What does the content department do? Content manager - responsibilities, salary, training. How to write a resume - with and without experience

Nowadays, the Internet has become one of the most important sources of information and business tools. We study, work, relax online... And numerous sites help us with this. Specifically, content curated and posted on their web pages by content managers.

What does a content manager do?

A content manager is a specialist who prepares, processes and places multimedia materials (articles, photographs, videos, price lists, etc.) on the pages of websites he supports. Depending on the type of resource, the job responsibilities of a content manager can vary greatly.

Responsibilities of a corporate website content manager

For example, a corporate web resource usually contains texts describing the company’s activities, its services, as well as news and special offers. In addition, many companies are happy to publish examples of their work so that potential clients can evaluate the quality of the work performed. Also, the website content manager is tasked with posting price lists, making edits in case of any changes (for example, changing the phone number or address of the company) and other work.

Functions of a content manager in an online store

Several other tasks fall on the shoulders of the content manager of an online store. Here he is required to enter data into product cards: select and upload photographs, fill out technical specifications, and, if necessary, come up with descriptions.

Support and maintenance of groups, pages, blogs on social networks

With the development of social networks, there is also a need to support groups, communities, public pages, blogs, etc. This is a separate category of work, which involves not just publishing content, but also attracting visitors, as well as interacting with them. A content manager who leads a group on a social network posts news and simply interesting posts, uploads videos and photographs, holds competitions and informs community members about everything that may be of interest to them.

What does a content manager do?

The profession of a content manager involves working with websites, so such a specialist needs to know the basics of html and css, be able to layout tables, understand why certain elements of a web page are needed and how they work. In addition, the ability to work with popular content management systems (CMS), among which it is worth noting such as Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, Bitrix, Umi, Amiro, WebAsyst, DLE, etc., is mandatory.

What else does a content manager do? It works with the structure of a website or online store, creates new pages, adds elements to the website menu, publishes posts, adds and changes product cards, uploads photos and videos. It is also useful to have skills in working with texts (copywriting, rewriting), as well as familiarity with the basics of search engine promotion. In addition, he needs to be able to perform simple image processing operations in graphic editors (for example, Adobe Photoshop). In some cases, a specialist in this profession is required to create small banners. The content manager performs some work independently, and orders some from others.

This work can be done by both an office employee and a freelancer working remotely. For such activities, it is enough to have a not very powerful computer with Internet access. The following must be installed on the computer: Photoshop, MS Word, Internet browsers and other programs - for example, programs for checking the uniqueness of texts.

How much does a content manager earn?

Payment for the work of a content manager can be determined in various ways. In the case of online stores, this is most often the price for adding one product (from 10 rubles per product). If we are talking about a corporate website, then the contractor agrees either to pay for adding each individual page and loading materials on it (from 50 rubles per page), or sets a tariff for the time of his work (from 100 rubles per hour). It is also possible to have a permanent employment option with setting a salary for the content manager (from 3,000 rubles per month - with minimum employment), paying bonuses, etc.

How to become a content manager: training and career

Content manager (site administrator) – this profession is not trained in any state educational institution. But you can master it yourself, or find relevant courses on the Internet.

Most often, functions for working with content are transferred to freelance copywriters who are familiar with html/css layout and various CMS (content management systems). If you want, you can learn everything yourself - on the Internet you can find a lot of materials on working with texts and instructions on using CMS. A remote content manager working from home is required to be diligent, responsible and capable of quickly learning new things.

We have been running our website, blog and social networks for several years now, so for us “content manager” is not just words, but a real profession, covered with a huge number of victories and disappointments.

The activity of this person is not only necessary, it is necessary for all companies with Internet platforms.

And in this article we will look at everything in more detail, including responsibilities and requirements, salary and how to find the right one.

They lie and don't blush

As soon as the Internet appeared, the profession of “content manager” appeared, only it was so vague that some were engaged in this business and did not even know about it.

This is especially true for programmers; almost half of them serve as . But as usual, first let’s define what it is.

Content manager(content - filling) - a person who creates, edits and publishes company materials on the Internet (rarely in the offline) space.

When reading articles on the Internet, you may find a distorted concept of this profession, since everyone presents it as a person with the task of filling a website.

For our specialists, we highlight in the bonus part such indicators as time to read the material, CTR on search and the number of applications. It may be different for you, but take us as a basis.

Requirements or how to choose?

I personally fill out all vacancies for our company, because I understand better than anyone what type of person we need for our team.

And when developing my essay, I rely on suggestions from other players in the market in order to be more advantageous in the eyes of applicants and avoid the mistakes that others have made.

From time to time I see such pirouettes there that I myself go into a slight trance. Last seen:

• Actively diligent person...
• Touch typing with one hand...
• The text is without a single mistake...
• Online from 08.00 to 23.59…

How scary…

Let's be honest. There are no ideal people. Neither you nor I are perfect. Therefore, your requirements for a content manager must be realistic.

But at the same time, they should also be there, because teaching a person everything from scratch is too expensive. You will lose more in money and time than you gain.

Therefore, here is a list of the main requirements (selection criteria) that we impose on our employees in this specialty:

1. Experience in the platform (1C, Bitrix, WordPress, etc.);
2. Ability to create a content plan;
3. Ability to use specialized services:
4. Basic knowledge of HTML and CSS programming code;
5. Basic knowledge of marketing and copywriting;
6. Knowledge of the Russian language (80%+ test);
7. Experienced user of Word, Excel, Photoshop;
8. Experienced user of social networks;
9. Creativity and unconventional view;
10. Web Analytics User (and Google Analytics);
11. Fast typing speed.

But this is our list of requirements, since we work in the field of marketing, and we must employ the best of the best.

Of course, in some cases we make exceptions, but this is rare. Since our salary meets these requirements. For you, some of the points will most likely disappear, since the task may be different.

Using these requirements, you can easily check whether the specialist in front of you is suitable.

Just ask questions on each point and see if the answer is correct. But let me remind you that ideal people do not exist.

Although I’m lying... They exist. These are our soul mates, our children and parents. They will always be the best for us.

Briefly about the main thing

Many companies have not yet entered the world of content. They still neglect this and leave all marketing platforms outdated.

I’m talking about that same entry “Date of publication 04/02/2005”. But this won't last long.

Companies that do not talk about themselves, do not update information, and do not provide benefits will fade into the background. And I don’t want it to be you, our readers.

To post updates quickly and efficiently, you need a dedicated person. His name is content manager.

This person, with the proper approach, will increase your profits. No kidding. Directly or indirectly, it will increase your turnover.

Therefore, its payback is a closed question. It will pay for itself and bring in many times more.

True, you can achieve this effect only with a competent approach. You need to provide for everything: management, control, requirements, setting tasks, evaluating actions, and so on.

To start moving in this direction, make a list of tasks and determine the result you want to get from a content manager. It will be easier later.

A content manager brings significant benefits to a company because he completely takes care of the content of its website: from planning materials to their creation and placement. This employee decides which texts, images or videos are appropriate on the resource and which are not. He plans content taking into account the specifics of the business.

But there are some "buts"

Unfortunately, the profession of content manager is not in great demand in post-Soviet countries. There are 2 reasons for this:

Savings for companies on Internet promotion;

The number of such specialists is rapidly growing.

Moreover, not all of them know a lot about filling out websites. Some people entered the profession only because they consider it easy. So it turns out that online business owners hire a content manager, but are disappointed in him and don’t want him anymorepromote your website with texts.

But such a position is dangerous for an online business: as a result, it lags noticeably behind competitors who have entrusted the management of their website to a professional. Rivals receive more visits and loyal customers, which means higher conversions. Find out what skills a smart content manager should have tohe managed to do his job successfully.

6 important knowledge and skills of a content manager

1. Writing texts

Large companies have an entire content department, headed by a content manager. In small ones, this specialist is the only one responsible for drawing up the publication schedule and actually writing the texts. Among online stores, a content specialist is in demand, ready to become a copywriter at any moment. It is also important to have skills in editing and proofreading texts, because you often have to collaborate with freelance authors and find errors in already published materials.

2. Working with HTML and CSS

Content managers often become graduates of humanities faculties, but practice shows that it is difficult to do without technical knowledge in this profession. Introduction to HTML markup andcascading tablesadds value to the content manager. After all, he will not have to waste time searching for service providers outsourced . Instead, he can focus entirely on content delivery.

Some employers require a content specialist to have basic knowledge of user interfaces. This is partly justified, because in his job, he is faster than other employees in identifying problems with the site. It is advisable for a content manager to be able to independently eliminate simple errors in the operation of the site.

3. Understanding the nature of virality

With the development of social networksSMM-promotion of projects is becoming more and more productive.Users share their favorite posts with friends, relatives, and colleagues. But there are too many publications on the Internet, so not all of them arouse people’s interest. If for youaudience involvement is importanthire a content manager who knows how to create viral articles or at least select topics for them.

4. Analysis of the results of your work

Analytics involves tracking the popularity of materials, the average time they are read, and the percentage of failures. Google Analytics will help you get all the necessary statistics. Of course, a content manager should not take on the responsibilities of an SEO specialist or analyst. It is important for him to know:

Questions of interest to the target audience;

Blog posts that need improvement;

Conversion of a specific product description;

The most popular materials to publish similar ones in the future.

5. Working with graphic editors

Basic skills in photo correction and image creation are important for a content manager, since one of his responsibilities is selecting images for publications. Unique text plus a unique, even the simplest illustration will only be pluses.

6. Drawing up a content strategy

Materials on the site are published for a specific purpose. They must bring fruit to the business, otherwise there is no point in posting them. A content specialist needs to be able to plan his activities and create effective text promotion strategies.

Before you become a content manager, you need to figure out who this is. The fact is that with content managers – as, by the way, with copywriters – the situation is not the simplest: not everyone clearly understands what kind of people they are and what they do.

And it would be nice if such misunderstanding reigned only among customers; it is quite forgivable for them. In the end, the main thing for the client is to be able to formulate what needs to be done, and then the specialist himself will say whether it is for him or not. But often the people themselves who call themselves content managers do not fully understand what their specialty is. They also don’t understand that a two-week “Content Manager from Scratch” course to get started will, to put it mildly, not be enough.

Content is all the information content of the site and other components of the selling system: mailings, image texts for third-party resources, commercial proposals, etc. All texts, all graphics, videos, etc. - everything in general. So: the responsibilities of a content manager include effective management of all this.

A content manager can be thought of as a multi-armed craftsman

And if specifically:

Determining the needs of the target audience

The manager must understand what website visitors want to see on it. He also needs to know who exactly is visiting his site and with whom he will be working. The classic “Target Target Card” looks something like this.

Example of target audience description

Competitor analysis

Having decided on the target audience, it is important to understand: what our competitors have already offered, how we will “build away” from them (how does our offer differ from similar ones?), and what they have done to promote it.

To find your main competitors, as a rule, it is enough to enter our main key query into the target search engine. The example below is “How to choose plastic windows”.

Search results for “How to choose plastic windows”

The web resources that appear in the search results are our main competitors. You need to carefully read their websites, write down information on their offer, and also conduct an analysis of the websites themselves - for this I personally recommend the checktrust.ru service.

It's very easy to use. First, register on the site and create a new project, indicating in the list of analyzed sites all the competitors that are of interest.

Creating a new project in the checktrust.ru service

At the next step, we select the parameters on which we want to receive information - in my opinion, those marked with checkmarks in the screenshot are sufficient.

The required parameters are highlighted with a tick

Result of competitor analysis

Drawing up a content strategy

This is a document that describes what we will publish and when. Then, based on this general document, a detailed content plan will be formed - a schedule of publications and their detailed description (an example will be below, after the section on SEO).

Ideas for publications are also taken from competitors with whom we have already worked closely at the previous stage: if some material moves your “colleagues” well, there is no reason not to make your own article - “the same, only better.”

On a note: if the content strategy is almost always carried out by the project manager (often together with its owner), then the content plan can easily be delegated to another employee. But more on that below.

Determining the optimal form of content delivery

How will we publish our materials? What should the page look like and its structure? Not only the content manager works on this issue, but his opinion should be taken into account.

The result of the work may look like this.

Content Strategy Example

SEO strategy development

At this stage, it is already clear what content and how will be published on the site - now you need to make sure that this content is well indexed by search engines and promotes the resource to the TOP. To do this, together with an SEO specialist, an SEO strategy is formed.

Example of SEO strategy

And, as a rule, a semantic core is immediately compiled - a list of all key queries that will be used on the site.

Example of a semantic core

To collect keywords, special services are usually used that allow you to collect all the key phrases on a certain topic and correctly group them - for example, Key Collector:

Example of request grouping

Advice: Having collected keywords, immediately distribute them into articles. If you see that some group of keys does not fit well into an already compiled content plan, change the content plan or supplement it. As a result, you should have a clear and unambiguous SEO specification for each article.

Example of keyword distribution by article

Content plan

At this stage, you can already create a full-fledged content plan: a content release calendar.

Approximate format of an editorial portfolio

Direct control of content creation

It sounds complicated, but the essence is simple: for a content manager, the responsibilities are control over the content of the site.

Control! A good specialist knows how to create content, but, especially on large projects, he spends 90% of his time doing something else: explaining to copywriters, posters, database operators and other employees what is needed from them, monitoring their work, accepting the result.

That is, this is a manager involved in content.

More specifically, the content manager:

• Looking for performers;
• Sets tasks for them and determines deadlines;
• Monitors compliance with these deadlines;
• Checks the submitted materials for compliance with the specifications, if necessary, seeks to make corrections (in especially difficult cases, he makes the corrections himself or looks for another performer for this);
• Submits materials for design and publication;
• Monitors the quality of these works.

IMPORTANT: At the stage of publishing an article, the content manager’s work does not end; after some time, he must evaluate the quality of the materials and understand whether the desired result has been achieved: whether people read the content prepared for them or not. For example, metrics (Yandex and Google) are used to assess the overall growth of a site.

Composition of the “content department”

Sometimes content managers are called:

• Copywriters. They create text content: write articles, posts, etc. Sometimes they draw up content plans based on a content strategy;
• Seoshnikov. They form a semantic core (a pool of keywords used in site materials) and directly promote the site in search engines;
• Posters. Post finished content on the website;
• Layout makers. Prepare materials with complex layout for publication;
• Community managers. Communicate with the audience, answer their questions, maintain interest in relevant events and site projects;
• Database operators. They work with catalogs of online stores, filling them with information (often taking it from other resources).

So, all these people are not content managers. And the content manager is their leader.

Is there a content manager without experience?

The situation is the same as with any leadership position: a good boss must understand what he is leading. At least on a superficial level. Thus, a content manager must know the basics:

• Layouts;
• Copywriting;
• Marketing (and here, often, not only the basics);
• Posting;
• Work with the database;
• Use of popular CMS (Bitrix, Joomla, WordPress).

Even if you understand all this a little bit, the list already looks solid. Therefore, I personally think that all proposals like “Content manager: courses from A to Z in a week” are... almost a waste of time. According to my personal estimates, it will take from 2 to 6 months to understand the work of a content manager from scratch, depending on what projects you are going to work on.

Advantages and disadvantages of working as a content manager

pros	Minuses
You can work from home;	Working from home: sedentary lifestyle, difficulties with self-discipline, etc.;
In just a year you will have hundreds of useful contacts;	The minimum free schedule is almost the most stringent among all freelancers. You must always be in touch, control many people. It's tiring;
With good skills, the job is very profitable;	The need to be a “layer” between the wishes of the business owner and the requirements of the market - they often do not coincide, and you will have to make sure that they coincide;
You will understand several areas of web activity at once and, if desired, can change jobs relatively easily;	Everyone around you will slow down, not understand anything, be terribly stupid and miss deadlines. And you should ensure that the project as a whole moves forward and be responsible for problems.
A professional content manager easily moves to the level of “owner of his own web business.”

How to become a content manager?

If you like the pros and don’t mind the cons, I recommend this scheme:

1. You understand a little about working with popular CRMs. Joomla+Wordpress is enough for starters. It will be enough for you to be able to publish news, text for a page, or a blog article on the website;
2. You start working as a poster: you respond on freelance exchanges to all orders of the form “Content manager remotely: publish 5 news a day on the site.” In some cases, you will search for this news and rewrite it - accept it;
3. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with posting, try to find 2-3 “permanent” projects—those that have a content plan that you can view;
4. Study the content plan, try to understand why it is built the way it is. Why exactly this content, why in this form;
5. When you think you understand everything, take the courses. But not a content manager: something on marketing, something on working with the target audience and, very preferably, something on the basics of SEO;
6. Look at the working content plans from point 4 again. Perhaps ideas have changed;
7. Now you have a general understanding of the basics of the profession, congratulations. You can try to look for a job as a content manager in the full sense of the word.

Naturally, I advise you to start with small projects. Well, get ready for the fact that at first they will pay little. Especially as a poster. But you will gain truly invaluable practical experience.

Demand for the profession of content manager on hh.ru

What's the result?

If you are interested, then working as a content manager remotely is an excellent choice. But the process of entering the profession is precisely the Profession, and not standing around - and the threshold for this entry is quite high. Try to do as I advised: start with posting and see whether you generally like working in this area or not. Personally, I preferred copywriting (mainly because of the free schedule).

New professions are constantly appearing on the Internet. It seemed that just recently no one had even heard of such a word - “content manager”. And today on all freelance sites: “Required, required, required...”.

At the same time, many still do not understand what the job is and look at such vacancies with suspicion. To get rid of doubts once and for all, let's figure out who this content manager is and what his job responsibilities include.

What is the job

Content manager is a specialist who deals with the content of the site, that is, content. He publishes articles, images and videos, posts on social networks and fills out product cards for online stores. Sometimes he is entrusted with the full management of an Internet project and its promotion.

Unlike other freelancers, a content manager is a jack of all trades. He understands copywriting, website operation, and a bunch of other things. In the 20th century, newspaper editors-in-chief did something similar.

Who needs content managers and why? The fact is that today all commercial and other organizations have rushed to the Internet. Naturally, they needed people who would professionally fill their sites. And since there are more and more sites, such specialists are now constantly in demand.

What exactly a content manager does depends on the resource. Most often, he looks for suitable materials, manages copywriters and other freelancers. Less often, he writes articles on his own or promotes a website.

Varieties

Profit news and entertainment sites depends on the advertising placed on them: the more people see it, the better. Therefore, the main responsibility of a website content manager is to fill the resource with materials that are attractive to readers.

Profit online store depends on sales volume. Therefore, the responsibilities of a content manager in an online store resemble the work of a seller or merchandiser. He fills out and prepares product cards, monitors the relevance of prices and price lists. Less often - communicates with visitors: advises and helps place orders.

Task groups and publics- attract and retain subscribers. Unlike websites, communication plays an important role in them. Therefore, the responsibilities of a content manager on social networks (SMM manager) include not only creating interesting posts, but also organizing a conversation. He looks for “catchy” topics, starts discussions and directs the conversation in the right direction.

Responsibilities of a content manager

Any employee has two types of responsibilities: official and functional. Official - this is what exactly he must do, and functional - this is what result the employer expects from him. For example, a cleaner in an office must wash the floors and dust, and the expected result is cleanliness in the room.

The functional responsibilities of a content manager usually include:

• Resource promotion. In other words, the site, through his efforts, should become visited and profitable.

• Relevance of content. News and entertainment sites always need new content - that's why users go there. And in stores it is necessary to update prices and product catalogs in a timely manner, and inform about new promotions and services.

• Content quality. And these are not only interesting articles and enticing pictures. You also have to think about the convenience of readers and other things that influence behavioral factors.

• Taking care of users. You need to be interested in their opinion about the site, respond to wishes and complaints.

• Monitoring competitors. This helps to learn about new trends and adopt successful discoveries. Well, or at least not repeat the mistakes of others.

The list of job responsibilities of a content manager depends on the employer. But the standard set usually looks like this:

1. Search, order or create content. Most often, articles are ordered from various freelance sites, and illustrations are purchased from photo stocks (or taken for free). Large portals have their own staff writers, artists and photographers.

1. Update materials on time and regularly in accordance with the content plan.

1. Work with freelancers and full-time employees. The content manager sets tasks for them, monitors implementation and checks quality. The main difficulty is that freelancers are creative people. And this requires a special approach and great patience.

1. Do advertising. The content manager interacts with advertisers or, conversely, places site advertisements on third-party resources. He also monitors the results of campaigns and, if necessary, makes changes to them.

1. Track resource statistics. The content manager monitors site traffic and analyzes behavioral factors. This helps evaluate the effectiveness of materials and promptly notice dangers such as user outflow or sanctions from search engines.

1. Monitor the operation of the site. That is, make sure that the engine does not glitch, the layout does not fly off, and duplicate pages do not appear. You need to be able to correct minor mistakes yourself.

But this is not all that a content manager should do. He may also be entrusted with:

• Maintain a news feed and newsletter, notify readers about new materials and promotions.
• Answer user questions, advise them on the operation of the site, moderate comments and forums.
• Interact with partner sites.
• Engage in compiling a semantic core (SC) and selecting keys.

This list may look daunting. In reality, only the resource owner decides what a content manager should and should not do. And often all the work comes down to just publishing new articles.

What is not the responsibility of a content manager? Naturally, a lot here also depends on the employer, but usually not required:

• Write articles yourself. Authors and copywriters do this. The content manager “takes up his pen” only as a last resort, for example, if the contractor missed the deadline.
• Create illustrations. This is done by professional artists and photographers. But a content manager must be able to prepare illustrations for publication on the site.
• Develop design. The maximum that is needed is to carefully lay out the page.
• Program and correct errors in the engine.
• Provide technical support. The content manager deals only with the site: he does not advise users of the products that are sold on it.

Who can become a content manager

Both techies and humanists can handle the job of a content manager. Most often, they become copywriters and webmasters who already have experience working with content. However, there are also specific requirements for a content manager.

First of all, these are people with a certain set of personal qualities. Namely:

• High learning ability. A content manager not only has a ton of skills, but also keeps them up to date. Unfortunately, the Internet is changing all the time.

• Communication skills. These are the ability to communicate and manage a team, self-control, knowledge of business etiquette and negotiator skills.

• Creative skills. Working with text and graphics requires good taste. The content manager must immediately see whether the audience will like the material and how to improve it.

• Self-discipline. As a matter of fact, without it there is no freelancing at all. You need to organize your work, plan your time and keep track of deadlines yourself.

But personal qualities alone are not enough. A content manager needs to acquire knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• Computer and Internet.
• Journalism and copywriting: understand the quality of the text, understand the work of a copywriter, and, if necessary, be able to write an article yourself.
• Web graphics: find, process and place illustrations, competently handle basic web image formats (jpg, gif, png) and confidently use graphic editors (usually Photoshop).
• Webmastering and layout: know HTML and CSS at a basic level, be able to independently layout a page and customize styles. Experience with popular engines, such as WordPress or Joomla, will also come in handy.
• SEO: master at least the basics of optimization.
• Advertising: be able to set up targeted and contextual advertising.
• Law basics: understand content licenses, understand what materials can be used and under what conditions.
• Resource topic. If the site, for example, is dedicated to cars, then you need to understand cars.

Unfortunately, our universities do not yet train content managers. Yes, someone completes the relevant courses. But most people learn the profession on their own - they study manuals and torment Google until they are blue in the face.

Conclusion

So, the profession of a content manager is difficult, but interesting. It is perfect for active people who are not afraid of responsibility and constant work on themselves. It remains to answer the two most pressing questions: how much they pay and how to get a job.

Today (2017) the average salary of a content manager in Russia is 27 thousand rubles. In Moscow and St. Petersburg it is 38 and 29 thousand rubles, respectively, and in the regions - about 22 thousand.

The highest rates (from 70 thousand) are in companies that operate in the high technology sector. The lowest (10 thousand or less) are for organizations that do not attach much importance to the Internet, and for amateur webmasters.

Sometimes content managers take on several small projects at once. Moreover, they are usually offered not a fixed salary, but piecework payment (for example, based on the amount of published content).

Content manager vacancies can be found:

• On freelance sites: freelance.ru, fl.ru, freelancejob.ru, etc.
• On job search sites: HeadHunter, Job, SuperJob, Rabota.

When applying for a vacancy, you need to list your skills that may be needed (see above) and support them with examples of work.