Stepping into the shoes of a social media manager means embarking on a journey of creativity, strategy, and adaptability. From crafting compelling content to analysing performance metrics, here’s a glimpse into the daily tasks that make up the role of a social media manager.
1. Content Creation and Scheduling:
The day kicks off with content creation. Whether it’s designing eye-catching graphics, writing engaging captions, or curating shareable content, the goal is to keep the social media feeds vibrant and aligned with the brand’s identity. Creating content calendars, and scheduling is important to ensure consistency of branded content to help engage audiences.
2. Engagement and Community Building:
Engaging with the audience is a continuous effort. Responding to comments, messages, and mentions creates a sense of community. Social media managers actively foster relationships and build a loyal following and this leans heavily into the Community Management role.
3. Strategy Development:
Strategic thinking is a cornerstone of the role. Social media managers plan and develop content calendars, aligning posts with broader marketing objectives and ensuring a cohesive narrative across platforms. They also create social campaigns for specific products, holidays, or launches to encourage movement through the marketing funnel, and align with wider business objectives.
4. Analytics and Reporting:
Analysing data provides insights for informed decision-making. Social media managers regularly review analytics, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the success of campaigns and identify areas for improvement. Being able to understand what is working on your channel (or not working) helps you to adapt your strategy to see more success.
5. Paid Advertising Management:
Executing and optimising paid advertising campaigns. This involves creating targeted ads, setting budgets, and monitoring performance to maximise reach and engagement within specified demographics. This task doesn’t always fall under the social media managers remit, but having a basic understanding of how it works is always helpful when you’re looking to grow or change roles.
6. Trend Monitoring:
Staying abreast of industry trends and platform updates. Social media managers keep a watchful eye on emerging trends, ensuring that content remains current, relevant, and aligned with the preferences of the target audience. Platforms are constantly changing and adapting to user needs, and so SM managers need to also keep up.
7. Crisis Management:
Being prepared for crisis situations. Social media managers are equipped to handle negative feedback, address controversies, and maintain a positive brand image during challenging moments.
8. Collaboration and Cross-Promotion:
Building partnerships and collaborations. Social media managers identify opportunities for cross-promotion, engaging with influencers or other brands to broaden reach and enhance the brand’s visibility.
9. Audience Research:
Understanding the audience’s preferences and behaviors. Social media managers continuously conduct audience research to tailor content, ensuring it resonates with the target demographic. Finding out what your audience likes and dislikes, will always help you re-organise your strategy.
10. Platform Optimisation:
Optimising profiles for each platform. From crafting an appealing bio to selecting the right hashtags, social media managers ensure that the brand’s presence is optimised for maximum visibility and engagement.
11. Creative Campaign Development:
Conceptualising and implementing creative campaigns. Social media managers design and execute campaigns that captivate the audience, often incorporating hashtags, challenges, or interactive elements. Campaigns often differ in size or scope depending on industry or company, but they’ll always need to be strategic and often have many stakeholders involved.
12. Reporting and Reflection:
Wrapping up the day with reflection. Social media managers review the day’s performance, reflecting on what worked well and what can be improved. This informs adjustments and refinements for future strategies.
Being a social media manager is a dynamic and multifaceted role that requires a combination of creativity, strategy, and adaptability. From daily content creation to strategic planning and crisis management, each task contributes to the overarching goal of building a strong, engaged online presence for the brand. It’s a journey that involves continuous learning, staying attuned to industry trends, and navigating the ever-evolving landscape of digital communication.