What Does a Social Media Manager Do?

In the past two decades, social media has grown to be a global phenomenon. With the rise of social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, businesses have begun to use social media as a key part of their marketing strategies. 

Social media managers are the professionals who run business social media accounts. They create and post content, reply to users, and develop growth strategies, all with the goal of growing brand awareness and sales. 

Social Media Manager Job Description and Responsibilities

Social media managers are responsible for engaging with social media followers, creating content, and developing short-term and long-term strategies to create growth and increased brand awareness. 

In order to successfully build a brand’s presence on social media, a social media manager: 

• Studies Trends: Social media is constantly evolving. Social media management must also evolve. These professionals spend time studying trends online and finding ways to create content for their clients that can respond to these trends. 
• Uses Analytics Tools: Analytics tools offer new insights to social media managers. Managers can see information about how many accounts their content is reaching, how many users are engaging with the company’s brand, and where the most active followers are located around the world. This information is used to inform future content decisions. 
• Engages With Social Media Users: Often on a daily basis, social media managers spend time engaging with a business’s social media followers and other users, often by responding to comments, tagging followers in posts, and direct messaging. 
• Reports Their Findings: As a social media manager develops a company’s online presence, they will report their findings and progress. If they work for a company, they may be a part of a marketing team and work collaboratively with marketers, writers, graphic designers, and other marketing professionals. 

If a social media manager works exclusively for one business, they will be responsible for all of these tasks. If they freelance, they may specialize in specific tasks and focus primarily on providing that service for multiple clients. 

Social Media Manager vs. Influencer

While both spend a great deal of time online, social media managers and influencers are very different. 

Social media managers are responsible for social media accounts that belong to other people and businesses. They are paid for these management services and don’t “star” in content or post as themselves. In contrast, influencers create and star in content themselves. They make money through promotional deals with brands. 

While these two jobs are different, and the source of their income is different, they require some of the same skills such as content creation and user engagement. 

Skills Needed to Become a Social Media Manager

Social media managers need a variety of skills in order to succeed. Some of these skills are acquired through work experience and some are learned via digital marketing degrees and certifications. 

These hard and soft skills help social media managers navigate the ever-changing world of social media. 

Hard Skills

Social media management is a subfield of digital marketing, a profession that has grown exponentially in the last couple of decades. Some hard skills social media managers (and oftentimes digital marketers) need include: 

• Content Creation: Video editing and photo editing are just two of the many technical skills social media managers need to have to create engaging content. 
• Data Analysis: Social media analytics provide a wealth of information, but a social media manager needs to be able to use that data to inform decisions and long-term strategies. 
• Communication: Writing captions and responding to users are important parts of social media. Social media managers should develop their communication skills in order to best connect with others on social media. 

Being trained in these skills allows social media managers to create content that reaches the company’s target audience and leads to business growth. 

Soft Skills

Because social media is constantly changing, many of the soft skills a social media manager needs are meant to help them keep up. Some soft skills social media managers need include: 

• Flexibility: Social media trends change quickly and constantly. Flexibility helps managers to move with these changes and shift their plans accordingly. 
• Creative thinking: Content creation requires a great deal of creativity. Social media managers are handling audio, video, visual, and written content and need to be able to combine these elements in new and exciting ways that will engage users. 
• Time management: Social media never sleeps. Social media managers must be able to manage their tasks effectively and efficiently in order to maintain a good work-life balance. This can be helped by using scheduling apps for posts beyond standard working hours. 

These skills are helpful in many different careers. For social media managers, the ability to adapt to constant change and manage time effectively is central to social media success. 

Education Beneficial to Becoming a Social Media Manager

When applying for social media manager jobs, having the right skills is a plus. These skills can be developed through continuing education and business experience. Some helpful degree paths include: 

• Business: Degrees in business analytics and business administration can offer students valuable insight into the best practices for growing a business. This knowledge can help social media managers make beneficial decisions in their work. 
• Human Resources: Degrees in human resources analytics and human resources management can teach students valuable critical thinking skills, analytical skills, and people skills that are applicable to social media management. 
• Digital Marketing: Digital marketing degrees provide students with foundational knowledge about marketing and how it works in the digital world. This can include website development, content creation, writing, and other helpful skills. 

Holding an advanced degree is not a requirement for becoming a social media manager. However, continuing your education through master’s degrees and certificates can expand your knowledge and expertise in your field. 

Where Do Social Media Managers Work?

Social media managers can work in a variety of settings. Some businesses prefer that social media management happens in-house and will hire a social media manager to handle all aspects of their social media presence. This can include creating content, scheduling posts, analyzing data, and coordinating with influencers.  

Some social media managers work with marketing firms and may handle specific aspects of the social presence of multiple businesses. Finally, there are some social media managers who work on a freelance basis, managing a list of clients independently. 

Salary and Job Outlook for Social Media Managers

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, social media managers and other public relations specialists earn between $37,020 and $124,620 annually, with a median pay of $62,800 as of 2021. This field is expected to grow by 8% between 2021 and 2031, with 27,400 projected job openings each year. 

There are many opportunities currently available in this field, with steady, projected growth over the next decade. Those looking to become social media managers can begin building their knowledge through education and work experience before jumping into this exciting career.