There is more than one kind of marketer out there. While all marketers aim to create customer engagement through various methods of marketing, not all do it in the same way. In fact, depending on the size and scope of your brand, you might need a slightly different kind of marketer. Here, we’re going to compare the typical day in the lives of a marketing manager and a content marketer so you can get an idea of the differences. We’ll cover the tools and techniques used by each type of marketer, the various responsibilities they have, and how each role relates to the other.

What is Marketing Management?

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re probably already familiar with marketing management. If you’re not, it’s time to find out. Marketing management is the branch of marketing that aims to plan and execute marketing campaigns on a grand scale. When it comes to larger businesses, you might want to consider a more specialized role like brand building or marketing planning to handle all of the details. However, for smaller businesses, marketing management is relatively basic. There are only so many hours in the day, and you need to focus on growing your business rather than planning out each campaign.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is essentially marketing through content (e.g., blogs, infographics, videos, etc.). Content marketers usually focus on creating high-quality content that will engage with potential customers. Because content consumption habits have changed, with people seeking instant gratification rather than long-form articles, content marketers must keep up with the ever-changing trends and technologies to ensure their content is relevant and engaging.

Depending on your industry, you might want to consider a specialized role like creative director, strategic content marketer, or content strategist to focus on the creation and curation of marketing content. Like marketing management, content marketing can be relatively basic for small businesses but can grow in scope and complexity as your business grows.

Marketing Managers and Content Marketers: Similarities & Differences

Like many other professional roles, there are some similarities and differences between a marketing manager and a content marketer. To better understand the differences, let’s examine each role. Then, we’ll discuss some of the similarities between the two so you understand what kind of skills and experience each role requires.

Similarities

Both marketing managers and content marketers are salespeople who promote products or services. This involves building relationships with potential customers and helping them find the value and benefits your product or service offers. You can also think of marketing managers as brand managers, as they are primarily responsible for the ‘glue’ that holds a brand together. This includes things like brand strategy and execution, as well as community management. So, there are a lot of similarities between these two roles.

Differences

There are a few key differences between a marketing manager and a content marketer. The first and most obvious one is the scope and scale of each role. A marketing manager is responsible for the overall marketing strategy and execution of a brand. This entails working with other departments within an organization to develop marketing plans and strategies, as well as implementing them. Depending on the size of your organization, this might mean collaborating with sales to develop marketing programs and coordinating with legal to create marketing material (e.g., contracts, disclosures, etc.).

On the other hand, content marketers usually work more independently. They are responsible for creating contentthat will engage and inspire potential customers. Like salespeople, content marketers need to establish strong relationships with customers through quality content so they can convince them to buy your product or service. Additionally, content marketers create content for various platforms and devices, including websites and mobile apps. This means they work remotely, often from home, using online collaboration tools like Slack and Skype to communicate and exchange ideas with co-workers.

Responsibilities

Marketing managers and content marketers have very similar responsibilities, but there are a few key differences. Here are some of the main responsibilities of each role:

• Marketing managers work closely with sales to develop marketing strategies and programs to drive revenue.
• They design marketing campaigns and execute them, incorporating analytics and measurements to determine campaign success.
• They work with community managers to design and implement social media campaigns, attending events and speaking to potential customers as part of their job.
• They work with tech teams to ensure web platforms and software are ready for prime time and can be used to promote your products and services.
• They work with external agencies to get the best results for your advertising dollars, creating marketing plans and documents to approve proposals.
• Content marketers are responsible for creating and distributing compelling content to attract, engage, and convert readers into customers.
• They research the market to determine the best types of content and the platforms upon which they should be distributed (e.g., web, mobile, social media, etc.).
• They create different kinds of content, including blogs, infographics, and videos, and curate and distribute these across various channels (e.g., YouTube, Twitter, etc.)
• They measure the success of their marketing efforts and determine what content worked best and how they can improve for future campaigns.
• They design web pages, blogs, and social media platforms, as well as put together marketing emails and other correspondence.
• They track competitors’ activities and track the success of your campaigns, analyzing results to determine whether or not the strategies were effective.
• They collaborate with other departments within an organization to establish benchmarks, evaluate performance, and determine future strategy.

Depending on your expertise, you might be responsible for one or more of these areas. For example, marketing managers at larger businesses can be responsible for the creation and distribution of marketing material, analytics, and web content. But, at smaller businesses, that might be handled by a content strategist or an in-house creative director.

Which One Should You Be?

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which role you want to pursue. If you’re reading this, you probably already have an idea of what you want to do and which role you’re best suited for. If not, think about what you want to focus on and which area you enjoy most. Then, use that as a basis to decide.

Depending on your experience and what you want to do, you might be able to find the right match between a marketing manager and a content marketer for your needs. Ultimately, it’s not just about what you want to do but about what you’re good at.