Social media is an inherent part of consumers' daily lives and brands can no longer leave it out of their marketing strategies. Social media is a space where a large amount of information is found on a daily basis and it also creates new uses and jobs. Social media manager, community manager, marketing manager, brand manager and we could go on with a huge list of "managers". In the digital world there is a position for each function, for example, a community manager does not perform the same tasks as a social media manager.
who is the social media manager?
Before explaining who it is and what they do, imagine the following: an orchestra, the conductor of the orchestra, yes, the one who shakes the sticks. Well, the social media manager is the conductor of the orchestra of a brand in social networks. Its main function is to establish the marketing strategies of a brand. But doesn't the Community Manager do that? No, the community executes them, that is, the community could be the violinist of the orchestra. As you can see, they do not perform the same functions.
what are the tasks of the social media manager?
Basically, their tasks focus on guaranteeing the reputation in the digital world of the company, agency or brand they work for. They also cover the need for companies to manage their image and develop a strategy for their presence on social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc...) and try to influence the virtual communities that are key to the brand. They also create campaign strategies for their company and are alert to detect new trends and their target audiences in order to develop new tools, strategies or propose others if necessary. Another of their functions is to keep an eye on what the competition is doing and observe what they are doing on networks to measure the performance of their communication actions and determine those that can be maintained, those that can be improved and those that definitely need to go.
which companies have a social media manager?
The social media manager is in companies that already have a certain maturity in digital technology. In general, he or she is linked to the main departments of the company, for example, with the communications department or the marketing department. In the case of a smaller or more familiar company, the social media manager is in direct contact with its founder.
The 7 tasks of a social media manager
A social media manager must manage information quickly and efficiently and must not forget that his or her main mission is to optimise the brand's presence on social networks. That is why we present below the 7 tasks of a social media manager:
Conduct market research
This is the first task that must be carried out. It is done through a series of research on the competition, customers, demand, supply, characteristics of the environment, distribution channels, places where the product is sold, advertising, promotion, prices, etc. It should focus on finding out what consumers want, where they are, which networks they use most, what type of content they prefer. Thanks to the results of this research, it will be possible to draw up the ideal social media plan for the brand.
Define a specific communication strategy for social networks:
Another of the tasks of a social media manager is to define the social media strategy to be adopted, in coordination with the marketing strategy. The main objective of making a communication strategy is that your target audience not only understands what your brand sells, but that they understand what it represents. It is important that your strategy conveys what you are and what you want to show, do not focus on just selling the product, if people understand who you are they will have a positive perception of your brand and sales will come by themselves.
Animation and interaction with different communities
customers, fans, followers, internet users... they are all part of your community and deserve your attention. An interaction is any action that a user performs in order to actively communicate with your brand on social networks. A comment, sharing posts, a like, a retweet, etc... are interactions. The interaction or engagement rate can be modified by considering only the followers, the reach and even giving different values to the different possible interactions. Don't forget that you create the metrics and you can adapt them according to the needs of your brand.- Content creation
If you want your content to generate an impact on your consumers, you have to adapt it to the social networks where your brand is present. A text cannot be the same for all your networks, as not all networks have the same objectives, so be careful with that! Also, do not forget that audiovisual content is currently being more valued by algorithms than photos. So do not leave it aside to promote and exploit the image of your brand by creating a corporate video. One of the tasks of a social media manager is also to design the presence of the brand in networks by planning what will be done, how, when and for what.
- Optimise the company's visibility on the networks and select the social platforms
Not all brands need to be present on all social networks. This depends on the objectives set out in the marketing plan. It is not necessary to have a presence on all networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat or Pinterest at the beginning. Take it easy, start slowly and remember that the presence of your brand on networks must also be adapted to the company's strategy. Identify who you want to reach and on which networks they move more frequently. Do not waste time working on all existing networks, segment your target audience and identify which networks they are on.
- Manage the budget and measure performance
Remember that one of the tasks of a social media manager is to correctly distribute the budget allocated between the different activities that are carried out and also to ensure its proper use. When carrying out campaigns or different marketing actions, you can analyse which have worked and which have not. In this way, you will know where to allocate more budget. Remember that data is the key to success, everything is measurable in networks. So use web analytics tools (Google Analytics, Hootsuite, etc.) and make the most of the budget in marketing actions that bring you good results.
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Managing information quickly and effectively during a crisis
Well, another of the tasks of a social media manager is to prepare a contingency plan in the event of an online reputation crisis and, in this case, he or she must actively collaborate in its resolution and make the right decisions. The more well-known and important a brand is, the more attention must be paid to those negative messages that are spread on the networks, as the consequences can be worse in the long and medium term.
The social media manager is an expert in the digital world, passionate about interacting and analysing consumer buying behaviour. They are the perfect combination of analysis and creativity, which means they know about content, advertising, affiliation, CRM, data, etc. They combine the skills of an excellent communicator and those of a technician capable of understanding the different tools and their evolution. Another of the characteristics of the social media manager is a perfect command of English, especially if they work in international environments.
Now that you know a little more about a social media manager, would you like to become one?
