Content Marketing Manager Job Description: Is It the Role for You?

Thinking of a career change? Content marketing may sound like an easy gig. Writing and sharing articles, right? But there’s a lot more to it.

Content marketing manager job descriptions can show you everything that might be involved. Because every company will be different. You can also use this to create a job description template if you’re advertising a role.

This handy guide also covers crafting a compelling cover letter to beat the competition. Plus, some interview questions you might be asked and potential salaries. So, here’s how to figure out if a content marketing manager role is the right fit for you.

Content marketing manager responsibilities and duties

The range of tasks companies want the ideal candidate to cover varies. If they have a big marketing team and budget, they may be looking for more of a content strategist. If it’s a small business or entrepreneur, they may want you to wear a few digital marketing manager hats.

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Here are some of the responsibilities you may be asked to undertake:

  • Plan an SEO-focused content marketing strategy
  • Regularly post high-quality digital content on a company’s site and social media platforms (e.g. articles, infographics, slideshows)
  • Maintain a full editorial calendar (including original and curated content)
  • Distribute and promote all content creation
  • Understand the company’s target audience and the kind of content they like
  • Closely follow marketing trends so messaging stays relevant
  • Increase brand awareness and web traffic through targeted marketing campaigns
  • Content development, implementation of repurposing, and competitor analysis
  • Track and measure content performance metrics and analytics

Extra duties could also include:

  1. Video content creation or outsourcing
  2. Social media management ( engaging with followers and building a community)
  3. Gated content creation like eBooks and white papers
  4. Create and send out regular email newsletters

Be wary of job listings asking you to cover a huge range of responsibilities. You may be skilled, but you’re still only one person. There have to be limits to expectations if you’re asked to cover email marketing and social media.

Content marketing manager requirements

Although a degree is nearly always asked for, it’s usually just to sift out the riff-raff. There are plenty of awesome marketers out there without one.

Actor Brian Cranston pointing to himself saying "Me?"

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Top-notch grammar and a way with words aren’t always taught in college. If that’s you, you’re not out the running quite yet. Create a cover letter that sings (maybe not literally), and you’re in with as much of a shot as anyone.

Here are the usual content marketing manager requirements that employers ask for:

  • Bachelor’s degree and/or relevant years of experience in marketing/journalism/copywriting
  • Excellent English writing skills
  • Working knowledge of analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Ahrefs, Moz, etc.
  • Working knowledge of content management systems (CMS) like WordPress
  • SEO expertise or knowledge (or a willingness to learn)
  • Project management skills with strong attention to detail
  • Able to collaborate with other team members and content creators
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Experience in PR (public relations), graphic design, photography, or other related fields beneficial

Top skills required in content marketing: marketing, social media, SEO, analytics, research, strategy.

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It can all sound a bit overwhelming. Especially if you don’t have experience with the tools or sites mentioned. But trust me, most are easy to master. You can take free Google Analytics courses and create a WordPress site to learn by doing.

If you don’t have all of these nailed, you can still apply. Your tone of voice might be exactly what they’re looking for. Plus, it’s one of these roles that you can learn mostly as you go.

Ideas for interview questions

Once you’re happy with this content marketing manager job description, these example questions can help you prep for that all-important interview. They’ll help you look at your current strategy and skills and see where you can improve.

If you’re using this as a template, why not note down a few to ask interviewees?

What’s our brand’s tone of voice? How do you think you could improve it?

This will make sure you do your research into the companies you’re applying to. Tone is the most important thing for any content writer to nail. You need to be able to pick up different brand voices and alter your writing to match.

If you think the company could do with being a little more informal or adding some humor, let them know. But make sure you back it up with why.

Which metrics measure the success of a piece of content?

Data and analytics are crucial parts of content marketing. They let you know which of your creations is performing well and what’s a flop. This way, you can create more of what you know people like. And repurpose versions that aren’t doing so well.

Getting specific shows you know what you’re talking about. So, get familiar with Google Analytics and other tools and give your interviewers confidence in your skills and knowledge.

What’s been your proudest moment as a content marketing manager?

Have you had a post make it to the first Google SERP (search engine results page)? Maybe you’ve increased your site’s DR (domain rating) by a few points. Or you might have written a visual, data-filled piece that’s better than anything in the niche.

Whatever it is, find specific content marketing initiatives you can refer to. (Don’t forget to mention them in your cover letter too.)

What do you do to make sure you get eyes on new content?

Where do manual distribution efforts or promotion tools fit into your strategy? If it’s currently nowhere, that could be seen as a red flag.

You can’t just expect people to engage with your blog or social media posts anymore. You have to get it in front of them and be an active member of the community.

Which do you think are the most engaging content formats? 

Which format fills most of your content calendar? Articles are great, but they shouldn’t be the only thing. Infographics are one of the most widely-shared types of content, and platforms like Canva make them easy to design. 

You could also create or curate videos that will keep your audience on your site or social account longer. Work out what you’ve had success with in the past and explain why.

What’s your SEO strategy when creating content?

Not only do you need to create content, there has to be a purpose behind it to help it rank organically. You need to find out the keywords the company’s target audience is searching for. What’s the search volume? The keyword difficulty? What’s the search intent behind the top-ranking posts?

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Show how you’ll use all that to plan your posts, then the unique angle you’ll add to provide more value. (If these phrases mean nothing to you, go learn about them. Stat!)

How do you come up with your best content ideas?

This is what will set you apart from the rest. Keyword research is important. But try to show you can think outside the box too.

Do you get inspired by influencer Tweets from your industry? Maybe you check Quora or Reddit to find questions from your target audience. Surprise your interviewers with an idea they haven’t heard before. That way, you’re far more likely to have an impact.

Content marketing manager salary range

According to Salary.com, the range for a content marketing manager is around $66,238 to $80,940.

Now, this is just an average. And lots of factors will affect this. Things like:

  • Education
  • Years of experience
  • Certifications and awards
  • Any additional skills

By taking courses and achieving certifications, you can upskill to apply for those higher salaries. But it’s a good estimate to work with and see if it’ll fund your current lifestyle.

Crafting a compelling cover letter

Your job board application is competing with hundreds of others. Maybe even thousands. So, you gotta sell yourself in a memorable way.

Now, the main body of this is going to be unique for everyone. We’ve all got different experiences, skills, and personalities. But there are a few things that all great cover letters have in common:

  • Convey genuine enthusiasm
  • Highlight specific achievements (if they include data, even better)
  • Show they’ve researched the company in-depth
  • Express passion for the industry or role
  • Tell a story

Here’s an example of one that balances professionalism with humor:

"I'm competitive, up to date on all the latest trends and can clean up the worst social media messes. I'm positive my knack for creating clickable content is what your team is looking for."

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It’s fun and informal. Everything social media should be. If you’re applying for a position in a more traditional industry, that doesn’t mean it has to be dull. It’s your job to make the content more relatable if you get the position.

You could also be really creative and submit your cover letter in video format:

This is sure to stand out in a sea of words. You could also buy a camera and start vlogging or uploading YouTube videos in your spare time. All these extra things will keep you ahead of the competition. Plus, you’ll have fun while you’re at it.

If that’s not your style and you want to improve your skills before applying, there are plenty of content writing courses that deal with:

  1. Persuasive writing
  2. SEO (search engine optimization) techniques
  3. Storytelling tips
  4. Copywriting

However you format your cover letter, make sure people will remember it.

Conclusion

Content marketing manager job descriptions can tell you a lot about what your day would look like in the role. It’s pretty much all screen time, so be prepared for that. But it’s also an opportunity to be creative for a living.

There’s a decent salary, the ability to (usually) work remotely, and lots of learning on the job. If you’d ever like to start a business of your own one day, these skills are priceless.

If you’ve used this article to build your own job posting, kudos. It’s helpful to imagine yourself in your future employee’s shoes to see whether what you’re expecting is too much or more than achievable.

Have we missed anything from this content marketing manager job description? Have you had experience in the role and want to add an opinion? Let us know in the comments below.

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