Should I look for someone with a traditional newspaper or editorial background who knows how to tell a story in a timely and compelling way?
Should I seek out marketing pros with strong writing skills, who can create on-message content that converts?
Should I look for those who studied business and have a more holistic understanding of branding?
For an inside look at what many marketers are looking for when they hire a content marketing manager, Software Advice analyzed a random sampling of 300 job listings for content marketing managers in the United States. Here are a couple of key findings:
- Degree Requirements
- Nearly two thirds of the listings set a minimum requirement of Bachelor's degree and 12 percent preferred an MBA or MA.
- Marketing was the top requested field of study at 48 percent, followed by Communications and Journalism. Other degrees mentioned include English, business and public relations. Thirty-nine percent of the listings had no preference on the field of study
Professional Experience: Nearly half of listings required at least three to five years of professional experience and many requested six years or more of professional experience.
Screening Options: Only 12 percent of the listings required applicants to provide writing samples or assignments.
Click through the SlideShare for the complete report:
As you can see, the required fields of study are varied and in many cases there's no preference mentioned in the job listing. But more than half of companies required a minimum of three years of professional experience, showing that experience trumps formal study.
There are many different types of degrees and backgrounds that could make a successful content marketing manager, so staying open-minded about degrees and focusing on candidates who demonstrate an aptitude for content is a smart strategy.
Since content marketing requires strong writing and communication skills, the small number of companies that require writing samples certainly surprised us, especially given the flexibility on the field of study. Successful content marketing managers need to understand content creation, so reviewing writing samples or having candidates complete an assignment is a great way to gauge those skills.
Beyond writing ability, a content marketing manager should also understand the brand's voice and be able to articulate the role of content within broader marketing objectives.
Before starting your hiring process, look through our Content Marketing Interview Questions and Content Marketing Traits that are Crucial to Success to ensure you make the right decision.