edit, update, peruse, publish, and post the right content always.
Ability to lead the content management team: As aforementioned, leadership skills are important for content managers. There are several leadership styles available; it is the duty of the content manager to decipher the best leadership style to adopt based on the organization and the team. To effectively manage the content team comprising videographers, writers, and graphic designers, the content manager must simply be an excellent leader.
Communication skills: Effective communication is necessary for content management. To produce or create premium content for customers, the content manager must have excellent written and oral communication skills. These enable them to coordinate and disseminate information to the team and the public effectively. Also, effective communication is needed to interact with customers, stakeholders, and team members, and to provide feedback
Attention to detail: Again, there is no room for errors in content management. A content manager must ensure that the right information is posted in the right place. This can be achieved through attention to detail. Where errors occur, this skill can help the content manager to fix and remedy them accordingly.
Analytical skills: How do you know the quality of your work? How can you determine whether particular content is effective or not? Well, developing and honing analytical skills is the answer. Analytical skills enable the content manager to efficiently evaluate how good content is and if such content meets the company’s standards.
How to Become a Content Manager
The process of becoming a content manager involves education, experience, and certification. Although you can take different routes to enter this enticing, rewarding, exciting, and satisfactory field, the steps below provide a general guide on how to become a content manager in any organization;
Get a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field: The role of a content manager has been evolving over time; hence, a bachelor’s degree in a related field is the first step. These days, employers favor candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree in English, marketing, public relations, mass communication, or journalism. These courses will equip you with the necessary classroom and practical knowledge you need to thrive in this field.
Earn a master’s degree: Although a bachelor’s degree provides a strong foundation for a career in project management, an advanced degree can set you apart from other applicants. Depending on the organization or sector you plan to specialize in, a master of science in marketing, a master of arts in English, or a master of Business Administration can serve. Also, a master’s degree comes with advanced skills needed by content managers.
Gain content management experience: After completing your education, consider gaining relevant experience in project management to be employable. A good way of gaining experience is by applying for entry-level positions in content management. Being part of a content management team can help you develop your skills and prepare you for content managers’ roles. An internship and volunteerism are other means of gaining experience.
Become certified: Though not compulsory, professional certification in the content management-related field is advantageous. Thus, try and obtain certification in communication or content marketing for example to boost your profile and odds of getting hired.
Build your brand: Develop and build your brand as an aspiring content manager to impress recruiters and employers. You can create a personal blog or website to upload content depending on your passion, for example, you may create a sports or employability blog if you are passionate about them.
Where to work
Due to the evolving nature of the career, content managers easily find employment in different climes and facets of work. Thus, a content manager can work for the following organization or employers;
- Healthcare and education
- Manufacturing
- Insurance, banking, and mortgage
- Public relation agencies
- Sports
- News organizations
Content Manager Salary Scale
Content managers are well remunerated globally. They receive reasonable pay in different industries. Factors that determine the salary of content managers include the institution or employer, years of experience, location, and terms of the agreement. The average annual salary of a content manager is 1,732,999NGN in Nigeria. They also enjoy some perks which include work-from-home opportunities, part-time positions, paid time off, and flexible working schedules. Relatively, a content manager earns an average base salary of 75, 672USD in the United States of America.