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Doing the Web Stuff So You Don't Have To: Who Am I?

  • Content manager? Social media consultant? Help me find this job title, so I can (most efficiently) learn more about this job. You own a small business. You have a website, but you know it probably sucks. Social media, forget about it--you're way too busy to keep up, let alone maintain your business's presence in that arena. I'm the "bridge" between you/your staff and the web world, a one-stop contract/freelance person who keeps up with the internets so you don't have to, and makes sure you're on it, in the best places, in the best format. I am not, per se, a web developer/designer, copywriter, or marketing/pr/advertising consultant, although all of those roles come into play. I maintain a relationship with you that allows me to coordinate content--on your (now newly designed, thanks to the new designer I hooked you up with) website, blog, social media sites, etc. I help you strategize about things you can do that I can create content from--events, news, etc., and make the best choices about the services attached to your web presence (good designers, best bulk e-mail companies, etc.). I'm just familiar enough with web programming, graphic design, and marketing/pr to be good (I think) at this niche, but not experienced enough in any of them to do them exclusively. What I can't do, I subcontract out, which means I also maintain a network of talented people to whom I can refer. "Freelance content manager," "social media consultant," and "internet marketing strategist" all return decent hits on Google, but I want to make sure I'm not missing something. Is there a more specific term for this kind of thing? Any decent resources out there for somebody who wants to break in? Bonus points if you do this job, and can offer some tips.

  • Answer:

    If you're "just familiar enough ... to be good" chances are you are not good enough. I wouldn't want to hire someone "just familiar enough". The OP sounds a bit like my bucket o' skilz, so I'm following this with interest. I think he's saying (of course, he can speak for himself) that he's not an advanced coder, but that he understands web sites and their architecture well enough to speak intelligently with a user about what code he needs, and to speak intelligently to a coder about the client's requirements. I think this is a legit area of expertise, especially since most coders would rather have burning bamboo shoved under their fingernails than to talk to clients who don't understand coding at all, and most would-be clients don't know what they want or what it's going to look like when they get there.

Rykey at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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If you're "just familiar enough ... to be good" chances are you are not good enough. I wouldn't want to hire someone "just familiar enough".

Brian Puccio

Most business are just going to think of you as "the web guy." Although that may not work well as a title! And really, the title isn't going to matter much. You aren't going to build your business on incoming SEOed web leads, you will build your business getting out and meeting small business owners. Pick a title and go with. Much more important to your success will be your ability to make a compelling pitch for your services in about 20 seconds, and then follow up that initial interest with some penetrating questions that will cause the small business owner to realize he needs your services. If you can't do that 2nd part, your title is likely to end up as barista ;)

COD

Great suggestions so far, thanks! If you're "just familiar enough ... to be good" chances are you are not good enough. I wouldn't want to hire someone "just familiar enough". I'd be a little more savvy than to make that part of my pitch :-)

Rykey

I do this a few hours per week. The company I work for calls me their "Social Media Guru." I like "Digital Content Strategist."

sabh

I'm seeing "digital" as a common buzzword in these kinds of roles, for example: Digital Communications (or Content) Strategist. I think it's important to indicate that you are talking about the online/web-based/digital world. (FWIW I'm a "Senior Manager, Online Communities", but I'm not in the freelance/consulting world and I focus primarily on blogs and social media. We have other marketing and PR staff for copywriting and traditional PR, as well as web designers/developers for web site stuff.)

misskaz

I think web strategist, because it seems like everyone is calling themselves a social media consultant. When my org was thinking of doing more through its online presence, the sister of our accountant came in (she works at a PR firm that does social media), and she didn't know anything about web development or content management platforms or HTML or web design, just FB, Twitter, and stuff like that. Her title at her real job was Social Media Associate or Analyst and she was supposed to be a pro bono consultant to our nonprofit.

anniecat

Digital Marketing Strategist

blazingunicorn

Similar job category here and my current title means nothing. So...resume can say 'content manager', 'content strategist/web strategist', or even "internet producer" because there are a lot of PMing to my job. In the past it was primarily copywriting but as the position evolved--actual contact with clients/vendors more and more PM came into play so it's a 50% copywriting/strategy and 50% vendor management/project management.

stormpooper

I could have asked this same question. I'm trying to figure out how to go about this in my small community. I like "Website Manager" as a title. :)

luckynerd

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