Content manager: who is it and what does it do?

The development of the Internet has created many opportunities for business promotion. Now, to search for customers, it’s enough to have interesting accounts on social networks or a website. To use the resource to the maximum benefit, you need to find a good specialist in this field. This article will focus on such a profession as a content manager. It is he who fills the page with the necessary information and is responsible for its popularity on the Internet.

Such a profession has long ceased to be exotic. It is often chosen by people who do not like working in the office, preferring to work remotely and leave more free time for their hobbies or family.

The name of the profession comes from English content - “content”. The content manager manages the web resource: creates, replicates and oversees its content. He needs to select textual, graphic, artistic and other information that will appeal to the target audience. Also in the hands of the content manager is managing the business relationships of the resource. His work is reminiscent of the editorial, but in fact, this specialist has more functions

For all these difficult tasks to be completed, content manager attracts freelancers and coordinates their work. Among them are copywriters, rewriters, SEO-optimizers, IT-specialists, photographers, web designers. Next, consider the description of the responsibilities of representatives of this profession.

Today, content managers are in demand in various fields, depending on which their functions are changing. To begin, we give the general tasks of a specialist in working with sites.

• Planning. The content plan of the site determines its content in a timely manner. The curator creates tasks for copywriters and SEO-optimizers, corrects the finished work if necessary, puts the content on the resource.
• Editing. In addition to preparing new content, the content manager, if necessary, edits existing content, prescribes meta tags, typeset sites, creates links to partner sites or entrusts this work to subordinates.
• SEO promotion. Specialists of this profession are creating a semantic core for specific articles, optimizing pages.
• Control. Having set tasks for employees, the content manager monitors their execution in a quality manner and on time.
• Reporting The content manager checks the number of views and sources of activity, collects information, communicates it to colleagues and offers ideas to increase traffic.
• Work with the customer. Content manager must work with the customer. From him, he receives all the latest information, including the wishes of customers and advertisers, adjusts the actions of the team based on the voiced data. He also sends the customer reports on the work done and agrees with him plans for future actions.
• Rewriting, copywriting. Sometimes the content manager does not upload information prepared by someone, but creates it himself. Working with sources requires literacy and speed, the ability to write attractive and boring texts that meet the requirements of the content.

Today, the work of a content manager in social networks Instagram, VK, etc. has become very popular. They allow you to promote a business, attract new customers, create a positive image of an entrepreneur or company among the target audience. The tasks of such a specialist include the following functions.

• Development of a content plan taking into account the company's promotion strategy. The promotion strategy is usually dealt with by the content marketer. Having received the task from the customer, he thinks over the brand development line and transfers his achievements to the content manager.
• Preparing and laying out posts, often through special programs for posting at the right time. Thus, the information is published evenly, without overloading the readers and at the same time maintaining their interest.
• Processing media files in graphic editors or referring this issue to a specialist. These are designers working in Photoshop, CorelDraw, etc.
• Answers to questions from subscribers, the beginning and support of a discussion on a page in a social network. Indeed, to engage subscribers in the discussion, you need to show extraordinary imagination. This technique is quite effective, since the more real people talk about a product or service, the higher their interest in them. Also, contests can be held among subscribers, which are also designed to increase interest in products.
• Preparation of content that will begin to distribute itself at the expense of subscribers. Psychology knowledge is also useful here: you need to understand which posts are interesting and close to the public. It is important to have sufficient experience in content management to create such posts.
• Creation and customization of advertising posts. Cross PR with other pages allows you to attract new subscribers to one and the other side. An example of such a symbiosis is the accounts of a nail salon and a hairdresser. Both businesses are in the beauty sector, which means they have a similar target audience.
• Minimal understanding of marketing strategies. This is necessary for coordinated work with a content marketer. Each of the specialists monitors and regulates their work in accordance with the information from the second employee.The manager implements the marketing strategy in practice, and the marketer receives from the manager the results of his analysis and, if necessary, modifies the resource development strategy.

Like a representative of any other profession, a content manager must have certain characteristics. This applies not only to skills, but also to the personality traits of a person.

Personal qualities:

• predisposition to scrupulous work;
• penchant for creative work;
• attentiveness;
• creativity
• efficiency;
• strict adherence to deadlines.

Skills:

• computer skills and high speed printing;
• good knowledge of the rules of Russian, and sometimes foreign languages;
• in-depth knowledge on the topic the site or page on the social network is dedicated to;
• knowledge of graphic editors;
• mastery of the basics of web design.

There are no uniform requirements for training content managers, but having a basic education will be an advantage. Most content managers are graduates in journalism, philology, and PR management. However, not only humanitarian specialization may be useful. If the theme of the site has a technical direction, then education in a specific area will be needed: a person will have really good knowledge about the goods and services of a particular customer.

In the Internet You can find many virtual courses that allow you to master this profession.. Based on the results of training, certificates confirming the qualifications of the content manager are issued. Rates vary significantly and can vary between 3-30 thousand rubles. Choosing this method of training, it is important to carefully select the program.

The competitive advantage of the specialist will be courses in web design. The ability to layout sites will allow the employer to save on a separate specialist. This requires knowledge of HTML, CSS.

Today, many are interested in the question of how to master the profession of a content manager from scratch, what he should know and be able to do. The prospect of learning this kind of work is especially attractive for young people who are fond of social networks, as well as for women on maternity leave, as it allows you to work from home. There are various options for such employment: to conduct one or more projects, remotely or in the office. Typically, such specialists receive about 30 thousand rubles, but customers are ready to pay 50 thousand rubles to professionals.

Starting with the minimum tasks, a specialist in filling a site can eventually grow to higher posts. For example, a project manager, site editor, literary editor of a virtual newspaper, a specialist in online marketing and SEO, a photo editor, etc.

Despite the creative component of this profession, the resume of content managers is built on standard canons. First you need to write your name and the desired position, as well as the level of income. Before indicating the required salary, get acquainted with the cost of such work in the labor market. According to tradition, personal information includes age and contact details: address, phone, other communication methods. Describing your skills, list the types of content that you worked with, knowledge of graphic editors and other useful content manager programs, the ability to control your workflow, knowledge of HTML, CSS, SEO.

In personal qualities, priority will be perseverance, activity, the ability to absorb large amounts of information, responsibility, a tendency to monotonous work, sociability. Indicate your experience in the specialty and at least one place of work.

Education in this area is not as important as work experience, but philological or journalistic will be preferable here. If you attended courses, then this is also your plus, indicate them in the appropriate section.

Before you go looking for work, decide if you have most of the necessary skills. If so, then you can proceed with this task. There are several options for where to look for collaboration.

Look for job advertisements “content manager”, “SMM manager”, “assistant SMM manager”, “content marketer” on job search sites and specialized freelance sites. Beginners are best suited for the latter.

When applying for a vacancy and submitting your resume, attach a cover letter if possible. It should contain an address appeal, the desired position and source of the vacancy, a few words about your main skills, farewell in the form of “with respect, full name”. You can learn more about this format from books on business correspondence, where you will learn the subtleties of writing such letters. By the way, for working as a content manager, reading such literature will not be out of place.

Social networks can also come to your aid in finding a job. For example, Facebook. Join the relevant communities with relevant vacancies where customers and contractors meet. Stay tuned for new offers on the page or in the topics of the group, while improving your skills and looking at the posts of other applicants. Perhaps you will get ideas for self-presentation in them.

In the profile, also specify your specialty and tell a little about key skills. This information should read the interest in finding a job and openness to communicate with potential employers.

Explore the most attractive enterprises for you where you would like to work. Write to them personally, indicating your merits. Perhaps a vacancy just appeared there, but the search for an employee does not go through resources, but "among one's own." Some decide to come to the office of the company directly, because they understand that there are quite a lot of competitors in place, and personal communication can help to be remembered. Not everywhere such an act will be welcome, but your courage will be definitely appreciated.

There are courses after which a person will be assisted with finding a job. Of course, nothing can be guaranteed here, because the courses take into account many factors, including your success, but not everyone is perfect. In addition, the qualifications of the course leaders themselves may be in doubt. Any resource must be carefully checked, it will be useful to read reviews of other users. This will help to avoid problems spent money and time.

Content manager is an interesting, but difficult profession, because it requires training, iron discipline and constant development. Finding a good specialist in filling the site is not so simple, because the scope of his duties is very extensive. Not every employee will agree to perform a large number of tasks.