What Does a Content Marketing Manager Do?
How You Can Start Your Career in Content Management
Whether you're fresh out of college or in search of your next career step, the digital job market is ripe for picking. Content Marketing is a great place to start if you're not only a good writer, but a solid communicator and people/project manager.
So, What Does a Content Marketing Manager Do?
As a Content Marketing Manager, you're in charge of creating, editing, and publishing original content. It's never easy to succinctly explain what a Content Marketing Manager does because they wear many hats.
You need to be able to balance producing your own content with overseeing what others produce, while also ensuring that all content aligns with the company's voice, strategy, and brand.
Furthermore, you need to ensure that content is completed, edited, and published on time and later track its performance. So if you fashion yourself a bit of a renaissance woman, working in Content Marketing as a Content Marketing Manager might be a great fit for you.
Let's take a look at what a Content Marketing Manager does (and how to become one) in a bit more detail so you can determine whether it's a good fit for you.
Becoming a Content Marketing Manager 101
Content Marketing Managers need to be skilled in a wide variety of tasks, so before you seek a Content Marketing Management role, you should build you should build your experience as an individual contributor.
You should seek roles that allow you to develop the following skills:
- Copywriting (for Blogs, Websites, Marketing Emails, Infographics, eBooks, Reports, & More)
- Editing/Proofreading
- SEO
- Analytics
- Familiarity with Content Management Systems (CMS)
- Web Content/UX Writing
- Social Media
- AdWords
- Video/Graphics Production & Editing
You don't need to be an expert in each of these areas, but you should be familiar with them and highly skilled in at least one. As a Content Marketing Manager, you'll be overseeing a team of writers, designers, and videographers/editors that produce content for your team/client, so you should understand what resources they need to do their work well in order to support them.
You'll likely continue producing content of your own in addition to overseeing others' work, so make sure you're extremely comfortable telling stories and converting users via at least one of these mediums.
Soft Skills Needed to Succeed in Content Marketing Management
A good Content Marketing Manager, as the name suggests, needs to be skilled in Management. Not just of Content, but of the people that produce it (freelancers, staff writers, guest posters, etc.).
You need to be able to craft a content strategy and stick to it, measuring content performance against KPIs and tweaking the strategy as necessary in order to hit your goals.
Thus, you need to be creative, analytical, inspiring, and strategic, all at once.
In order to balance these priorities, you'll need to develop the following soft skills:
- Time management
- File management & distribution skills
- Communication & writing skills
- Advertisement-related skills
- Teamwork & collaboration
- Pro-active decision making
- Software-related skills and competencies
- Coaching/Mentoring (Feedback delivery, etc.)
- Goal-oriented thinking
Content Marketing Manager Median Income
Last but not least, let's talk about the benjamins. According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for Content Managers is $64,367 and the average annual salary for Content Marketing Managers is $81,078.
The two roles are sometimes used synonymously, but if you have extensive marketing experience and are good with analytics, you may want to tailor your search towards the slightly higher paying Content Marketing Manager role. It will tend to focus more on the marketing side of content management, ensuring the company's content team is hitting marketing goals related to traffic and conversions.
It's important to keep all of this information in mind when negotiating salaries and answering any questions about your salary expectations.
In Summary
When all is said and done, what does a Content Marketing Manager do? In terms of digital marketing and content creation, a better question might be "what don't they do?"Whether it's blogging, eCommerce product description writing or social media management, a Content Marketing Manager will more than likely have a hand in it. It is a competitive and challenging occupation that can also be highly rewarding for those who are willing to go the extra mile.
An Inside Look at Our Event with Lifion by ADP
On March 28th, PowerToFly partnered with Lifion by ADP, the world's leading provider of Human Capital Management technology and solutions, to host a gathering for New York based women in tech.
Here's what one attendee had to say about the event: "It was an amazing event. Thanks for making me a part of it."
The evening kicked off with a brief but inspiring welcome from ADP's Chief Diversity & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Rita Mitjans, who introduced Roopinder Virk, Head of People Ops at Lifion by ADP to deliver the evening's keynote address.
Next up, Technical Product Manager Brianne Wilson commanded the room for a rousing tech talk that touched on not only Lifion by ADP's tech process but also the importance of women in STEM as a whole. Brianne even managed to illicit a rare applause break from our audience.
We then transitioned into an in-depth panel discussion, moderated by PowerToFly CoFounder Milena Berry, the panel included:
- Amira Lifshitz, Engineering Manager
- Gargi Thakur, Technical Program Manager
- Rachel Rubackin, Senior Agile Project Manager
After an audience Q&A, the night wrapped up with plenty of more opportunities for our attendees to network with both members of the Lifion by ADP team plus their peers over food and drinks.
ADP by Lifion is hiring. Their benefits include a matched 401K, career development & mentoring opportunities, an employee stock purchase plan, tuition reimbursement, a charitable contribution match, and more. Visit their page on PowerToFly to learn about open roles.
Members of the Lifion by ADP team
Members of the Lifion by ADP team
Members of the Lifion by ADP team
PowerToFly's Milena Berry
PowerToFly's Milena Berry welcomes our audience
Roopinder Virk delivers her keynote address
Brianne Wilson leads the night's tech talk
Our audience received an inside look at Lifion by ADP's company culture
Our panel discussion
Our audience
Taking questions from the audience
An Evening with the Women Tech Leaders of Lifion by ADP
This event is intended for project managers and fullstack engineers. If you are based in NYC and you are interested in attending this event, please email us at hi@powertofly.com to be considered for an invite.
PowerToFly has partnered with Lifion by ADP, the world's leading provider of Human Capital Management technology and solutions, to host an evening of networking and tech talks for women in tech.
Join us on Thursday, March 28 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at 135 W 18th Street, 5th Floor, New York.
The evening's tech talks will dive deeper into how Lifion's apps are helping their clients manage everything from payroll and taxes to retirement and vacation days. This is your chance to ask your questions directly to the women tech leaders and male allies behind this innovative platform.
Women make up more than 50 percent of the workforce at ADP. Their commitment to diversity provides an environment that empowers working mothers to advance and succeed through mentoring, networking opportunities, workplace flexibility, and an inclusive culture. Additionally, ADP has earned spots on the Best Companies for Working Mothers, the Best Companies for Multicultural Women, and the NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women lists.
Agenda (Subject to Change)
- 6:00pm - Check-In & Networking over Light Food & Drinks
- 6:20pm - Kickoff from PowerToFly
- 6:25pm - Keynote Address by Roopinder Virk, Head of People Ops at Lifion by ADP
- 6:35pm - Tech Talk featuring Brianne Wilson, Technical Product Manager
- 6:45pm - Panel Discussion featuring
- Amira Lifshitz, Engineering Manager
- Gargi Thakur, Technical Program Manager
- Rachel Rubackin, Senior Agile Project Manager
- 7:05pm - Audience Q&A
- 7:30pm - Networking continues over Light Food & Drinks
ADP by Lifion is hiring. Their benefits include a matched 401K, career development & mentoring opportunities, an employee stock purchase plan, tuition reimbursement, a charitable contribution match, and more. Visit their page on PowerToFly to learn about open roles.
About our Events: All RSVP'd attendees are welcome, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, or age. If you require assistance to fully participate in this event, please email hi@powertofly.com, and we will contact you to discuss your specific needs.
Unfortunately, PowerToFly and Lifion by ADP cannot admit outside recruiters to this particular event. Please email hi@powertofly.com if you have any questions about this policy.
This Experienced Project Manager Successfully Transitioned To A Remote Career
Our VIP Lunch & Learn With Khafilat Adewole
Khafilat Adewole is both a remote Project Manager in the Global PMO at Cisco Systems and a Project Management FlexPath tutor at Capella University. Khafilat holds a Master's Degree in Computer Science and is working on obtaining her doctoral degree in Project Management from Capella University. Her research is focused on leadership skills and virtual team management.
On Friday, June 15th, Khafilat sat down with a small group of PowerToFly VIPs and provided valuable tips for working in remote Project Management as well as advice for a successful transition to remote Project Management roles. Would you like access to exclusive chats with successful women like Khafilat?
If yes, then click here to become a PowerToFly VIP and join our community of women here to empower one another.
Q: What are some tips for transitioning into Project Management without having certifications?
Khafilat Adewole: If you don't have any certification and you want to become a Project Manager, you should look within your current organization for hidden opportunities to get your foot in the door. Assuming you work on a team, you should express interest in tracking your team's progress and work side-by-side with current Project Managers to learn the tools they have mastered and apply them to your current team. Once you've mastered these tools, you can use this data to show management how you've effectively navigated a successful project management experience.
Q: How does remote Project Management differ from in-person?
KA: It is so different in the sense that when you are co-located, meaning that you and your team are confined in the same space, you can walk over and track your team's progress. You can easily navigate roadblocks, and you can identify impediments as they're occuring. I want to say it's faster in the sense that you're able to build relationships in person. For example, if you're new to my team, I would say let's just chat through things, such as what experience you bring to the table and what issues and challenges you might be facing. In a virtual environment, it's different because you're not able to establish that trust from day one. Now, based on my research in managing remote teams, one of the biggest issues or challenges that remote teams face is developing trust and collaboration. If you do not trust someone, negative issues may occur, such as miscommunication, that could impact the project. Video chatting is key to circumventing these issues. From day one, you should get on the phone and talk with team members the same way you would in a traditional space.
Q: What's the hardest part about remote Project Management?
KA: The hardest challenge is missing the face-to-face interaction that you would have in person. But that can be easily circumvented by using technology. We need collaboration tools to make remote Project Management work.
Q: How can someone level up their career as a Project Manager?
KA: It depends on what your ideal career path is. You have to identify a niche—for example, if you're going to be a financial or technical Project Manager. Identifying the objectives you're trying to meet is key in determining how you're going to level up. It's important to know that certifications will help you get through the door, but you also need experience. So, understanding what objectives you're trying to meet and creating a roadmap to get you there, is very important. Doing a lot of trainings and focusing on what niche you actually want to show mastery over is another way to do it. Building your communication skills, such as being able to communicate hard questions, will help you build confidence as you level up your career.
Q: Why did you want to start working remotely?
KA: Well, for me, I have a family, and spending time commuting wasn't the best option for me. Also, working as a remote Project Manager completely frees me of the distractions of a typical office. I feel I'm more productive working in a remote environment - I'm able to meet my deadlines and timelines and (thanks to technology) am able to communicate effectively with my remote teams.
Q: What are your tricks for transitioning to remote?
KA: Determining your personality type is key for deciding if remote work is for you. If you're the type of person who likes to interact with people daily and need face-to-face interaction, then remote-work is probably not best for you. However, if you feel that it's a good fit, then you should identify what industry you want to work in and what technologies you're comfortable supporting. Soft skills are also very important to success in a remote team environment.
Q: What "cons" have you experienced working remotely?
KA: When I first transitioned from face-to-face work to remote, I struggled with building connections with members of my team aside from my deliverable expectations. Once I realized that I needed to connect with my team on a more personal level, I started leveraging technology to help me achieve those interpersonal relationships with my team members. It's more than just understanding how they operate on a day-to-day basis, but understanding what was going on in their personal lives that could impede (or foster) their success. Once I did this, our team efficiency sky-rocketed.