Social Media Managers: What Exactly Is Their Job?

Social media manager job description mainly involves the management and use of social networks to promote products and services. Good social media managers are therefore expected to be well versed with various social networks and tools.

Primary Responsibilities

• Regularly surfs the internet and for news and relevant articles to share with the customers thus keeping them updated and engaged 
• Good social media managers run accounts through daily (relevant) updates
• Monitors social trends using various social media tools to ensure that the right customer is reached as well understanding what the competitor is up to 
• Manages other staff (especially in the marketing department)  in the spirit of teamwork and to improve service delivery in the company  
• Social media manager job description requires them to promote the use of social media among the members of the organization by educating staff  when necessary
• Designs social media strategies, crafting the objectives and establishing the  best implementation methods to realize the said objectives 
• Comes up with successful social media campaigns by offering freebies and e-coupons to encourage social engagement  on the company’s website  
• Evaluates the implemented campaigns and strategies to ascertain success or carry out changes as prompted 
• Blogs about the company’s products or services (i.e. by writing unique articles) to promote sales. Social media manager may at times outsource article writers
• Uses social networking tools like Google Analytics to understand the nature of site visitors and how effective their social media campaigns are 
• Prepares and submits or presents reports to the company CEO or the board of directors 

Academic Requirements 

• At least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is a must to fully execute the social media manager job description
• A good social media manager should have a Degree in Public Relations, Marketing or Project Management is an added advantage

Experience 

• Must have at least 2 years Social Media Marketing experience
• 2 or more years of experience in Public Relations and Marketing 
• Must be proficient in social media platforms such as Twitter, Google+, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, etc

Skills and Abilities

• Must be  a fast learner and well updated with the latest social media marketing strategies/tools 
• Community Management is part of the social media manager job description 
• Good social media managers must have stronger interpersonal skills 
• Must be patient and capable of handling negative feedback politely 
• Be a brilliant communicator (i.e. a good writer, speaker, listener  with good presentation skills)
• Should have problem-solving skills 
• Should be at ease with rising trends and technology
• Must have a critical mind and be a visionary
• Must be a web designer (i.e. highly creative)
• Social media manager’s job requires strong management, project administration, and organizational skills
• Social media managers should have strategic skills

Working as a social media manager demands extensive experience in public relations, marking and customer support. Though they deal with people via the internet and might not involve physical meeting with the clients, professionalism is a must.

On the other hand, social media manager job description requires diligence and problem sensitivity skills. They must be able to identify non-effective strategies and revise them accordingly. Employers are therefore advised to select good social media managers candidates with vast experience as opposed to concentrating on the academic qualifications alone.