A social media manager is a person within an organization who is trusted to track, execute, filter, and quantify the involvement of a product, brand, business, or even an entity on social media. As such, this position involves a lot of working parts and technical insight.
These managers create and maintain product ads, business information, and marketing campaigns through multiple social networks for their clients. They also employ either free or expensive software to track data and respond to questions and feedback based on the company’s tone and guidelines.
Often managing four or more platforms, social media managers have to tailor each post to the specific platform it is intended for. Do you feel you possess the necessary skills to be a great social media manager? Continue reading to find out more about this job.
What is Social Media?
Social media refers to websites and apps created to allow people to share content in a fast, effective, and real-time manner. The opportunity to communicate in real-time photos, opinions, and events, has altered the way we live and conduct business.
Social media is a phrase that we are throwing around a lot these days, often to describe what we’re posting on websites and apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Basically, it is comprised of web-based sites that allow people to interact with each other.
Responsibilities and Tasks
Social media managers work to create new content for their businesses daily. They are constantly innovating to push new ideas and formats while measuring how well these ideas work. They work with other creative groups, such as marketing and public relations.
They are also assigned to the legal department, to coordinate campaigns with ongoing company initiatives and execute current marketing campaigns. It is expected that a manager will keep up with new trends and news from the business and industry.
One of the many aspects of social media that every manager should be familiar with and, at least, be good at is creating engaging information. In most cases, you’re the voice behind the social profile. You connect and share new information with followers. You keep tabs on the latest news from the industry and spark discussions and engagement with it.
How to Become a Social Media Manager
Step 1: Be an expert. Knowing your platform is the start of being successful as a social media manager. This means understanding each channel’s most effective use and setting specific goals for each channel. Understanding what doesn’t work is just as important as knowing what does, so be sure to keep a close eye on your campaigns and through testing, maximize your performance.
Step 2: Study your market and your competitors. Being an expert on your own channels means knowing what others are doing in the market, as well as how they are successful. Study and do better. Once you have a job, study your company’s voice to be able to use this as a guide in marketing.
Step 3: Learn the basics of graphic design. While graphic design skills are not a must-have for a position in this field, having them will definitely help you do your job more effectively. In recent years, graphics have become increasingly crucial for engagement.
Average Salary of a Social Media Manager
A bachelor’s degree in public relations, marketing, or a related field can be the first step for every aspiring social media manager. This education will help you learn the technical and theoretical knowledge of marketing. Glassdoor reports that the typical income for social media managers is $47,000 in the U.S.
Conclusion
This kind of management requires a lot of research and experimentation to perfect. For more tips, especially in looking for social media related jobs, click here.
Also read – How to Get Social Media Strategist Jobs Near Home