Companies Increasingly Seek Skilled Content Managers As Content Needs Intensify
Demand for content is expected to surge by up to 20 times in the coming years, adding pressure on overburdened marketing teams. According to a 2024 global survey, 92% of B2B tech marketers reported creating more content compared to the year before, with organizations typically outsourcing more than half of their content creation. To meet these content needs, many business owners may choose to hire a content manager.
In 2024, companies were looking to fill tends of thousands of content manager jobs in the US alone. Given this strong demand, finding the right content manager may be a challenge.
Content managers oversee the creation, publication, and management of content across various platforms, such as websites, social media, and email. These multitalented professionals can handle diverse responsibilities, from developing an organization’s content strategy and ensuring a consistent brand voice online to managing a team of creatives, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), and researching competitors. Content managers are strategic, analytical, creative, and organized—a combination of qualities that are not always easy to find in one professional.
This guide shows you how to hire a content manager by identifying the attributes and skills of a strong candidate. It also shares best practices for writing job descriptions and conducting interviews.
What Attributes Distinguish Quality Content Managers From Others?
Quality content managers bring a solid foundation in content creation, strategy, search engine optimization (SEO), and project management—expertise they typically develop over several years in the role. Anyone can claim to be a content manager, but a first-class professional is harder to find.
A high-quality content manager possesses these defining characteristics:
SEO – A firm grasp of search engine optimization is essential for driving organic traffic to websites. Good content managers also understand search engine marketing (SEM), which drives website traffic using paid advertising.
Content Management Systems – Highly qualified content managers know their way around content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla!, or Drupal. Their ability to create, edit, and publish content, manage plugins and themes, and troubleshoot issues ensures an efficient workflow.
Coding – A solid content manager doesn’t have to be a coding wizard, but they should understand HTML and CSS. Familiarity with these programming languages enables content managers to format and style content effectively, slightly customize templates and layouts, optimize for SEO, and troubleshoot without a web developer. It also helps content managers communicate effectively with developers.
Strategic Thinking – Strong content managers know how to align content strategies with company goals and audience needs. They understand the power of content to drive business objectives like brand awareness, lead generation, and customer retention. And they can translate a story into an effective cross-platform strategy that resonates with the target audience.
Analytical Skills – In the content world, the ability to make data-driven decisions is critical. Highly qualified content managers can analyze data, interpret metrics, and take action to ensure content is connecting with customers. These experts know their way around tools like Google Analytics, Semrush, and Moz. They also understand KPIs like pageviews, traffic, impressions, click-through rates, average position on Google search engine results pages (SERPS), and conversion rates.
Creativity and Innovation – Creativity distinguishes exceptional content managers from the rest. These content managers can think outside the box and come up with fresh ideas. They are also not afraid to experiment with new formats, platforms, and storytelling techniques to grab the audience’s attention.
Leadership Abilities – Highly qualified content managers have the people management skills to supervise and motivate a team of content creators. These professionals proactively share reports with clients and launch new campaigns to keep the brand front and center with the audience.
Project Management Proficiency – Because content managers often juggle multiple duties, they must excel in project management. Expert content managers can deftly prioritize tasks, delegate responsibilities, and manage deadlines to ensure quality content is delivered on time and on budget. These professionals are adept at using editorial calendars to plan, organize, and schedule content production and publication.
Communication Skills – Seasoned content managers excel in both written and verbal communication. They can clearly convey complex ideas to content team members and external partners. They must also have the writing skills to tell good stories and edit others’ work.
Adaptability and Resiliency – In a shapeshifting digital landscape, a good content manager must be comfortable with change. Highly qualified professionals embrace new technologies and trends to stay ahead of the competition. At the same time, they learn from failures and strive to continuously improve their strategies.
Complementary Skills for Content Managers
A diverse skill set allows content managers to smoothly weave in and out of different projects. Using your company needs as a compass, consider these complementary skills when hiring content managers:
Social Media – Content managers who can amplify content and brand presence on social media are strong assets. These professionals understand channel-specific best practices for audience engagement, monetization techniques, and content scheduling. They can shape content to resonate on different social media platforms, including LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram, and are familiar with tools like Hootsuite and Buffer.
Copywriting – To move the target audience and drive conversions, a piece of content must be clear and engaging. Content managers who are strong copywriters strengthen the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and overall content strategy.
Graphic Design – A content manager who understands design principles can make content visually stand out. Professionals with this attribute may use design tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Canva to create and edit images.
Video Creation – With 69% of consumers preferring video over text when learning about a new product or service, video creation skills are an asset for any content manager. Candidates with this ability are proficient in video editing software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or iMovie.
Email Marketing – Content managers with email marketing experience can create compelling email content, segment audiences, and personalize content. Their expertise in tools like Mailchimp and HubSpot enables them to automate workflows, maximize open rates, and drive conversions.
User Experience (UX) Design – Centering the content experience on the user improves customer satisfaction and retention. A content manager with basic UX design skills can create user-friendly content, improve navigation, and enhance the overall user experience. This expertise also fosters better collaboration with designers.
How Can You Identify the Ideal Content Manager for You?
It’s important to assess your current situation and future plans when searching for a qualified content manager.
First, identify challenges and gaps in your existing content management processes. These issues could include inconsistent content quality, low engagement, or an outdated content strategy. For example, if your business is struggling with poor content, you may prioritize a candidate with strong copywriting or content creation skills.
Second, define your content goals, which can range from increasing brand awareness and driving website traffic to executing a product launch and building community. If your focus is on website traffic, for instance, you may prefer a candidate who has a solid background in data analytics, SEO, and social media.
Once you have a firm grasp of your content challenges and goals, consider the level of experience your project requires:
Junior Talent – Junior content managers typically have one to three years of experience and are often more task-oriented. They can help establish basic content processes and support content creation. If you have a robust strategy in place and need someone to handle routine tasks, such as updating content or performing content audits, junior talent may suffice. These professionals are also a more cost-effective option for limited budgets.
Mid-level Talent – With three to five years of experience, these content managers bring a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on skills. They can develop and implement content strategies, manage projects, and lead small teams. If you are looking for immediate results and need someone to hit the ground running, a mid-level professional may be a good fit.
Highly Skilled Talent – Expert content managers have more than five years of experience and bring advanced strategic and leadership capabilities. They can drive comprehensive content initiatives, manage large teams, and contribute to high-level business decisions.
If you want to achieve significant growth in factors like brand visibility, audience reach, and conversions, an expert can provide the necessary strategic direction and leadership. Highly qualified talent may also be more suitable for a complex content strategy that requires advanced skills in content creation, distribution, and optimization, and involves managing larger teams and multiple channels or campaigns.
Finally, consider whether industry expertise is important. Sectors like healthcare, finance, technology, and legal services often need specialized knowledge to create accurate and compliant content that adheres to regulatory standards while establishing credibility with the target audience. If your company belongs in one of these sectors, you may be better served by a candidate with industry experience.
How to Write a Content Manager Job Description for Your Project
A well-written job description is an important part of the hiring process. Start with a compelling and descriptive job title that reflects your needs. For example, if you are looking for an experienced candidate with industry expertise, state this in your headline: Senior Content Manager for Healthcare Startup.
Content managers can fill various roles, including content strategist, social media manager, SEO specialist, copywriter, web content manager, and brand manager. If your ideal candidate needs to be well-versed in any of these areas, you should specialize your job title (e.g., Social Media Content Manager).
Next, outline the content manager role: Highlight the responsibilities of the position, the preferred skills of qualified candidates, and your business objectives. Depending on your needs and existing in-house team, the content manager’s role may encompass content creation, strategy development, or performance tracking, while desirable skills may include copywriting, email marketing, and video production.
Note if the role requires specific expertise, such as experience in a certain industry or proficiency in particular tools (e.g., Google Analytics) or content management systems (e.g., WordPress). Include your leadership expectations by specifying how many people and projects the role will manage. And describe the support your content manager will receive: in larger companies, content managers may work with a team of content writers, whereas at a smaller startup, they may be a one-person marketing team.
Then set clear expectations by stating the results the content manager should achieve, such as boosting sales, improving user engagement, or establishing thought leadership. A job description with these details will likely draw qualified candidates.
What Are the Most Important Content Manager Interview Questions?
Before you interview a candidate, it’s wise to review their portfolio. A good content manager portfolio exhibits a variety of content types (e.g., blog posts, infographics, and social media posts), examples of content strategy, quality writing, evidence of SEO optimization, performance metrics, creativity and innovation, industry relevance (if applicable), and an ability to connect content to business goals.
During the interview, you may wish to ask the candidate to walk you through their portfolio. This exercise will give you insight into their creative process, strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and alignment with your company’s needs.
In addition to reviewing the portfolio, here are four important questions to ask and the kinds of answers to look for:
Can you describe your experience with developing and executing a content strategy?
The candidate’s answer to this question allows you to assess their ability to connect content strategy with business goals. Look for specific examples of their past content strategies and the tools and techniques they used in developing strategy. A results-oriented candidate will also share proof of success, such as metrics around increased traffic, engagement, or conversions.
How do you ensure content is optimized for search engines?
This answer reflects a candidate’s SEO knowledge, including their understanding of keyword research, on-page SEO, and content optimization techniques. Expect them to share examples of how they successfully implemented SEO strategies in previous work and look for familiarity with SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, or Moz. The candidate should convey the importance of continually updating and auditing content for ongoing SEO performance.
How do you handle tight deadlines and multiple projects?
This question gives you a window into the candidate’s organizational skills. The candidate should describe past projects where they successfully managed multiple deliverables and met tight deadlines. A good candidate will show how they took initiative, either by providing regular updates to stakeholders or proactively solving problems. They will also display proficiency with project management tools like Trello, Asana, or Monday.com.
This question may lend itself to a deeper discussion on the candidate’s leadership skills, especially if your role requires people management. Look for the candidate’s approach to delegating tasks and giving and receiving feedback.
Can you provide an example of how you used data to improve content performance?
This answer highlights the candidate’s ability to derive actionable insights from data. Expect them to share examples of how data influenced changes in content strategy or execution in previous roles. Look for experience with analytics tools like Google Analytics or HubSpot. A good candidate will explain how they used data to make concrete improvements in metrics such as engagement, bounce rates, or conversion rates.
Why Do Companies Hire Content Managers?
Companies hire content managers to develop and execute content strategies that support business goals. From creating striking content and optimizing it for search engines to analyzing performance metrics and researching competitors, content managers are the glue that holds a company’s content initiatives together.
These multitalented professionals wear many hats, but their ultimate goal is to deliver content that informs and delights target audiences while maintaining a strong online presence and strengthening brand reputation.
