I’m not going to advise you to “choose your career wisely” because there’s “no going back” if you become a content manager or content marketer. You will likely flex during your career from one to the other, and may well become a gardener before the aae of 30, so don’t overthink it!
However, you may want to know the difference between a content manager and a content marketer in order to know what jobs to apply to, what companies to pitch yourself to, and which skills you would like to hone next.
Having been in both of these roles, I’ll draw on my experience to help you choose your path,
Sure thing! Let’s break down the roles of a content manager and a content marketer in a way that's easy to digest.
Roles: What are the different responsibilities of a content manager and a content marketer?
Please don't launch into a hiring or application process without knowing whether content manager or marketer is the description you're after. I once managed a project that was described as content management, but when I was on the job, there was a fair amount of creation involved. For me, this was not a problem per se, I could take on the creation part too, but we had not budgeted the time to be able to create from scratch without a second person.
Did we hire another person to help us? Sort of. There was not enough budget to bring on another full-time person, but we did get access to another team’s designer and hired a freelance copywriter for 10 hours a week to help us create. The above story is why it’s worth knowing which you are, and which you want to work with or as — a content manager or a content marketer.
Content Manager: The Organiser
A content manager is like the project manager of content. Their responsibilities might include:
Strategy development: Crafting the content strategy aligned with the company’s goals.
Content planning: Creating and managing a content calendar to ensure regular and timely content delivery.
Team coordination: Working with writers, designers, and other creatives to ensure content is produced smoothly.
Editing and quality control: Ensuring all content is polished, on-brand, and free of errors.
Content distribution: Making sure content gets published on the right channels at the right times.
Performance tracking: Monitoring content performance and adjusting strategies as needed.
Content Marketer: The Storyteller
A content marketer is more of a creative engine behind the content. Their responsibilities are likely:
Content creation: Writing blog posts, crafting social media updates, creating videos, etc.
Audience engagement: Developing content that engages the target audience and drives interaction.
SEO and keyword strategy: Implementing SEO best practices to boost organic reach.
Campaign management: Running content marketing campaigns to support broader marketing goals.
Analytics: Using data to understand what content works best and how to improve future efforts.
Lead generation: Creating content that attracts and converts leads into customers.
Projects: What projects would a content manager take on versus a content marketer?
Let's make the distinction even clearer by considering the projects you might take on or outsource in either of these roles.
Content manager | Content marketer |
Content audits Reviewing existing content to assess quality, performance, and alignment with goals. | Blog series Writing a series of blog posts on a specific topic to drive traffic and engagement. |
Content calendar Developing a detailed content calendar for the next quarter or year. | Social media campaigns Planning and executing a social media campaign to promote a new product or service. |
Website redesign Overseeing the content aspect of a website redesign, ensuring everything is up to date and optimised. | Email newsletters Crafting an engaging monthly newsletter to keep subscribers informed and engaged. |
Brand voice guidelines Creating a comprehensive guide to maintain a consistent brand voice across all content. | eBooks or whitepapers Producing in-depth content pieces to use as lead magnets for capturing emails and generating leads. |
While a content manager is more about planning, organizing, and managing the workflow, a content marketer is hands-on with creating and promoting the content. Both roles are crucial, and they often overlap, but their primary focus areas help keep the content machine running smoothly and effectively.
Preference: What activities might content manager prefer versus what a content marketer would prefer to do?
One job I love when I’m working as a content marketer is plotting strategy and growing a company’s reach, by reviewing what’s working and what is not. The thrill of A/B testing is fun because you never need to make a tough decision between one copy and a specific design or distribution channel — you can let the audience decide. And that’s much more satisfying to me.
As a content marketer, I relish diving into the nitty-gritty of audience behaviour. Analysing metrics, tweaking campaigns, and experimenting with different content formats to see what resonates most is like solving a puzzle. Writing a compelling blog post or crafting an engaging social media update gives me a creative outlet, and seeing it perform well in terms of likes, shares, and comments is incredibly rewarding. There's something deeply satisfying about knowing your content struck a chord with the audience.
On the other hand, when I've worked as a content manager I'd find joy in the organisational side of things. We thrive on keeping the content machine well-oiled and running smoothly. Planning out a content calendar, coordinating with various team members, and ensuring everything is on track can be very fulfilling. Some of us also enjoy editing and refining content to ensure it’s top-notch before it goes live, maintaining the brand’s voice and quality standards. It’s all about creating a seamless process that leads to consistently great content.
So, while a content marketer might prefer the creative and analytical aspects, like developing content and measuring its impact, a content manager is likely to enjoy the strategic planning and oversight that keeps the whole operation moving forward. Both roles are essential, and some people do like to fill both. That said, I would never advise assuming that a content marketer will fill a content manager's boots automatically, or vice versa. Always check instead!
Salary: Who earns more, a content manager or a content marketer?
The answer will be based on your industry, location, company size, and individual experience of course. However, a content manager might typically earn a bit more than a content marketer, largely because their role often involves strategic oversight, people management, and coordination.
A content manager salary tends to be higher than a marketer's due to the managerial aspect of their role, and people management continues to be the traditional route to greater compensation in most companies. Content managers might oversee content teams or freelancers, manage content strategies, and ensure smooth execution. Content managers in the US might earn anywhere from $60,000 to $130,000 annually.
For a content marketer's salary, whose role is focused on content creation and marketing tactics rather than management, there is a lower range. As an estimate, a content marketer in the US might earn between $50,000 to $85,000 per year. Nonetheless, experienced content marketers or those with specialities like SEO expertise or data analytics can also command higher salaries. Additionally, high-performing content marketers who drive significant revenue through their campaigns are sometimes offered bonuses or higher salaries than their content manager counterparts and I can attest to knowing a content marketer who earns close to $150,000.
There are always exceptions, please note. In some companies, especially smaller ones, the roles might overlap significantly, and the pay difference could be negligible or take the expansive skill requirement into account. Ultimately, both roles are crucial, and compensation is based on specific job responsibilities, individual performance, and market demand.
How can you decide whether to become a content manager or a content marketer?
Know that you need not commit to one role forever. It is often simple to switch from content writer to marketer to content manager and then marketing manager. Moreover, if you express an interest in acquiring skills for the other role, your current employer might be thrilled to expand your projects.
Evaluate your preference on more than economic needs, needless to say (but it is needed, isn't it?) and think about your strengths and preferences above all.
Want to learn more about the content marketing and writing process from an in-house marketer who's also run her own business? I put all my processes and an intro to what to expect in a paperback or Kindle book.
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