Digital content has become essential for businesses as it allows them to connect with people in a way that traditional content cannot. With over 7.5 million blog posts and 3 billion images shared daily on the internet, it has now become more important than ever to generate quality content that stands out amidst the digital noise.
Organizations that publish digital content on a daily basis hire digital content managers to produce and promote relevant content for the audience. Digital content managers are marketing professionals who are able to handle everything related to digital content.
They may be self-employed or work for companies to help them develop content that keeps their customers coming back for more.
Digital content management role has a high demand. If you want to choose this profession, you must have certain skills to be successful. This article highlights all the must-have skills you need to become a digital content manager.
Digital content manager
As the name indicates, a digital content manager is a professional who creates, edits, proofreads, reviews, publishes, distributes, and promotes digital content on multiple digital platforms to help brands improve awareness, reputation, sales, and overall revenue.
A digital content manager is responsible for building comprehensive content strategies considering the goals and objectives of the brand he is working for. Through it, he provides a game plan to his team, informing them what, why, where, and when to create.
He can create all forms of content, including blog posts, emails, videos, images, podcasts, etc., depending on the brand’s needs and goals. He also understands the brand’s voice and knows how to communicate with his target audience using a specific tone.
A digital content manager knows his audience well, so he tries his best to generate content they like. He is adaptable and can modify his content strategies according to his customers’ changing needs and behavior. He also uses a variety of management tools to be productive, well-organized, and resourceful.
What does a digital content manager do?
A digital content manager plays many roles in a company. He is typically expected to perform the following activities regularly.
Devise content strategies: A digital content manager develops a content strategy to guide his team about content creation, delivery, and performance analysis. He sets goals and their deadlines, and then he assigns tasks to him team to ensure each goal is timely achieved.
Create and promote content: Digital media users consume different forms of content on different digital media platforms. A digital content manager creates and shares a variety of content, including videos, podcasts, articles, social media posts, and emails, to ensure maximum reach.
Optimize content: Millions of blog posts are published on the internet every day. Therefore, a digital content manager needs to optimize content to ensure it ranks on social media and other digital platforms. He creates and executes SEO strategies that drive organic traffic.
Run a content audit: He conducts a content audit to analyze the performance of existing website content and find its weaknesses, strengths, and more content opportunities. It helps him understand what needs to be changed, updated, or deleted to improve the website’s overall performance.
Manage a content team: He assigns tasks to each team member and gives instructions to make sure everyone is on the same page. He evaluates their performance and confirms that content is being created and published according to the plan.
Find and monitor competitors: Competitor analysis is done to learn what your competitors are doing and what they plan to do in the future. A digital content manager monitors competitors’ content to see what their weaknesses are so he can take advantage of them or adapt his content accordingly.
Maintain a consistent brand voice: Brand voice is a brand’s distinct personality. A digital content manager establishes and maintains a brand voice to help people remember the brand, connect with it and stay interested in its products.
Establish a content calendar: A digital content manager creates a content calendar to make sure content is produced and published consistently. It helps him reduce everyday stress, stay organized, and maintain regularity.
Track the performance of content: He regularly analyzes metrics to see whether the content is generating results. Some important metrics that he studies include page views, bounce rate, conversion rate, and goal completion rate.
Skills all digital content managers should have
Writing and editing
Writing and editing are must-have digital content manager skills. Although a digital content manager has content creators to accomplish this task, having this skill allows him to evaluate their work and give suggestions accordingly.
Sometimes he may also have to write content such as emails, blog posts, social media posts, social media copies, etc. himself. Therefore, he must know how to craft an engaging, valuable, and informative piece according to his audience’s preferences.
He should review the content to make it error-free before it is published on the internet.
How to learn it?
You can practice your writing and editing skills by:
- Writing an article/copy on your topic of choice every day
- Letting your friends or colleagues rate it
- Proofreading content at school or the office and giving suggestions on how to make it better.
SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a technique used to increase the visibility of content. It has three main types – on-page, off-page, and technical. A digital content manager should be familiar with all these types as it is his responsibility to increase the number of web traffic or social media followers through content.
How to learn it?
Google and YouTube are the best resources anyone can use to learn SEO. Websites like Coursera and Udemy offer many SEO courses that you should check if you want to get certification in it.
Social media marketing
Social media has over 4.5 billion users worldwide. Social media marketing allows companies to connect with these users and increase their sales.
A digital content manager should be able to create a social media content strategy and create, publish, and distribute content accordingly to gain loyalty and trust of his audience.
How to learn it?
It is an advanced skill. Hence, it is better to get enrolled in a social media marketing course to learn it. You can create your business profiles on social media and practice marketing skills on them. You can also offer your neighbor or a friend (who runs a business) to manage their social media profiles for free for some time.
CMS
A content management system (CMS) allows people to create, publish, distribute, and change web content without having any technical knowledge.
A digital content manager should know how to use this tool to build business websites and distribute content without requiring a developer.
How to learn it?
There are hundreds of CMS out there. You need to first decide which one you want to specialize in. Once you do that, Google its tutorials. You will find everything you need to know.
Technical
Companies use multiple tools to increase their efficiency and do more in less time. A digital content manager should be familiar with all the basic tools including Adobe Photoshop, WordPress, Google Analytics, Google Trends, Ahrefs, SEMRush, etc. so he can maximize his performance using them.
How to learn it?
Make a list of all the basic tools you want to learn. Find their tutorials on YouTube and learn from them. You can get certifications in Photoshop and WordPress, as they are very important tools, and their certification may help you get your recruiter’s attention.
Communication
Communication is the ability to express your thoughts and ideas clearly and concisely. A digital content manager has to communicate regularly with his colleagues, vendors, stakeholders, and directors via emails, messages, and video or audio calls.
Strong communication skills will help him present data to directors, share information with his colleagues, and collaborate with influencers and other industry experts.
How to learn it?
Learn basic rules for communication via the internet and start practicing them with your friends or colleagues. Try to change your body language (look more confident and interested), become a good listener, and use clear language while talking to people around you.
Project management
Project management is about leading your team to achieve project-related goals within the given time. A digital content manager should be able to create a schedule, delegate responsibilities to his team members, provide resources, and measure project success.
How to learn it?
Books, podcasts, and video courses related to project management are considered the best resources. You can practice this skill at school or work by managing a project for your friends or colleagues.
Creativity
A digital content manager should be able to come up with fresh and innovative content ideas. He should know how to create engaging written and visual content to attract his audience and get their approval.
How to learn it?
Creativity is an inherited trait, but you can also learn it over time. Try to make time for creative thinking every day, interact with creative people, pitch your ideas, and stop comparing yourself with others. You will eventually see improvement in your creative abilities.
Time management
Time management is the ability to complete assigned tasks without any delays. A digital content manager often works on multiple projects simultaneously. That is why he should know how to prioritize his activities and meet deadlines.
How to learn it?
Learn basic rules of time management via the internet and start practicing them. Make a to-do list every day, prioritize your tasks, break each task into small chunks, and set up deadlines. There are many time management tools you can use to get better results.
Analytics
Social media and web analytics is about gathering data and using it to support business decisions. It tells you how people are interacting with your content.
A digital content manager should be able to explore important metrics and evaluate content performance. He should know how to improve content performance using the collected data.
How to learn it?
Analytics can be tricky for some people. That’s why it is better to learn it from analytics experts. Try online courses to learn this skill.
How much does a digital content manager make in the US?
The average annual salary of a digital content manager in the US is $72,923 – $67,503 base pay and $5,420 additional pay. According to Glassdoor, it may be as high as $117,000 or as low as $46,000, depending on your work experience and some other factors that affect wages.
What do you need to become a digital content manager?
A digital content manager typically needs the following things to get this job.
Education: He should have a bachelor’s or master’s degree that shows he has spent years gaining field-related knowledge. Having a degree from a well-reputed college or university may increase your chances of acquiring this job.
Experience: Digital content manager is a mid-level job so you must have 3 to 5 years of work experience before you apply for it. You can gain experience by doing related entry-level jobs such as digital media marketing intern, social media marketing assistant, content marketing assistant, and social media coordinator.
Skills: You should have all the skills that we have already mentioned above. When you apply for a job, make sure you read the job description attentively and understand what they are looking for in potential digital content managers. Your chances of getting the job will obviously increase if you have all the skills mentioned in the job description.
Wrap up
Digital content managers are multitaskers who interact with the audience using engaging content. They have numerous skills, including content writing, editing, proofreading, SEO, time management, organization, and communication.
You can learn all these skills while sitting at home, as the internet has plenty of free and paid resources available. Once you learn them, you can practice them on your own social media profiles or websites.
Digital media management is a high-paying job and leads to many other career paths. Choose this career if you are passionate about creating quality content and helping brands increase their reach.