Social media has come a long way since Myspace and its infamous Top Eight. What started as a way for friends to connect has evolved into one of the most important ways companies can build their businesses. So, while the job title, “social media marketing manager,” is a relatively new one, the work that these professionals do has a profound impact on an organization’s success.
Here is what you need to know to propel your career in this space.
WHAT DO SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING MANAGERS DO?
Social media marketing managers in the creative, marketing, digital, fashion, beauty, and retail sectors must use a wide range of skills to help create engaging social content with the goal of converting as many followers as possible into loyal customers or clients.
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So how do they do that? This can vary from company to company, but many social media marketing managers' key responsibilities will include creating content for multiple platforms, monitoring social analytics to track success, scheduling social posts, finding relevant curated content to share across platforms, developing and maintaining a content calendar and engaging with the audience.
In addition to these responsibilities, social media marketing managers will often need to collaborate with marketing and creative teams to produce assets, manage influencer relationships, strategize, create, execute, and measure the return on investment (ROI) of campaign launches for brand promotions. Social media marketing managers will also typically work closely with content managers, copywriters, editors, and other key stakeholders to make sure brand messaging is consistent throughout campaigns.
WHAT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE DO SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING MANAGERS NEED?
Social media expertise: Advanced understanding and experience using a variety of social media channels are critical for social media marketing managers. While not all companies will use the same platforms, being able to discern which platform works best for specific types of content is critical when developing a strategy.
For example, in some cases, Facebook and LinkedIn can be good for building community, while Twitter might work better for promoting certain pieces of content, and platforms like Instagram and TikTok may work well for influencer marketing.
Writing and editing: While some social media marketing managers may have a designated content person or copywriter to handle social media copy, you are in charge of developing your brand’s voice on social. And just like different kinds of content work for different platforms, the way you write should cater to each specific platform. Where LinkedIn may require a more professional tone, Instagram can typically be a little lighter.
Analytics and data interpretation: Understanding what drives conversions and engagements, tracking performance and trends, and knowing what works and what doesn’t will be foundational to strategy. While many social media platforms have an insights tab for businesses to track success, there are also third-party tools that can be helpful, including Google Analytics, CrowdTangle, Sprout Social, HubSpot, BuzzSumo, and TapInfluence just to name a few.
Organization and planning: Social media marketing managers should have keen organization and planning skills. This is where a well-developed content calendar will come in handy as you map out promotions and associated social content. Outside of general company promotions, you might want to consider adding in branded promotional content for special daily and monthly observances and holidays such as National Hispanic Heritage Month, LGBTQ History Month, Women’s Equality Day, and Juneteenth just to name a few. Hootsuite, Social News Desk, and Buffer are just a handful of third-party systems that can help you schedule content on multiple platforms.
Agility: Perhaps one of the most important skills a social media marketing manager must possess is the ability to be agile. While social media can be a great way to market your business, these platforms are constantly evolving. What is popular today, might be dated a month from now. And algorithms have a tricky way of changing as soon as you feel like you’ve figured them out. So, the ability to quickly pivot and adjust your strategy is a must in this field.
WHAT ARE HIRING MANAGERS LOOKING FOR?
In addition to the skills and experience mentioned above, those hiring for social media marketing jobs will likely want to know about previous social promotions you’ve worked on and how you approach developing social marketing strategy.
Some interview questions you might want to prepare for are:
Describe some lessons learned from previous social promotions, both from those that were successful and those that were less so.
What brands do you follow for inspiration on social media strategy? Who do you think is doing it right?
How would you change our current social strategy? What platforms do you think would work best for our messaging?
HOW 24 SEVEN CAN HELP?
Whether you’re looking to pivot your career to social media or expand on your current career within the industry, the specialized recruiters at 24 Seven can help you land your dream job. 24 Seven recruiters are tapped into a wide network of organizations in the creative, marketing, beauty, fashion, and retail industry. So, if you’re ready to propel your career as a social media marketing manager, browse our open social media jobs and contact one of our recruiters today!
This post was updated on September 20, 2022.
