How to Build a Content Marketing Manager Job Description

The role of content marketing manager barely existed ten years ago, but today it’s one of the fastest-growing roles in marketing and one that companies in every industry and size are looking to hire.

The thing is, it can look pretty different depending on the company. That’s why content marketing manager job descriptions are so important.

Research by Indeed found that more than half of all job seekers said job descriptions are extremely influential on their decision about whether or not to apply. That means companies who want the best content marketing managers need to write descriptions that capture their attention and make them want to work for you!

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In this article, we’ll cover why content marketing and the role of content marketing manager are becoming so important for companies, what to consider as you develop your job description, and an example template to help get you started.

Quick Takeaways

• Content marketing managers keep the many moving parts of content strategies operating smoothly.
• Content marketing jobs have tripled in search popularity over the last decade.
• Sharing your job description with relevant team members helps give it a 360 perspective before posting.
• A great opening statement does the important job of demonstrating your company’s culture while clearly stating the kind of candidate you’re seeking.

Why Content Marketing Manager is a role on the rise

Content marketing needs focused management

Brands need a content marketing strategy if they want to be visible to their target audience.

Why?

Because content marketing drives search engine rankings, and 93% of all online experiences today begin with a search. Whether your customers are looking for answers to questions, trying to learn more about a topic in your niche, or doing brand research for a potential purchase, most of the time they start with Google.

But content marketing has a lot of moving parts. For the best ROI on your efforts, a content marketing strategy should include:

• Multiple channels — your website, blog, social media platforms, email, video and more
• Consistent content creation — requires writers, designers, a content calendar, and defined processes
• Frequent publishing — brands that publish 11-16 blog posts per month see 3x better results than those who don’t
• SEO knowledge — Google ranking factors include much more than just keywords
• Performance reporting — Data-driven strategies keep teams accountable and earn better ROI

Content marketing strategies, then, require active management to keep them running smoothly. For many companies, this means having a specific individual at the helm to oversee it.

That role is usually called Content Marketing Manager.

Content Marketing Manager is most popular role

As companies increasingly adopt content marketing as an important part of their overall marketing strategy, they’re also hiring content marketing managers at a higher rate to oversee it. The growing popularity of the role is reflected in search trends. Recent research shows that the search term “content marketing jobs” has been climbing steadily for the past decade, increasing by 3x since 2010.

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It also found that “Content Marketing Manager” and “Content Manager” are the most common job titles, accounting for 40% of all content marketing roles.

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With so many content marketing manager job descriptions active on LinkedIn and online job sites, you might be wondering how you can make yours stand out. How can you craft a description that will both grab the attention of high-potential applicants and ensure the person you hire truly has the right skills and experience?

In the next two sections, we’re going to walk through tips for preparing your Content Marketing Manager job description and an example template to inspire you.

Tips for creating a Content Marketing Manager job description

Ultimately, you want a new hire in any position — Content Marketing Manager included — to be a great fit for their role and to contribute as much value as possible to your company. Believe it or not, the job description you create plays a big part in whether or not that happens.

Job descriptions are what enables potential applicants to evaluate whether a job will interest them and if they’re qualified. But even before that, job descriptions help companies figure out where the position fits within their larger organization, what roles and responsibilities will fall under it, and who else will be impacted by it.

For newly created positions, especially, it’s critical to be thorough when you’re developing the job description. The following tips can help.

Assess your current team

One of the first things to consider when you’re developing a job description is where this role will fit within your current organization. For example:

• Do you have a current content marketing team?
• If so, will this role be its new head?
• If not, will this role fall under your current marketing team?
• At small companies, the content marketing manager might be a one-person show. If that’s the case for you, who will they report to and communicate with regularly?
• Will the content marketing manager be absorbing responsibilities that currently live elsewhere?
• Will they take on solely new responsibilities and projects?

These questions and others can be an initial step toward envisioning the new position.

Know your priorities

Like we already know, content marketing has many moving parts. But not all parts are created equal for every company. Some aspects of content marketing that are important for one company may be lower on the totem pole for another.

For example, if a company is well-known and has a large, established following, they will likely need to look for someone with experience handling social media for a business. A startup company may be willing to let someone do a little more learning on the fly as long as they can write great blog content that’s SEO-optimized.

Some companies create design-heavy materials and need someone with graphic design skills who can do it. Other companies may not need those skills, or maybe they outsource design.

In short: it all depends on your company. But the key is to know what your priorities are and develop your job description around them.

Define your desired experience

The level of experience your content marketing manager needs really depends on your company. Your organizational structure and the size of your current team play a big role here.

For example, if your content marketing manager will be part of an established marketing team and report to a higher-level marketing manager, it might be okay to hire a recent college graduate or someone with a few years of experience because they’ll be receiving guidance from the team. In that case, they can grow in their role. A content marketing manager that will be a one-person team or who will need to manage a team themselves will probably need to have more experience right from the start.

For reference, though, most content marketing managers are required to have a bachelor’s degree and earn a salary that falls, on average, around $70,000.

Share it with relevant team members

Remember when you assessed your team? Once you’ve finished drafting your job description, it’s a good idea to share it with them for feedback.

Everyone in your organization has a unique perspective built from their experience within the company. Input from your team makes your job description more thorough. Considering the new role from all angles also helps you design it in ways that will best benefit your entire team — including the new Content Marketing Manager.

Keep in mind: just because you receive feedback doesn’t mean you need to apply it. But asking alone helps create buy-in and gives you valuable insight into how this new role will be received.

An example template to inspire you

Content Marketing Manager Job Description

XYZ Company is seeking a creative thinker with content experience who is ready to take on the exciting new role of Content Marketing Manager. Ours is a small company with a collaborative environment. Our days are fast-paced but exciting, and for this role we are looking for someone who loves to take on new challenges and be part of a working team.

The Content Marketing Manager at XYZ Company will report to the Chief Marketing Officer and manage a team of two content creators. This role will require excellent communication and interpersonal skills, experience creating and editing content, and excellent attention to detail.

[Note] This is just an example opening statement. Here, include details about your company. Open with a summary of the role and kind of candidates you’re looking for.

Roles and responsibilities will include:

• Accountable for overseeing all content marketing initiatives across all channels to drive traffic, engagement and leads that deliver sales and customer retention.

• Collaborates across functions and silos to deliver an effective content marketing strategy and editorial plan to meet business objectives at the lowest possible cost.

• This role requires a brand publisher mindset: to create the content our audience is looking for and then to optimize the path to conversion.

• Editorial requirements include basic SEO understanding, content categorization and structure, content development, distribution and measurement. Development of editorial governance so content is consistent with our brand voice, style and tone.

• Develop and manage editorial calendar and organization workflows.

• Manages digital content hubs and all social channels including email/newsletter distribution. This person must understand the basic best practices of the main social media channels, which content and approaches work on each, and why.

• Measure and optimize the program on a regular and ongoing basis.

• Management of all creative resources including designers, writers, and other agency personnel.

• Integration of content programs with brand campaigns to drive brand to demand.

• Give regular executive presentations on the program approaches and results.

Required skills and experience:

• BA/BS or equivalent working experience
• Experience creating content for the web and growing a social audience
• Editorial mindset that understands what audiences consume and how to create it
• Ability to analyze and present content and social performance
• Experience with WordPress, Google Analytics, Slideshare, and the top social channels
• Project management experience and an understanding of how to manage the priorities of multiple stakeholders in a complex environment.

What do you think? What else would you include in a Content Marketing Manager job description? Tell us in the comments below!

Boost your content strategy today

If you’re hiring a content marketing manager, you’re already on your way to enhancing your strategy. The team at Marketing Insider Group can help by delivering SEO-optimized, ready to publish content every single week for a year (or more).

Check out our SEO Blog Writing Service to learn more or schedule a quick consultation with me to get started.