Job Profile: Manager, Digital Content

Job Overview

The Manager, Digital Content serves as the primary architect of a cannabis company's brand narrative in a digital ecosystem where traditional advertising is largely prohibited. This position operates at the intersection of creative storytelling, consumer education, and rigorous regulatory compliance. The core challenge is to build a resonant and trustworthy brand while navigating a patchwork of state-specific marketing laws and restrictive platform policies from entities like Meta and Google. The role requires the development and execution of a comprehensive content strategy that demystifies cannabis for new consumers and engages experienced users. Success in this position directly impacts brand recognition, customer loyalty, and market penetration, making it a critical driver of growth for the organization. The Manager transforms legal constraints into creative opportunities, using content to build the owned audiences and digital assets that form the foundation of a defensible, long-term brand presence.

A Day in the Life

The day begins with a systematic review of the digital landscape. The first task involves auditing the company's social media channels, specifically checking for automated content flags or community guideline warnings from the previous night. The manager analyzes engagement metrics on recent posts, noting that an educational article explaining the entourage effect drove significant shares, while a more product-focused post received less interaction. This data informs an immediate adjustment to the content calendar, prioritizing another science-based topic for the following week. This is followed by a cross-check of all scheduled posts for the day against a state-by-state compliance checklist. A post for the Illinois market must have a specific set of five disclaimers, while the same post for the Massachusetts market requires different language. The manager verifies every detail before approving the content for publication.

The focus then shifts to new content creation. The manager joins a virtual meeting with the Head of Cultivation to script a short video series on the unique terpene profile of a newly harvested cultivar. The objective is to communicate the product's aromatic and potential experiential qualities without making prohibited health or effect claims. The conversation centers on finding compliant language, opting for phrases like 'notes of citrus and pine' instead of 'energizing'. The manager drafts a creative brief for the internal design team to create infographics that visually break down a Certificate of Analysis (COA), turning a complex lab report into an easily digestible asset that builds consumer trust and demonstrates a commitment to product transparency.

Midday operations involve strategic planning and cross-functional collaboration. The manager analyzes keyword performance using an SEO tool, discovering a high search volume for 'how to use a dry herb vaporizer'. Recognizing this as a key educational opportunity, a new long-form article is commissioned for the company blog. A work order is submitted to the project management system, assigning the article to a freelance writer and setting review milestones with the compliance team. Following this, the manager meets with the retail marketing team to align on the content strategy for an upcoming dispensary partner event. They strategize on how to promote the event online without violating rules against promoting sales or discounts, focusing instead on the educational aspects, such as a 'meet the grower' session.

The afternoon is dedicated to performance analysis and optimization. The manager dives into the analytics of the latest email newsletter campaign. They analyze open rates, click-through rates, and which content blocks received the most engagement. The data reveals that a segment of the audience in the medical market clicked heavily on articles related to cannabinoid science, while the adult-use segment in another state was more interested in content about consumption methods. This insight leads to the decision to further segment the email list to deliver more personalized and effective content. The day concludes with a final review of the next week’s content calendar, ensuring all digital assets are approved by legal, properly formatted for each channel, and aligned with the overarching brand strategy and business goals.

Core Responsibilities & Operational Impact

The Manager, Digital Content holds accountability for three primary domains that directly influence brand perception and market performance:

1. Compliant Content Strategy & Development

• Strategic Planning: Developing and maintaining a multi-channel content strategy that aligns with brand goals, educates consumers, and drives engagement. This includes creating and managing a detailed editorial calendar for the blog, social media, email, and other digital platforms.
• Regulatory Adherence: Acting as the first line of defense for marketing compliance. This involves mastering the specific advertising regulations for every state in which the company operates and translating them into actionable content guidelines for internal teams and external agencies.
• Copywriting & Voice Development: Authoring and overseeing the creation of clear, compelling, and compliant copy that establishes a consistent and authentic brand voice. This content must educate on complex topics like cannabinoids, terpenes, and consumption methods without making medical claims.

2. Digital Asset Production & Management

• Content Creation Oversight: Managing the end-to-end production of all digital assets, including blog posts, videos, infographics, photography, and social media content. This involves coordinating with designers, videographers, writers, and subject matter experts.
• SEO & Organic Growth: Implementing a robust SEO strategy focused on capturing organic traffic through high-value educational content. This is a critical function to bypass restrictions on paid advertising and build a sustainable marketing channel.
• Digital Asset Management (DAM): Establishing and maintaining a centralized system for organizing, storing, and distributing approved marketing assets, ensuring that only compliant and on-brand materials are used across the organization.

3. Performance Measurement & Problem-Solving

• Analytics & Reporting: Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly analyzing content performance using tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and CRM data. This information is used to generate reports for leadership that demonstrate the ROI of content marketing efforts.
• Strategy Optimization: Using performance data to identify problems and opportunities. This includes A/B testing headlines, optimizing content for higher engagement, and reallocating resources to the channels and topics that deliver the best results.
• Audience Development: Building and nurturing owned media channels, such as email lists and social media communities. This creates a direct line of communication with consumers that is not dependent on restrictive third-party platforms.

Strategic Impact Analysis

The Manager, Digital Content has a direct and measurable impact on critical business outcomes through the strategic deployment of content:

Chain of Command & Key Stakeholders

Reports To: This position typically reports to the Director of Marketing or the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

Similar Roles: In other industries, this role may be called Content Strategist or Digital Marketing Manager. However, the cannabis-specific function is unique due to the extreme emphasis on regulatory compliance and the need to build a brand from the ground up without traditional advertising tools. This role requires a blend of creativity found in a Brand Communications Manager and the analytical, channel-focused mindset of a Digital Performance Manager. It is a hybrid role that demands both right-brain storytelling and left-brain analytical rigor within a legal framework.

Works Closely With: This role functions as a hub, requiring constant communication with the Chief Compliance Officer or legal counsel, the Brand Manager, Product Development Teams, and Sales Leadership.

Technology, Tools & Systems

Mastery of a specific technology stack is essential for efficiency and impact:

• SEO Platforms: High proficiency in tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz to conduct keyword research, track rankings, and identify content gaps for building organic authority.
• Content Management Systems (CMS): Expertise in managing and optimizing content on platforms such as WordPress, Webflow, or headless CMS solutions for publishing articles and managing website assets.
• Analytics & Data Visualization: Advanced use of Google Analytics, Google Data Studio, and social media analytics to track content performance, create dashboards, and derive actionable insights.
• Email Marketing & CRM Platforms: Skill in using systems like HubSpot, Klaviyo, or Mailchimp to segment audiences, build automated email journeys, and nurture direct consumer relationships.
• Social Media Management Tools: Use of platforms like Sprout Social or Agorapulse for scheduling content, monitoring engagement, and managing approval workflows to ensure compliance before publication.

The Ideal Candidate Profile

Transferable Skills

Candidates with backgrounds in other highly regulated industries are uniquely positioned for success:

• Pharmaceuticals / Healthcare: Experience in marketing products with strict FDA regulations regarding health claims provides a direct parallel to the compliance challenges in cannabis.
• Alcohol & Tobacco: Professionals from these sectors understand age-gating, responsible consumption messaging, and navigating state-by-state distribution and marketing laws.
• Financial Services / Insurance: A background in these fields demonstrates an ability to translate complex, jargon-heavy information into clear, trustworthy content while adhering to strict disclosure rules.
• CPG / Wellness: Content leaders from consumer-packaged goods or wellness brands bring expertise in brand storytelling and building consumer communities, which can be adapted to the compliant cannabis framework.

Critical Competencies

The role demands a specific set of professional attributes for high performance:

• Regulatory Acumen: The ability to quickly learn, interpret, and apply complex and often ambiguous legal guidelines to creative marketing content. This requires meticulous attention to detail.
• Creative Problem-Solving: The skill to develop compelling brand narratives and product stories within tight constraints. This is the ability to show, not just tell, without violating rules.
• High Accountability: A strong sense of ownership for the compliance and performance of all published content. This includes the resilience to adapt when platforms change rules or content is rejected.
• Data-Driven Communication: The capacity to use analytics to measure content effectiveness and communicate the value of content marketing to stakeholders across the organization.

Top 3 Influential Entities for the Role

These organizations create the frameworks and rules that directly shape the daily responsibilities of this role:

• State Cannabis Regulatory Agencies: Entities like California's Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) or Massachusetts' Cannabis Control Commission (CCC). These bodies write and enforce the specific rules on marketing, advertising, packaging, and sales promotions, which are the primary legal guide for all content.
• Meta & Google (Platform Policies): The Terms of Service and Advertising Policies of major digital platforms. Their algorithms and content moderation teams act as de facto regulators, and their interpretation of what constitutes a violation directly impacts content strategy, often being more restrictive than state law.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): The federal body that governs truth in advertising. While cannabis is not federally legal, the FTC's guidelines on making unsubstantiated health claims are a critical framework for avoiding federal enforcement actions, particularly for CBD and wellness-focused products.

Acronyms & Terminology