In the age of the Internet, remote work has become fashionable. Indeed, it is much more convenient, because you don’t need to go to the workplace in crowded vehicles every day or stand in traffic jams in the early morning. Now, for many people, the term "work at home" is skeptical, although the real income from a professional is not less, and sometimes more than the average employee. The profession of content manager appeared as soon as the Internet gained its popularity. At the moment, this type of activity is the most popular among all Internet professions.
The essence of the profession and responsibilities
What does a content manager do? This question arises for everyone who first encounters this concept. The essence of the work of a content manager is to fill out information sites and other Internet resources. In order for the site to be popular and in the top of search engines, the information base should be regularly updated. For this, they hire a person who could do this. In addition to filling with texts, the duties of the content manager include SEO-promotion of the site (that is, search engine promotion). This helps in attracting users and increasing the ranking of the site. The duties also include adding photos and video, audio files, analyzing the interests and needs of the target audience, managing the site and filling in the latest news.
In addition, the duties of the employee include analyzing the information received from other users and visitors of the site, if necessary, searching for authors of articles (on an ongoing basis, if necessary), maintaining statistics on changes per month (number of visits, new information), monitoring users for compliance with the rules of the site, as well as monitoring the accuracy of the information received and its adjustment if necessary.
Representatives of this profession are also called webmasters or site administrators.
What should a content manager know?
In order to occupy this position, an employee must know certain information:
- specifics and subjects of a site;
- use of WEB-technologies taking into account the subject and specifics of the site;
- knowledge of English at a good level (if required by the customer);
- ability to confidently use a computer and the Internet;
- proper use of an HTML editor;
- cultural norms of behavior when communicating with users;
- thorough study of orders, decrees, job descriptions and other regulatory documents related to the work of the content manager;
- knowledge of the legislation on the media, advertising, intellectual property.
Pros and cons of the profession
Each type of activity has its pros and cons. And the work of the content manager is no exception.
Pros:
- no need to be in the office, every day in the early morning to go to the workplace;
- You can adjust the work schedule as it is convenient for you;
- This is a creative work that will help you find yourself, find topics that are most interesting for writing;
- large soil for self-realization;
- sufficiently high wages;
- this type of activity will be in demand for a long time, as the IT sphere is developing dynamically.
This profession has many advantages. It would seem that no cons can change this. But there is one big drawback: this position implies constant work at the computer, which negatively affects the employee’s vision.
What is the difference
Most people who only superficially know the specifics of working in these two specialties mistakenly argue that the work of a content manager and copywriter is one and the same. I want to immediately dispel this myth.
The basis of the work of a copywriter is writing texts that advertise and sell products, or those that introduce the user to a company or firm. And the content manager is engaged in a specific site and a host of other tasks that favorably affect the development of the company's Internet platform.
SMM manager
Along with this profession, another position often pops up - SMM content manager. Often these posts are perceived as a whole. But this is not so at all - the difference is big.
The first and most important difference is that the content manager works on the websites of companies and stores, and the SMM manager works only on social networks.
If we talk about the functions of the employee, they are similar to the above work, but with the addition of a few points:
- moderation of comments under publications;
- analysis of the market and the actions of competitors;
- calculation of budget funds for advertising;
- launching a search for the target audience (targeting) and its interest in the information provided;
- development of a promotion plan;
- sending invitations to a group.
It takes a lot of time to work in this area, especially to find the target audience. Millions of people are registered in social networks, and it’s not an easy task to single out those who are interested in the information provided.
Responsibilities of an SMM Manager
As for the question about the job description of the content manager - the question is flexible. Specific labor instructions will be given by the immediate boss or the company for which the manager works. The skills that an employee should possess may include knowledge of a foreign language (for international companies), knowledge of graphic and video editors at a good level, knowledge of the basics of marketing and the ability to put them into practice, the ability to create a website or its homepage and fill it with information and, naturally , thorough knowledge of everything about the products he promotes.
Do not neglect accuracy in discussing future results. This plays a big role, since if the employee does not have a specific goal and the expected result, then he can independently choose a strategy, which, in his opinion, is the best, and be guided by it. This does not mean that the result will be negative, but it may not be exactly what the customer expects. On this basis, conflict is not excluded. Before starting work, it is necessary to pronounce all the details, then in the future there will be further long-term cooperation.
Pros and cons of the profession
The profession of an SMM manager also has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include:
- Work in demand and prestige in the era of high technology;
- targeting allows you to work only with the target audience;
- work in a social network has a greater sales effect than regular advertising;
- low cost of advertising;
The minus in this profession is also:
- not all customers clearly represent the specifics of the SMM manager, so conflicts can arise.
What to do to become a professional?
For people who are tired of being office plankton, this type of income is the perfect solution. The work of a content manager is an ideal option for a fantasy flight and your own creative implementation. But not every person has sufficient knowledge in working with a computer, all kinds of editors, but knows for sure that he can make the information interesting to everyone. Accordingly, a logical question arises: "Where can I learn and become a content manager from scratch?"
The main priority of this profession is that you can become a manager with any education: both humanitarian and technical. The main thing is to be able to correctly and clearly write, as well as to feel the audience and present information in an interesting way. It is much easier to get used to the work, of course, for people with specialized education: journalists, PR specialists, psychologists, philologists. If it is not possible to get a full education in a higher educational institution, then you should not be upset. There are training courses for the work of a content manager, where they clearly and briefly explain the essence and specifics of the work, show how to use basic auxiliary programs, graphic editors and share ways of creating a site.
If computer knowledge allows you to independently deal with this topic, then you can take time, be patient and yourself to understand the essence of the work. It is worth noting that most successful content managers began work from scratch, without a specialized education, but only with their own efforts penetrated and started working. Of course, you won’t be able to earn golden mountains right away, since it takes a lot of time to find a customer. During the time that you will be searching for a permanent partner, you will gain experience, gain new knowledge and skills, and there will be very little left until the title of “professional”.
How to get started?
After obtaining all the necessary knowledge and skills, it is worth starting a job search. There may be two options:
- job search in web studios, companies, sending out resumes and direct calls;
- work as a copywriter on special exchanges.
The first method is perfect for a graduate who has completed a training course in a specialized specialty. After all, companies and firms only take people with higher education.
The second method is suitable for "self-taught". Getting started as a copywriter will help you quickly get used to the field of remote work, gain basic knowledge in writing articles, their design, understand the terminology used by customers, and find your own topics that will be a pleasure to write on. After gaining your own style and theme, there is sure to be a customer who wants to work with you.
Successful employee
For successful work and career growth, you need to constantly develop and learn new things. A professional in his field must have a flexible mind, be knowledgeable in various topics. In addition, gradually master the work of a translator, editor, programmer and designer. The work of a content manager, reviews about which are mostly only positive, will bring a steady income, and for this, you do not even need to leave home.
Specialists in this field are always in demand, as the field of information technology is developing, and professionals are required everywhere. Judging by the reviews of those who work remotely in this position, it really opens up good prospects. This is an ordinary job that is paid for, but the responsibility is even greater than that of office employees.