What is a Content Manager & How Do You Become One? Easy Steps for a New Career
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Maybe your passion is writing and helping websites to grow via data analysis, organization, and project management. If this sounds like a good time to you, it might be time to investigate whether you should become a content manager. A content manager is a highly sought-after position these days, and there are tons of flexible ways you can pivot to a new career.
What do content managers do, and how much can you expect to earn? We cover everything from the basic responsibilities of a content manager to the first easy steps you can take to work closely with a new client.
Learn more about how you can gain access to this lucrative career path here!
Contents
What Exactly is a Content Manager?
Before we get into what you will be responsible for as a content manager, let's take a general overview of what this position entails.
A content manager manages everything related to the development and implementation of a digital marketing strategy.
They start with a piece of content and walk it through its completion as well as distribution to a specific target audience as part of robust marketing campaigns. You should have a firm grasp of search engine optimization (SEO), keyword research, strong writing skills, and even project management skills.
Think of it this way: a company comes to content managers to join their marketing team. They want you to know how to write in their voice, create engaging content, track engagement metrics to pinpoint any areas for improvement, and keep up with putting that content in front of their intended audience.
It's your job to smooth the path forward and make it feel effortless for the client.
Responsibilities of a Content Marketing Manager
Now that we have that out of the way, what would you be responsible for under the umbrella of content marketing? Here are the most common responsibilities that you would take on in a role as a content manager.
Content Creation and Distribution
Nobody is going to know that a brand exists without a blog post or some other piece of content on the internet. It's up to the content manager to create relevant content and get it out into the hands of eager readers. This means you'll need some writing skills to keep the content quality as high as possible. You don't want people to bounce due to poor-quality writing.
You'll need to get familiar with a brand's unique voice and come up with content that sounds aligned.
In addition, you need to have some familiarity with how to distribute that content to the masses. This could mean uploading to WordPress and managing social media (more on this in a minute).
Come Up with a Content Strategy
Not only do you need to create the content, but you also will be responsible for the overarching content strategy. What does a brand need to share with its audience right now to maximize its efforts in terms of getting more leads and sales?
You will need to be flexible, adjusting whenever the company pivots to a new goal.
A content manager is also responsible for coming up with topics. That means you need to learn how to create engaging headlines and metadata to go along with your content management. This helps you to discover what you should prioritize as a company grows and changes.
Content Optimization for Search Engines and Customer Use
Make your content as easy to peruse as possible. A good content manager wants to maximize organic traffic. That means they need to be subject matter experts, but they should also stay up-to-date on the best practices for SEO.
Your goal should be to rank high in SERPs without detracting from the customer experience.
Keyword research and changes to Google's algorithms might mean you need to make major changes to your strategy. Stay updated on all changes coming your way. Content managers are the first line on a marketing team who suggest making changes to an existing strategy when things aren't working as planned.
Promotion of Content to a Brand's Target Audience
Managing content isn't the only thing you will be responsible for. Content managers work to get that content out into the world as well. Build relationships with the intended audience so that they always look back to see if you have new content for them to consume.
This might mean implementing a bit of social media marketing or email marketing. In other words, you will be wearing many hats as a content manager. Alternatively, you might work closely with someone else on the marketing team to promote your new content.
Sometimes, a content manager will have an entire team working underneath them to cater to every aspect of the content production pipeline. Other times, content managers work solo. You'll have to decide what feels right for your business structure.
Content Performance Analysis
Are people finding and responding to your content? Data analysis is just a part of the gig. You will need to familiarize yourself with Google Analytics so that you can maximize your content reach. The content should be getting lots of hits and read-throughs, so your goal should be to lower the bounce rate on a given page.
This is also a good time for the organization of your data to present to your customers:
- What content types do the best for their industry?
- Are there any tools they could use to boost their visibility?
- Where should they invest more time and marketing budget to maximize their return on investment?
Your goal should be to walk them through everything they need to know to make the best decisions moving forward.
Optimize eCommerce Website Copy to Boost Traffic
There is more to content management than simply managing an editorial calendar. Every few years (or even every few months), you might also want to refresh their website copy. Things change, no matter what industry you happen to be working in.
Pull out new keywords based on your research and find a clever and fresh way to present them to your audience. Then, you'll want to monitor those changes via data analysis to ensure that they are getting enough hits, page views, click-throughs, and more.
Manage Content Calendar
Content calendars are an important piece of the puzzle for a content manager. You should be in tune with the rest of the digital marketing efforts of your clients. Make sure the content you create gets scheduled in an appropriate place based on their other efforts.
For example, you might want to do a promotional piece when they are running a sale of a specific product or service. Content calendars should be aligned with the aim of the business as a whole. Remain flexible for your editorial calendar, and adapt your content marketing to their needs.
Oversee Social Media Accounts
Last but not least, a good content manager often oversees the social media accounts of their clients. This gives you a clear pipeline for the distribution of your content to a captive audience. Some clients might use Facebook, while others use X or Instagram.
There are no right and wrong answers for where their audience hangs out, so familiarize yourself with all of them.
Content marketing should be tailored to the places where most people hang out, looking for some new content. As a result, content managers need to stay nimble as audiences change.
Content Manager Salary and Job Outlook
Convinced that you have what it takes to become a content manager? Before we dive into how to get your feet wet in this field, it's time to see if you can put your time and investment behind it. What does this position pay and will it be easy to find a job?
Content manager salaries are all over the map, but one thing is sure: it pays pretty well. According to Glass Door, the average salary for content managers is between $64K and $115K. Other sites like Zip Recruiter place the figure at an average of $83K in the United States.
Some resources place the average salary for an experienced content manager even higher: $128K.
Plus, there are going to be lots of jobs available in this field. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the job outlook for this category at about 6% growth between now and 2032, faster than average.
How to Become a Content Manager
If all of these responsibilities sound appealing to you, it's time to take a closer look at how you can start a new career with the potential for high earnings. Even if you don't have a college degree behind you, it is possible to get into content management with these easy steps.
Get a Crash Course on Content Marketing
Some people who get into content strategy have a degree in English, journalism, or marketing behind them. However, this isn't the only way that you can polish up your writing skills. Some of the very best content managers simply have a crash course in SEO.
You don't need to spend four years in school or spend thousands of dollars to start a new career.
Instead, you can immerse yourself in the world of search engine optimization. Free resources (like our very own Niche Pursuits!) can be a great springboard for learning about website traffic and content production.
If you want a deeper dive that prepares you for the role of content manager, then you may want to go with a paid course with a specific focus. We recommend Affiliate Lab to get the most bang for your buck.
The course comes in under $1,000 - far more affordable than a college degree with much more focused content. And as a Niche Pursuits reader, you get a special discount!
Start a Website to Practice and Grow
Want to enhance your portfolio to show to potential clients? One of the best and easiest things you can do is start a website of your very own. This gives you plenty of freedom and flexibility to play around with the various strategies you'll learn in the courses from Affiliate Lab or The Authority Site System listed above.
Content managers who have a proven history of success showing up in the SERPs and hitting some of the key metrics will go to the top of the list. It takes a small financial investment to get set up with a WordPress website (consider going with Bluehost and a free domain name).
You might also want to invest in a keyword research tool to make sure your content hits the mark.
Freelance for Other Companies to Build a Resume
Digital marketing is an ever-changing field. That means you can iterate your practices as you gain more experience in any one given area. Content managers can get started with a low-stakes way to practice and earn experience via freelancing.
You'll start to get hands-on practice and get paid all at the same time -- a win-win experience for a budding content manager!
People are always looking to hire content managers on sites like Upwork and Fiverr. Apply for jobs that are designated as entry-level. They might have lower payouts, but you can successfully build a resume with lots of reviews and testimonials before branching out to open up your own content management business.
Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Content Manager?
A content manager is a great option for a career change, and it's a growing field to be involved in if you have the right skills (or the drive to learn them). Content managers work with every aspect of a robust production process, from writing to social media advertising. There is always something new to learn or do with this type of position.
If you have been wanting to pivot into a new career with plenty of room for growth, consider whether you could make a great content manager with some of these skills and easy hands-on tips to start!
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