What Is a Content Marketing Manager? How to Become One, Salary, Skills.

Content marketing managers establish a company’s overall content strategy with the goal of bringing in new customers and profits. Here’s what to know about a content marketing manager’s needed skills, salary and how to become one.

What Is a Content Marketing Manager?

Content marketing managers help guide and execute the direction of an organization’s content strategy. They decide how to best meet the needs of a company’s target audience through specific types of content and media channels.

What Do Content Marketing Managers Do?

Content marketing managers develop content strategies based on customer research, performance metrics, industry trends, competitor analyses and other factors. 

Content Marketing Manager Responsibilities

• Design and implement content strategies.
• Produce content for blogs, articles, websites, emails, webinars, social media and other formats.
• Research content performance, customer behavior data and competitors’ strategies.  
• Enforce style guidelines, deadlines and budgets for content teams. 
• Create and manage an editorial calendar. 
• Work with other marketers, writers, editors and freelancers.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities of a Content Marketing Manager

• Review and edit content for social media posts, blogs, white papers, website landing pages and other media. 
• Meet with content team members to track progress and gauge work capacity.
• Check editorial calendar to make sure teams are on track to meet goals on time, tweaking workflows as needed.
• Collaborate with members in marketing, product, sales and other departments to maintain consistent style and branding guidelines. 
• Evaluate content performance metrics and make adjustments to content strategy.

Content Marketing Managers Within a Company

Content marketing managers are mid-level professionals within the marketing department. They oversee teams of marketers, writers, editors and freelancers. As the main voice for guiding a company’s content strategy, content marketing managers often report to a more senior-level role like the director of marketing.

Importance of Content Marketing Managers

Delivering the right content at the right time can boost site traffic, earn more customers and increase profits. As a result, content marketing managers are crucial to the effectiveness of a company’s content strategy and, ultimately, its financial success.

What Skills Are Needed to Be a Content Marketing Manager?

Qualifications to Be a Content Marketing Manager

• Background that covers marketing, writing and editing. 
• Familiar with branding and style guidelines. 
• Portfolio featuring content produced for a range of media. 
• Ability to manage a team of writers and creatives. 
• In-depth knowledge of research and SEO techniques. 

Content Marketing Manager Prerequisites

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, English, communications or a related field. 
• Master’s in marketing, communications or a related field (not required, but can help candidates stand out). 
• Three to five years of relevant work experience. 
• Relevant marketing and content marketing certifications (not required, but helpful to have).

Content Marketing Manager Hard Skills

• Experience writing and editing content for blogs, articles, whitepapers, infographics, emails, ebooks and other media. 
• In-depth understanding of company’s brand voice and how to translate it into content style guidelines.  
• Knowledge of how to enforce content strategies across different teams and departments. 
• Mastery of research, data analysis and SEO methods. 
• Ability to distribute assignments and gauge progress while respecting deadlines and budget boundaries.

Content Marketing Manager Soft Skills

• Strong attention to detail and ability to locate minor errors.   
• Confidence to manage creative teams and collaborate with department leaders.
• Analytical mindset that promotes a data-first approach. 
• Ability to balance critical, creative and strategic thinking. 
• Sensitivity for editing work while still offering constructive feedback.

Tools and Programs Content Marketing Managers Use

• SEO research tools like Ahrefs and BuzzSumo. 
• Writing and editing tools like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor. 
• Marketing analytics software like HubSpot and Google Analytics. 
• Content management systems like WordPress and Drupal. 
• Document editing software like Google Docs and Microsoft Word.

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How to Become a Content Marketing Manager

Content Marketing Manager Education and Experience

Content marketing managers often complete a bachelor’s degree in marketing, English, communications or a related field. While it’s not required, some candidates go on to earn their master’s in marketing, communications or a similar discipline. Incoming professionals must work three to five years before being promoted to a content marketing manager position. Examples of entry-level roles that provide relevant experience include marketing coordinator, copywriter and content writer.  

Content Marketing Manager Certificates and Courses

• Content marketing courses and webinars. 
• Content Marketing Certification from the American Marketing Association. 
• Certifications for tools like Google Ads and Hootsuite. 
• Digital marketing courses through platforms like Udemy.

Content Marketing Manager Career Path

After graduation, incoming marketers must spend three to five years working in entry-level positions. Examples include copywriter, marketing specialist and content writer. Content marketing managers with extensive backgrounds, certifications and years of experience may go on to secure a higher-level role like director of marketing.

Content Marketing Manager Salary and Job Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of advertising, promotions and marketing managers will jump up by 10 percent between 2021 and 2031. This trend means that content marketing managers may be in demand for the next decade. 

The full compensation package for a content marketing manager depends on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s experience and geographic location. See below for detailed information on the average content marketing manager salary.