What does a social media marketing manager do?
Image via Lisa Says Gah
Did you know that a social media marketing manager, social media coordinator, and a social media manager are all the same thing? Yes!
A social media manager has many names that it can go by like marketing manager, but for the sakes of this blog, we’ll stick to just social media manager.
The job description for a social media marketing manager is quite extensive and varies from company to company. But, the tasks for a social media manager will typically include to monitor, analyze, and predict trends in social media so that they can best strategize their marketing plan. Social media managers can also create and edit content for the social media accounts that they monitor. As a social media manager, you may or may not do all of the responsibilities listed below and that is totally okay! And, there may be some responsibilities that I missed. If you’re a company and becoming a social media manager isn’t your thing, you can read this blog about WHY outsourcing your marketing to a social media marketing manager is a no brainer.
But, if becoming a social media manager is something you’re interested in, keep reading!
Some of the responsibilities and tasks of a social media marketing manager:
social media marketing/content strategy
this is where the social media manager will create the strategy for the platforms they have accounts in and devise a plan that will help them reach their goals
research your target market and competitors
researching your target market and competitors is a crucial step in your content strategy and helps you determine what is working and what is not working
influencer research and outreach
influencer research and outreach allows a social media manager to connect to the best fitting influencers for their brand and/or campaign
managing influencer marketing
keeping your influencer management tasks is so important and can include following up with influencers, receiving media kits, sending out PR packages, etc
collecting influencer content for user generated content
user generated content is one of the main reasons why influencer marketing is so beneficial
deciding what goes in the influencer/pr packages: this is a fun one!
create content to post
content production
the creation of graphics, branded images, blogs
graphic design - use of Photoshop, InDesign, Canva, or any other design software
visual design of the social media platforms - eg the Instagram “grid“
sometimes, even photography or video filming/editing (if the social media manager offers this)
create “Stories” for each relevant platform
content curation
requesting imagery, blogs, and other content from the client
write out the captions with the appropriate hashtags
create a hashtag strategy
having the right hashtags to use can make the world of a difference on how well your post is going to do especially when you want to grow your account
schedule posts on a scheduling platform (saves so much time!)
getting the strategy and content approved by the client/boss
keeping up to date with the current campaigns, events, promotions within the business
staying informed with social media algorithm changes
optimization of each social media platform
making sure the profile and cover photos are all up to date, making sure that the bio and about section are correct/current)
content management
organizing the client’s content (imagery, video, blogs, etc)
community management and customer service
engagement on each social media platform (if your tasks require this)
replying to comments, DMs, etc
copywriting for the website, blogs, within captions, etc
branding
reputation management social listening; gauging brand sentiment on social media
invoicing accounts, if you’re a freelance social media manager
database updating
organizing client imagery, content, resources, documents analysis and reporting and then reporting back to clients
client management
calls, meetings, updates and and all communication with clients
training and upgrading to learn new platforms, features, and changes
sourcing relevant industry content
research on what’s happening in the company’s industry
This is an extensive list. And, if you work for a company or agency, then you will probably have others in your team to help you with all of these tasks. However, if you’re a freelance social media manager, you may do this solo. Keep in mind, though, that you get to write out the deliverables your client gets in their agreement. If your client wants to add another task for you, then you are able to charge them for that, upon discussion.
If you’re a social media marketing manager, DM me on Instagram at @girlsocially and let me know what you do. I’m interested to know what your favorite and least favorite task to do as a social media manager is.
Xoxo,
Gigi
