Why companies need a content manager

There's usually quite a bit of excitement when companies decide to create their own content. In larger companies, employees tend to get closer as content collaboration neccesitates cross-functional teams; in smaller companies, management seems to re-discover their potential and start thinking bigger — simply by remembering they have a voice in their industry. Unfortunately, I've seen a number of great content strategies fall apart, all because companies didn't have one thing: a dedicated content manager.

Content managers can fulfill many different roles, but in general, they're responsible for making sure content (i.e., blog posts, videos, news releases) is created, optimized, and delivered properly. Below, I'll break down the 5 key reasons why companies need a content manager.

1. They optimize your content

As the weeks and months go by, content optimization is usually the first thing to slip as companies become overwhelmed by the demands of business development and R&D. Content managers act as a final proof check, ensuring content is grammatically correct, properly formatted, and SEO optimized — critical final steps in the content creation process.

2. They lead your content strategy

A designated content manager ensures companies don't deviate (too far) from their content strategy. By having someone that is directly responsible for leading their content strategy, companies can produce more coherent, consistent content.

3. They design your newsletter

There's more to building a successful e-mail newsletter than copy and pasting content into an e-mail marketing provider like Mailchimp or Constant Contact; careful attention must be paid to how the content is designed and formatted so that subscribers have the best reading experience possible. Even after a general layout is established, the dynamic nature of content often requires marketers to make design adjustments to each newsletter they send out — a time-intensive process that is best left to content managers.

4. They manage content delivery

Whether it's a news release, blog post, or promotional video, content managers are responsible for making sure content is disseminated across relevant communication channels (i.e., Medium, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) at the appropriate time. The timing of content delivery is especially important for public companies, given securities law around timely and fair disclosure.

5. They provide insight into analytics

By having an intimate understanding of content analytics data (i.e. impressions, e-mail open rates, average session durations), content managers can provide companies with valuable insight into how their content is performing across different channels. This allows companies to identify new opportunities for organic traffic generation and address potential weak points.

Content managers are a guiding light

In many ways, content creation is freeing for companies. It helps them get discovered, showcase their passion, and express their unique point of view. However, without an in-house or third-party content manager, a company's content creation efforts can lose direction, causing valuable growth opportunities to fall by the wayside.