With the amount of content on the web, finding the really good stuff can be challenging.
And, when it comes to hiring a content marketing manager, finding the really good ones takes effort and planning. So, what are some of the most important qualities to look for in a content marketing manager? We’ve uncovered some of the top methodologies for finding the best content curator for your company’s needs.
The right candidate will have a blend of hard and soft skills that make him uniquely qualified for the role. As you gear up to hire your next content marketing manager, keep the following traits and skills in mind.
Mastery of the fundamentals
Any candidate you’re considering for your content team should have a solid grasp of the basics, but your content marketing manager should be a master.
- Task management: Skills specifically pertaining to project management are a must-have. Every task has a timeline, so your content marketing manager needs to have his ducks in a row to meet the deadline. In order to see if the candidate can do this effectively, ask him to submit a pre-interview content marketing outline for a sample product and to include projected task timelines.
- Organizational ability: Project management and organizational skills go together like fine wine and chocolate. Just like task management, proper organization skills will keep projects on track.
Content development mastery
As the person who gives the final stamp of approval to content that publicly represents your company, it’s important to hire someone with a practiced eye for detail.
- Copywriting: Your content marketing manager should be able to strategize and develop content that is highly relevant to your target audience. Even if your candidate is unfamiliar with your demographic, he will have the research and copywriting abilities to become quickly caught up to speed and be able to deliver quality content to your niche.
- Copy editing: If he can’t edit, forget it! Content mistakes happen, but shouldn’t. A good content manager is exceedingly focused on detail and has an editorial process to lean on for quality control. Team members will be looking to this person for support, critique, and direction. During the interview, ask how he would handle certain scenarios with team members and if they have past management experience.
A blend of marketing experience
- SEO abilities: Is your candidate SEO savvy? Ask her to audit your existing content for gaps in SEO, and present a practical resolution for fixing errors and optimizing the content.
- Social media marketing experience: An enormous component of content marketing is content distribution. Depending on the size and resources of your organization, your content marketing manager may oversee social media or work in tandem with a community manager or social media team. Her experience should be weighted according to your needs.
- Lead gen capabilities: A competent content marketing manager knows how to generate leads. The right person will be able to create and manage campaigns that attract the right audience and lead to conversions.
Ability to drive long-term growth
- Creativity: The average consumer is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content he is exposed to every day. You can explore your candidate’s portfolio, and ask him about campaigns he’s worked on in the past to discover how he has applied creativity to his work. Even better — ask him how he would develop creative content to support your brand.
- Leadership skills: Because this is a leading role, it’s important that your candidate can communicate effectively with others and work well under pressure. Look for management experience in her work history.
And finally, the best fit for your organization is someone who will thrive within the company’s culture. Decide ahead of time if there is expertise you’re willing to forgo for a candidate who can stay long-term and grow into the role, or if your budget for hiring is flexible enough to attract a content marketing superstar.
And don’t forget — you have the option to work with your potential hire on an initial project before committing to a full-time hire.
Now that you have a “hiring for content” foundation, you’re ready to go! Call in the next contestant.
Do you have any “hiring for content” tips of your own? Share them in the comments below!
