Marketing 8 min read

How to Become a Successful Content Manager

Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com

Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com

What Does a Content Manager do?

A content manager (CM) is someone who works with writers or content creators to create content, such as articles and videos, for digital publishing. CMs are responsible for translating these pieces of content into other languages and forms of media. Using a content management system (CMS), they develop strategic plans to make content and reach their target audience.

They also make sure that all site content is regularly updated and that a website won’t run out of fresh content to publish. Part of it is to make sure that the “right” content will appear on its designated place on the website, at the right time.

It’s a good idea to take content management seriously. According to payscale.com, an entry-level content manager could earn an average of up to $43,415 USD ($23/hr) a year. On the other hand, CMs with one to four years of experience could earn an average of up to $52,858 USD ($28/hr) annually.

The fact that it pays well and has excellent career prospects is a reason to make this a career path you should pursue. Before taking on this job, however, you need to prepare yourself first. In this article, we’ll share with you all the things that you need to know to succeed as a content manager.

What is the Role of a Content Manager

know your role
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The primary role of content managers is to help companies achieve their business goals by creating, updating, and maintaining the content in their sites. To be more specific, the following are the core responsibilities of a CM:

Strategic Planning

As a CM, your role involves the development of strategic plans to support your company’s short-term and long-term marketing targets.

Writing, Editing, Updating Content

Writing, proofreading, editing, and updating your site’s content is your number one responsibility. Not because your writer or content creator submitted his or her draft, you’ll publish it right away.

NO. You have to make sure that all posts are in line with your company’s business objectives and related to your site niche.

Content Optimization

Before publishing any content, you need to optimize it for search and your readers.

Collaboration

You also have to collaborate with other teams to create, update the layout, style, and content of your company’s website.

Managing Content Distribution

You have to manage the distribution of content on all your company’s online channels. Meaning, you’ll not only manage the site but the content that gets published on the social media platforms of your company too.

content manager editorial calendar
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Develop Editorial Calendar

As the person in charge of content management, you have to develop an editorial calendar for your team. This is to ensure that all your writers or content creators are on board and update with new and existing projects.

Monitor Website Traffic and Engagement

You need to be adept at using analytics tools because you’ll be monitoring your website traffic and engagement. You’re expected to be always on top of your site’s performance.

How do you Become a Content Manager?

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the core responsibilities of a CM, we’re moving to the next part:

How do you become one?

Educational Attainment

Before deciding to work as a CM, you must first check how far along you are in your education requirements. Most entry-level content management positions require a degree in the area of journalism or communication or a related field. As you advance, your education will typically grow more specific and complex.

Work Experience

Some companies will also require that you have experience. But before you hire yourself out, you need to consider the type of experience you have. You can gain experience as a CM by creating your own projects and making money while doing it. Alternatively, you can get paid to do the same thing as a CM, which can be an excellent way to get started.

EtiAmmos / Shutterstock.com
EtiAmmos / Shutterstock.com

Skills Development and Training

You also need to look for the right training. Most schools that offer content management training will teach you how to translate media into something useful to readers.

As a CM, you’ll be working directly with the readers. So, you need to know what type of information they are looking for and how to communicate it effectively. In addition to training, you should also equip yourself with specific skills to perform your responsibilities and achieve your objective.

For example, some companies would require you to only focus on video. Some would require you to understand written media. You also need to be able to write, so getting the proper writing and copywriting skills is a requirement.

Internet and SEO

One of the most important aspects of becoming a CM is learning to use internet technology to your advantage. You’ll be paid to promote products, so you need to be able to sell them well. Meaning, you need to understand the different types of marketing and SEO tools and use them in a way that works best for you.

Online marketing and SEO have become increasingly popular over the past few years. This drove many CMs to learn the ins and outs of the business.

If you want the website you’re managing to yield positive results, make sure that each content is search engine optimized. Doing so ensures that your posts will attract more traffic, reach your target customers, and increase your site’s SERP ranking.

content manager content management system
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Content Management System and Other Tools

As mentioned, you need to be adept at SEO and online marketing to perform your role as a CM. That means mastering several tools like content management systems to carry out your obligations.

A content management system or CMS is used to create, update, and manage all content on a website. What makes CMS amazing is it won’t require you to have any specialized technical knowledge to use it. CMS is the primary tool of a CM. You need to master at least one or two CMS software, together with other tools, to be efficient in your job.

Below are some of them:

Content Management Systems

Content Writing Tools

Video Editing Tools

Visual Content Creators

Keyword Research Tools

Marketing Data Analytics Tools

These are just some of the tools that you will use as a CM to perform your tasks. You don’t necessarily have to know how each of them works. What you need to do is pick the ones that you need and master them.

What Makes a Good Content Manager?

A CM plays a vital role in a company. His or her goal is to help a business’s content deliverables meet its goal. Many companies are delivering products in different formats, including web, print, audio, video, etc. Therefore, communication is essential.

Communication among different people is a challenge, and it is a challenge that a CM has to face. It’s a responsibility that’s not one-sided; it’s a broad, holistic portfolio of communicating skills and experience.

A good content management strategy will ensure consistency of the content produced, delivery, and focus on goals, resulting in high-quality deliverables. It’s a massive job that requires many assets and skills – not just one.

A wide range of expertise is needed, and they come in different categories. Some CMs have management experiences, but others have marketing, information systems, or programming backgrounds. The same is true for the knowledge they bring to the table.

The skills required to be a successful CM would include knowledge of trends and practices. You should have the ability to:

  • create workable plans,
  • think in many directions at once,
  • anticipate needs, and
  • analyze and make decisions.

These are all facets of what makes a good content manager. They require an ability to visualize and create, to visualize the need for change, and to think quickly.

Final Thoughts

Aside from harnessing the necessary technical skills needed to be a CM, you also need to build relationships.

You need to connect with other people in a manner that makes them feel comfortable and, most importantly, professional. You should be able to provide answers and guidance in a way that your team understands and are comfortable with.

Remember: the amount of time your content creators are willing to put into a project depends on how much you value them. The relationship you build with your editorial team and other teams in your organization is an essential part of being a great content manager.

Read More: 3 Content Marketing Musts Your Company Should Be Using

First AI Web Content Optimization Platform Just for Writers

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Chelle Fuertes

Chelle is the Product Management Lead at INK. She's an experienced SEO professional as well as UX researcher and designer. She enjoys traveling and spending time anywhere near the sea with her family and friends.

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