What Does a Social Media Manager Do?

Social media is everywhere in today’s culture. From Facebook and Instagram to YouTube and TikTok, people all around the world enjoy creating content on these platforms. Many companies, businesses and individuals have social media accounts connecting them to their audience. This means there is a growing demand for social media managers. 

What Is a Social Media Manager?

A social media manager is someone who manages content on various social media channels. They may run the social media accounts for organizations, companies, businesses or even well-known individuals. Social media managers may perform a variety of duties on a daily basis, depending on who they work for and what type of social media channels they run. Some duties of a social media manager may include:

• Creating Content: Social media managers often create content. Depending on the channel and client, this can take on a variety of forms. For example, some managers may write tweets for Twitter accounts and some may create TikTok videos for a company.
• Running Campaigns: Social media managers may also develop strategies that include planning the messaging and scheduling of posts and reviewing the effectiveness of the messages. For example, a social media manager for a local coffee shop may run a campaign on Instagram and Pinterest showing a variety of different designs that the coffee shop can make to spark interest in their followers to try these drinks.
• Interacting With Communities: Commenting and reacting are a big part of social media today. Some social media managers may interact with their community of followers by responding to comments, reacting or having other interactive elements such as polls or live streams. Others may manage content creators who do this type of responsive posting.
• Analyzing Results: On various social media platforms, some posts may perform better than others. Social media managers may analyze this to see what they can improve in the future. They may ask questions like, Who is interacting with this post? Did this post create a lot of interest? or Did one platform do better than the others?
• Posting and Scheduling: Social media managers may also post and schedule content. What time a post will go live and if it will go live at the same time across all platforms are questions a social media manager has to determine based on social media practices.

What Skills Do Good Social Media Managers Have?

Social media managers need to have a variety of skills in order to complete their daily tasks and make the biggest impact. Some important skills include:

• Copywriting: Social media managers use copywriting to create captions for posts, tweets, headlines and more.
• Understanding of Social Platforms: It is important that social media managers have an understanding of social platforms and current trends. Using tools within each social platform to make content reach a larger audience and serve its purpose is also helpful.
• Creativity: Creativity will help a social media account stand out from the crowd and help them generate interest. Social media managers who are creative can come up with original content and campaigns that people will want to follow.
• Organization: Being organized can be beneficial to social media managers. Understanding the strategy and keeping track of all the content, images, influencers and campaigns across many different social channels is important for a successful campaign.
• Communication: Social media managers need to know how to communicate well. They may communicate with clients or other teams to produce content. Social media managers may also communicate with their market on their platforms.

How to Become a Social Media Manager

Becoming a social media manager takes more than having a social media account. Employers need a social media manager who has a good understanding of what it takes to make their company or organization’s social media account successful. A few things that employers look for in social media managers include:

1. A Bachelor’s Degree

Most jobs in this field require at least a bachelor’s degree. A BA in Social Media prepares students to enter the world of social media. The skills taught in a social media program help demonstrate what students have to offer to employers. A marketing and advertising degree or a degree in advertising and graphic design can also lead to this career. 

2. Experience in Social Media

Gaining experience can also help in the world of social media. Internships or experience in other related jobs is a good way to make a resume more impressive for employers. Depending on the company, the amount of experience that is expected may differ. For example, small companies may hire one person to run all facets of their social media, while larger advertising agencies or corporations may have sizeable departments with many people supporting their content creation. Many college students gain experience volunteering at their church or other nonprofit organizations.

3. A Solid Portfolio

For those in creative careers, a portfolio is a tool to showcase your work, including strategy, copywriting, design, photography and video, so that employers know what you can do. An online portfolio is a basic requirement to be considered for any social media job. Work in a portfolio may be from assignments in college courses, previous jobs or even personal pieces.

If you are interested becoming a social media manager, consider earning your BA in Social Media at Grand Canyon University. To learn more about the College of Fine Arts and Production and the degree programs offered at GCU, click on the Request Info button at the top of your screen.