Hiring a content manager? What to expect
🔑 Key takeaways:
🧠 A content manager leads content strategy and execution, rather than copywriting.
🎯 Content managers plan, schedule, coordinate, publish, and analyse performance.
📈 You need a content manager when content creation becomes too complex alongside other duties.
👨🏽💻 When hiring a freelance content manager, look for strategy, organization, and a cultural fit.
The title “content manager” pops up everywhere these days. It’s splashed across LinkedIn job postings, tucked inside agency proposals, and dangled like a panacea for every marketing challenge. Yet when friends and clients ask me what a content manager does, I often see confusion in their eyes.
Content manager roles have evolved rapidly over the past decade, intersecting with editorial, social media, project management, and digital marketing. As someone who has worn this hat in different settings, both as a solopreneur and agency consultant, I know how varied the job of managing web content can be.
This article will demystify the role of a content manager, share my lessons, and help you determine when you might need one on your team.
What is a content manager?
A content manager is the point person responsible for planning, creating, and organizing all of your brand’s messaging. The role evolved from editorial and digital marketing teams. Early content managers came from journalism or copywriting backgrounds. They oversaw blog posts, newsletters, and social media updates, ensuring everything aligned with the brand’s voice.
As digital channels exploded, the job ballooned into something closer to a hybrid of strategist and project manager.
My experience reflects this evolution. I began as a digital journalist in newsrooms, producing local and national news. When news directors and executive producers needed SEO research, editorial calendars, and social media coordination, I naturally became their de facto content manager.
Instead of focusing solely on writing articles, I was tasked with considering the bigger picture. Why were we telling certain stories? Who were we trying to reach? And how would our content drive traffic and advertising dollars?
Content manager responsibilities
Every company defines the role slightly differently, but a few core responsibilities tend to appear consistently across the board. In my time managing content for a pet health and behavior website and a personal finance vertical, I found that the job always came down to one thing: keeping the content creation process running smoothly.
Based on my experience (and what the research backs up), here’s what you can expect from a content manager.
1. Planning and strategy
Planning is the backbone of good content management. A manager conducts audits of existing content to assess its quality, brand voice, and SEO opportunities. They research competitors and identify content gaps that the organization hasn’t covered.
With these insights, they develop a content strategy that reflects business goals, audience needs, and user behavior. This involves prioritizing topics, selecting formats (such as blog posts, videos, or podcasts), and establishing timelines.
2. Editorial calendar and coordination
Once a strategy is established, the content manager takes responsibility for the editorial calendar. They schedule blog posts, newsletters, and social media updates to ensure consistent publishing. The content manager collaborates with writers, designers, and subject matter experts by providing briefs and setting deadlines.
In my early days of content management, I spent just as much time chasing down drafts and arranging interviews as I did writing. On busy teams, this coordination can become a full-time effort.
3. Content creation and editing
Many content managers still write occasionally, but their central creative role is to edit and guide others. They ensure each piece meets brand standards, is optimized for AI overviews and SEO, and supports the overarching strategy. In practice, this means developing outlines, reviewing drafts, fact-checking, and refining copy to maintain quality across various formats.
4. Publishing and technical management
Content managers often upload and format posts within a content management system (CMS), like WordPress or HubSpot. They may adjust HTML and CSS to align the layout with brand guidelines and ensure accessibility. Even if you aren’t a developer, basic coding knowledge helps you fix formatting issues quickly.
5. Promotion and distribution
Creating content is only half the job. Promotion ensures your work reaches the right people. A content manager coordinates social media posts, email newsletters, partnerships, and paid promotions.
They might repurpose blog posts into LinkedIn carousels or podcasts into email drip campaigns. In smaller companies, this distribution might fall entirely on the manager. With larger teams, they collaborate with social media specialists.
Data and reporting
The final piece is measurement. Good content management is data-driven. It involves monitoring key performance metrics, including page views, search rankings, engagement, and conversions. Content managers use analytic tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and Search Console.
Regular reporting helps refine the strategy, which is something I learned the hard way. Initially, I published posts without tracking the results. Once I started reviewing analytics, I discovered which topics resonated with readers and which formats generated the most leads. Performance data allows me to adjust my content plans accordingly.
When do you need a content manager?
If you’re reading this, chances are you already suspect that content is essential to your business. But when does it make sense to dedicate a person to manage it? Here are some common inflection points I’ve seen.
1. Launching a blog or resource hub
Publishing occasional updates on social media is manageable, but launching a blog or resource hub introduces complexity. You’ll need to conduct topic research, publish regularly, and coordinate with graphic designers.
If you’re serious about building a content library that draws organic traffic, a content manager will ensure consistency and quality. Without someone dedicated to those tasks, your blog may fizzle after a few posts.
2. Scaling marketing efforts
Maybe your company is producing one or two pieces of content per month and seeing promising results. To amplify that success, you need to increase volume and diversify formats. That’s when the workload can outgrow a single founder or marketer. Scaling without a content manager can lead to missed deadlines and inconsistent quality.
3. Managing multiple channels
If you’re active on multiple platforms, including blogs, YouTube, podcasts, and various social media sites, each with its unique cadence, managing the content ecosystem becomes a logistical challenge.
You need someone to oversee the editorial calendar, coordinate creative assets, repurpose content, and ensure consistent messaging across all channels.
In my work with an e-commerce team, we attempted to manage a blog, Instagram, YouTube, and a weekly newsletter with no dedicated manager. Content quickly slipped, and engagement plateaued. Bringing on a content manager organized the channels and revived growth.
4. When quality and consistency matter
Perhaps you’re still producing a manageable amount of content, but the quality is inconsistent or the brand voice varies. A content manager enforces standards. They edit for grammar, tone, and SEO best practices, and build style guides to train freelance contributors. If you’re experiencing off‑brand messaging, a manager can restore order.
5. You need insights from data
As you scale content, you need to know what’s working. A content manager monitors analytics and provides insights, such as which topics convert better or which channels drive the most qualified leads.
Without data, you’re flying blind. I once spent months producing long‑form articles only to discover that our audience preferred shorter tutorials. A manager with a data mindset saves time and resources.
How to hire a freelance content manager
Once you recognise the need, the next question is how to find the right person. Hiring a freelance content manager can be a cost‑effective option, especially for small businesses. Here are my recommendations for vetting candidates.
1. Look for strategic and operational balance
A strong content manager balances big‑picture thinking with attention to detail. Ask candidates about their process for developing a content strategy and how they translate it into a weekly schedule. Have them walk you through an editorial calendar they’ve managed.
Good candidates will reference activities such as content auditing, keyword research, and planning. They should also demonstrate how they track performance data and adjust their approach based on the results.
2. Evaluate project management skills
Content managers coordinate people and deadlines. Look for evidence of project management experience. Have they used tools like Trello, Asana, or Monday? Can they describe how they keep writers accountable and handle delays? Ask them to share an example of coordinating multiple stakeholders or producing content across channels.
3. Assess communication and writing ability
Even if they won’t write every piece, strong communication skills are essential. Request writing samples that demonstrate clarity and tone awareness. During interviews, pay attention to how candidates explain complex concepts. Clear communicators make great editors.
4. Cultural fit and curiosity
A content manager represents your voice externally. They need to understand your culture, product, and audience. During interviews, look for curiosity. Are they asking thoughtful questions about your brand? Do they seem excited to learn about your niche? A curious manager will produce content that feels authentic and genuine.
Where to find a content manager
If you’re ready to hire a content manager, start with platforms and networks that attract professionals with the right mix of strategy and production skills. Here are a few popular options.
- Upwork: A popular marketplace for freelancers where you can filter by content strategy, CMS experience, and industry background.
- ClearVoice: Explicitly built to find vetted freelancers with writing and editorial experience.
- Contently: Best suited for enterprise-level work, but you can still find freelancers with editorial skills.
- LinkedIn and Indeed: Great for both freelance and full-time roles. Post your job with detailed expectations, or search profiles directly and reach out to candidates.
- Referrals: Ask peers, agency contacts, or past collaborators if they know a reliable content manager. This is often where the best fits come from.
When posting your content manager job, be specific. Mention your publishing cadence, platforms (blog, email, social, etc.), and the results you’re aiming for. The more precise you are, the more qualified and prepared your candidates will be.
And if you’re looking for a seasoned content manager with experience across private sector brands, broadcast media, and online publishing—hi, I’m right here!
I’ve led content programs in a wide range of areas, from personal finance to pet care, and I enjoy helping small teams establish structure in their content workflows. Schedule a free consultation with me today.
You don’t need to do it all yourself
As entrepreneurs and small teams, we often take pride in doing everything ourselves. Content feels personal, so handing it over can be scary. I’ve been there. For years, I wrote every article, designed every infographic, and sent every email. But the day I hired my first part‑time content manager, my stress evaporated. They took the operational burden off my shoulders and introduced a level of structure I hadn’t achieved on my own.
Even if you can’t hire yet, you can adopt content management best practices. Create an editorial calendar, document your brand’s voice, and monitor your performance.
Remember, content management isn’t about churning out more posts; it’s about telling the right stories to the right people and measuring their impact. A skilled content manager can become the architect of your brand’s narrative, freeing you to focus on what you do best.
FAQs about content managers
Do I need a content manager?
Hiring a content manager makes sense when content creation becomes too complex for you to handle alongside other responsibilities. If you’re launching a blog, scaling marketing, or coordinating multiple channels, a dedicated manager ensures consistency and quality. They also bring strategic insight and data analysis, helping you achieve a higher ROI from your content.
Can a content manager help me optimize for AI overviews?
Absolutely. AI overviews (such as those in Google’s Search Generative Experience) extract well-structured, high-quality content. An experienced content manager can help you write for both humans and AI by using clear headings, concise answers, and structured formats that align with how AI parses web content. They’ll also track what types of content get featured and adjust your approach accordingly.
What does a content manager job description look like?
If you’re hiring or just trying to define the role, here’s a copy-and-paste content manager job description you can use:
We’re seeking a content manager to lead our content operations, from planning through to performance. The ideal candidate can manage editorial calendars, coordinate freelancers, maintain publishing schedules, and track results across multiple channels. This role requires strong project management skills, attention to detail, and the ability to translate high-level strategy into actionable content plans and strategies. Experience with SEO, CMS platforms (such as WordPress or Webflow), and performance reporting tools (like GA4 or Search Console) is essential. Bonus points for experience in [industry] and comfort working with small, cross-functional teams.
What’s the difference between a content manager and a content strategist?
The roles overlap but aren’t identical. A content strategist focuses on high-level planning, setting goals, and determining which topics and formats will best support business objectives. A content manager handles day‑to‑day execution: creating editorial calendars, coordinating writers, and publishing content.
