“Content marketing is all the marketing that’s left,” the marketing mastermind Seth Godin famously said in a live seminar back in 2008. Such relevant words, right? Even now, after 15 whole years, a digital content manager – the very person who manages it all – stands at the front of the queue that creates those catchy, attractive online narratives.
But what does it take for them to achieve a far-reaching success in this extremely crucial yet dynamic role?
Your wait is over. In this guide, we will take you through the top 10 proven skills that lay the ultimate path to success for you as a top-rated digital content manager throughout your brand’s content management lifecycle.
Keep reading until the very end.
10 Proven Skills for a Digital Content Manager to Succeed
1. Understanding Your Target Audience
We’ll jump into the heartbeat of effective content strategy right away – it is about knowing your audience. This timeless mantra basically holds the secret to successful content management. Understanding your target audience means stepping into their shoes and exploring their world in a very literal sense.
It’s the art of speaking their hearts.
Imagine a day in the life of your audience right before you come up with content ideas. What challenges do they face? What solutions are they mostly looking for? Your content becomes a conversation, a dialogue that engages and informs only when you are able to truly understand your audience.
But how would you see through their eyes?
- Paying attention is Key: Use social media tools to take a look at the conversations your audience is having. What are the buzzwords? What are their pain points?
- Data-Driven Insights: Dive deep into analytics. What content are they consuming the most? What are their online behavior patterns?
- Creating Personas: Craft detailed audience personas. Don’t just create mere sketches, create some detailed, vibrant portraits of the individuals you’re speaking to. Your personas should be comprehensive and meticulous.
But keep in mind that your audience isn’t just statistics and data points but also people with unique stories and needs. When you create your content with a thorough, deep understanding of your audience, your content starts linking your brand’s message to the minds of your audience.
2. Writing Skills
“Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words,” Mark Twain once said. While he may have understated the challenge, there’s truth in his humor. For a digital content manager, writing is all about writing messages that engage and then leave a lasting impression.
Good writing skills are like having a one-on-one conversation with each member of your audience, no matter how diverse. You should have:
- Conversational Mastery: Imagine sitting down for coffee with your reader. Your words should flow naturally and should have a clarity, relationship and a sweet touch of personality. Brainstorm for new content ideas if you are running short of topics.
- Emotion in Every Sentence: Strike a chord – directly. Your writing should be able to raise their emotions, be it excitement, curiosity, or trust, all while giving your brand’s message.
Here’s a fascinating fact: a good, persuasive writing can increase the website’s conversion rates by up to 20%. That’s the power of well-thought and crafted words so take them as more than just letters on a screen.
Here’s how you can make your writings better:
- Adapt Your Tone: Like a chameleon, your writing should adapt to the colors/narrations/trends of different platforms and audiences. A blog post might be informal and chatty. On the other hand, a white paper is much more formal and detailed.
- Never Stop Learning: Great writers are also great readers, mind it. So take in different writing styles and keep up with content trends, and most importantly, always be open to improving your skills.
In short, your writing skills as a digital content manager are at the center of your content strategy. They’re what are going to make your audience feel connected and understood – and even valued.
3. SEO Knowledge
It is said that Google only loves you when everyone else loves you first. This witty but a very thought-provoking statement tells you about the importance of SEO in the digital content world. For you as a digital content manager, SEO knowledge includes not just understanding algorithms but also creating content that humans and search engines both like and desire.
How you should generally handle the SEO mechanism:
- Balance The Keywords and Content: It’s a very delicate dance. Your content should include all those ‘rankable’ keywords very effectively as this will improve the readability of your content while pushing your search engine rankings to go up.
- Staying Ahead of the Curve: SEO is ever-changing – you can be sure of that. Did you know, for instance, that Google updates its algorithm many times a year, with the most recent one coming at the end of November? So keep yourself updated to ensure your content remains visible and relevant.
Remember, at its very core, SEO improves your visibility and connection. It basically makes sure that when someone searches for something you’ve written about, your content not only appears but also answers their query effectively and engagingly.
4. Visual Design Skills
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” goes the ancient saying that reminds us of the extremely crucial importance visual elements have in storytelling. In this digital space, a digital content manager’s visual design skills should be at the center of creating informative and attractive content.
So how to improve your visual game in content management?
- Consistency in Text & Visuals: The visuals you choose should complement your writing and its context. It’s like you are pairing the perfect wine with a meal. Each one enhances the other, right?
- Know The Design Principles: Basic knowledge of design principles – balance, contrast etc – can improve the visual quality of your content a lot and make it more engaging and memorable.
To help you digest the importance of visuals, here’s a fact: visuals can increase the desire to read content by a staggering 80%. In an era where digital content is in absolute abundance, good visuals can make your content stand out to draw the viewer’s eye.
5. Social Media Management
Social media is now more of an investment of valuable time and resources if you look at how effectively it is being used for marketing. As a digital content manager, you should think of social media management as hosting conversations with friends – your audience.
So understand the art of engaging, entertaining, and informing, all while creating a sense of community around your brand.
Each social media platform has its own different and individual personality. They have their own vibes – Twitter is like the witty one, Instagram is the visual storyteller, LinkedIn is the professional. So match your content with each platform’s vibe and make sure to choose the right topic of conversation for the right group.
- Trend-Spotting: Stay updated with social media trends because it is like keeping up with the latest coffee shop gossip. That will help you keep the conversations/comments etc fresh and relevant.
- Insights as Conversation Starters: Use analytics to know what your audience loves to talk about. Which posts generated the most conversation? What time does your ‘coffee shop’ – your content – get the most visitors?
In social media, your role goes way beyond posting your content. Think of yourself as the host of a never-ending digital party, where each post is an invitation to engage and each comment by your audience is a chance to connect.
6. Video Creation Skills
“Give them a story to tell,” as the saying goes in the world of digital content. In today’s online world, your audience gathers around the video content like the campfire. As a digital content manager, it is going to be your duty to create videos that attract and engage.
How can you create a narrative visually?
- Creating with Purpose: In each video, every scene and every frame has its own distinct role. Whether it’s a how-to video, a brand story, or a product showcase, your goal should revolve around making your audience feel a part of your brand’s journey.
- Emotional Connect: The power of video lies in its ability to arouse, to induce emotions – like laughter, curiosity, empathy. It’s like you are having a heart-to-heart convo with your audience with visuals to create a personal experience.
- User-Friendly Tools: You don’t need a Hollywood budget, it’s as simple. Tools like Adobe Premiere Pro or even smartphone apps can help you create extremely attractive videos. Simply use what you have to tell the best story you can.
Your video creation skills are much more than just producing content, they’ll help you get attached with your audience. Each video gives you an opportunity to engage your audience in a new, dynamic way. It’ll invite them into your world, show them around, and have a chat.
7. Email Marketing
David Newman knew which benefits he was talking about when he said that emails had an ability many channels don’t: creating valuable, personal touches—at scale. In the world of digital content management, email marketing is the one and only medium that makes you send a personalized letter to each member of your audience.
Want to add a personal touch in every email? Here’s how:
- Conversational Content: Imagine you’re writing to a friend. Your emails should have a conversational tone and they should make each recipient actually feel like you’re speaking directly to them.
- Storytelling in Subject Lines: The subject line is going to be your first hello. Make it intriguing, inviting. It should feel to them like the start of a great story that they can’t wait to read.
- Testing and Learning: Use A/B testing as a way to learn more about your audience. Which headlines catch their attention? What content drives engagement? It’s a never-ending journey of discovery.
In email marketing, you build relationships. Each email is a chance to deepen the connection with your audience, to offer value, and to invite engagement.
8. Analytics and Reporting
Analytics and reporting give you all the information about your audience and also let you have a conversation with your content. They help you to look beyond the numbers and graphs to understand the story about your audience, your content’s impact, and the ways you can improve your content even further.
- Use Data For Insights: Each data point acts like as a piece of a puzzle because when you put them together, they reveal patterns and opportunities. This helps you come up with actionable steps to improve your content strategy.
- Tools of Clarity: Use tools like Google Analytics not just as an observer but as a detective. What does the bounce rate tell you about user engagement? How does the click-through rate inform content relevance?
Analytics and reporting in digital content management go beyond the numbers so use them to guide your content’s future course.
9. Project Management
Project management is the train engine that moves the organization forward. Joy Gumz is a project management trainer and knows that in the world of digital marketing, a solid, fool-proof project management is all a brand needs to stay afloat in the sea of content. That makes it a crucial skill for a digital content manager to acquire and implement.
- Coordinating Tasks and Teams: Think of your content projects as a series of dance steps. Each movement (task) must be perfectly timed and coordinated with the rest of the team. You have to know who’s doing what, when, and how.
- Resource Balancing Act: Just like balancing a budget, managing resources in content projects means making sure every hour of effort takes you towards your ultimate goal. As a digital content manager, your first responsibility is to maximize the impact while minimizing waste.
In project management, you’re doing more than just checking off tasks and meeting deadlines by managing collective talents and efforts of your team to create content engages and inspires.
10. Research Skills
In the digital content world, having some good research skills will help you draw a map to hidden treasures (engaging and impressing your audience). Research skills help you understand trends and verify the facts that make your content not only informative but also authoritative and engaging.
- Diving Deep into Data: Imagine yourself as a digital archaeologist. Your task is to dig deep into the vast world of the internet for those pieces of information that will give your content depth and credibility.
- Understanding Trends and Patterns: Just like weather patterns are predicted to know about the exact climate of a location, use your research to identify the trends shaping your industry. What’s the next big thing? What are the pain points and preferences of your audience?
What Are the Challenges of Being a Digital Content Manager
Well, every job has its challenges and your role as a digital content manager in the digital world is no exception. In this role, you are very likely to face a unique set of challenges that will ultimately test your adaptability and creativity.
Understand these challenges, it is going to be the first step in mastering the art of digital content management.
- Keeping Up with Technology: The digital world is constantly changing and evolving. New platforms, changing algorithms, and emerging trends can make it feel like you’re being left behind every day.
- Creative Constraints: Keeping a balance between creative expression and the demands of digital marketing can be tricky. How do you keep following your creative vision while meeting SEO and other technical requirements?
- Data Overload: With so much data available, it can be overwhelming to determine what metrics are most important and how to use them effectively.
The Core Responsibilities and Qualifications of a Digital Content Manager
A digital content manager carefully grows a brand’s digital presence because this role involves a variety of responsibilities and demand a set of skills and qualifications.
Key Responsibilities Your Job Might Include
- Content Strategy Development: Creating and implementing a hugely effective content strategy that aligns with the brand’s goals and audience’s needs.
- Content Creation and Management: Overseeing the creation and efficient management of engaging and relevant content across various digital platforms.
- SEO and Analytics: Utilizing SEO best practices and analyzing data to optimize content performance and reach.
- Team Management and Collaboration: Leading and collaborating with content creators, designers, and other stakeholders to produce high-quality content.
These should be Your Essential Qualifications
- Educational Background: Typically, you should have a degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, or a related field.
- Experience: Any previous experience in digital content creation and management, with a proven track record of successful content strategies.
- Technical Skills: Expertise in SEO, content management systems, and basic understanding of HTML and web publishing.
- Soft Skills: Strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills, along with creativity and adaptability.
Integrating ContentERP into Your Journey As a Digital Content Manager
The journey of a digital content manager is both exciting and challenging. And that’s exactly where ContentERP steps in as your best companion on this journey.
- A Central Hub for Your Content Universe
ContentERP is just like your control room for creating content you love and managing its lifecycle. It brings all aspects of your content strategy together – from planning to publishing. No more scattered spreadsheets or unclear communication for you and your team.
- Streamlining Creation and Collaboration
Remember when we talked about the art of content creation and team management? ContentERP makes them easy peasy. It helps you manage your team of creators, assign them any tasks, and track their progress in real-time – simply and efficiently.
- Keeping Pace with Analytics and Reporting
ContentERP also has analytics and reporting tools that give you insights into how your team is performing and what your financial picture looks like. Get a clear, concise report on your desk every morning.
- The Cherry on Top: Time Management
And let’s not forget the all-important aspect of time management. ContentERP has top-class features, the Chrome Extension Time Tracker for instance, that help you and your team manage time efficiently. This is how you can make sure that every minute your team spends will contribute towards meeting your content goals.
Conclusion
Phewww..feels like we’ve been on quite the journey in this article, right? We’ve talked a lot about your skills, the challenges you might face and even took a brief look at the responsibilities and qualifications of a digital content manager.
Each skill we’ve gone through in detail – from understanding your audience to leading your team –improves your role and makes you the best in your role.
As a digital content manager, you act like a top-level chef in a big digital kitchen. You’ve got all your ingredients right there on your table – SEO, social media, analytics, etc – and now it’s up to you to mix them into a recipe that delights and satisfies your audience.
So, make sure that you keep improving these skills and kickstart your journey as a digital content manager in the digital world with ContentERP. After all, every day will be a new adventure in the world of content.