Web content manager
Web content managers are responsible for the information that goes on an organisation’s website.
Salary Range: £25,000 to £55,000
How to become a web content manager
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
University
You may have an advantage if you do a degree in:
- journalism
- English
- digital media
- marketing
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More information
- equivalent entry requirements
- student finance for fees and living costs
- university courses and entry requirements
College
You could take a college course, which may help you to get a trainee manager’s job. Courses include:
- Level 4 Diploma in Creative and Digital Media
- Level 4 Certificate in Professional Marketing
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, a level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a level 4 or level 5 course
More information
- equivalent entry requirements
- funding advice for higher education courses in college
- search for courses
Apprenticeship
You could do a digital and technology solutions professional degree apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
More information
Work
You may be able to work your way up from a digital content editor role. You’ll find it easier to get work if you’ve got examples of your writing, like articles, blogs or freelance content work.
You’ll also need to show you’ve got experience of:
- managing content team staff
- designing and managing a content strategy
- writing style guides
- assessing content to make sure it meets user needs
- monitoring marketing campaigns like social media and online advertising
- creating guidelines on copyright, privacy and web accessibility
- agile project management
- HTML, markdown, and web content management systems (CMS)
- search engine optimisation (SEO) and web measurement tools like Google Analytics
- building relationships with partners and stakeholders
More information
Further information
You can get more advice on working in web content from:
- Tech Future Careers
- Society for Editors and Proofreaders
- National Council for the Training of Journalists
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to use your initiative
- excellent verbal communication skills
- knowledge of English language
- analytical thinking skills
- the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
- the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day tasks may include:
- using metrics and feedback from users to design and plan content
- researching and writing text for a target audience
- editing and proofreading existing text
- publishing digital content using a CMS
- monitoring and posting replies to online message boards and dealing with email enquiries
- developing new content and editorial guidelines
- attending content planning and commissioning meetings with other departments or clients
- creating and monitoring social media output and feedback
- making sure web pages are picked up by search engines (search engine optimisation)
- reporting on website performance and content popularity
- training new staff to produce and edit content
Working environment
You could work from home, at a client’s business or in an office.
Career path and progression
You could progress into information management, search engine optimisation (SEO), technical web development or wider information planning and policy roles.