Contrary to popular belief, social media managers do not just sit around and post all day.
Balancing numerous roles while providing customers with a positive experience online is not exactly easy.
There is a strategy and skill that social media managers bring to the job, so when you say one of the five comments below, we’re bound to get a little irritated.
“We should get (insert huge celeb here) to endorse us on social!”
Yep! Because all Social Media Managers have Kendall Jenner’s personal mobile number! Getting an influencer to make a paid post about your brand requires a lot of time (expect a long email chain), creativity and A BUDGET. The right influencer isn’t the biggest celebrity or the person with the most likes or followers, but about engagement and how relevant they are to a brand. When working with an influencer, it is the job of a Social Media Manager to analyse the results to work out if it was actually successful.
“Why can’t I have my intern, child, grandchild etc do that for me?”
As consumers have become bombarded with entertainment and marketing, Social Media Managers understand the importance of valuable content. We are not going to post a pretty picture because our bosses tell us we have to post on Facebook every day. By creating a digital strategy, we know we are sharing a targeted piece of content that our audience actually wants to receive.
“I can do your job, I have many social media accounts!”
Running a personal Instagram is not the same as running a business Instagram! Sure you’re posting, liking and commenting, but social media accounts are an extension of a company. As we living in an ever-changing world, Social Media Managers must stay up to date on the latest news, new social platforms and competitors.
“That’s cute. But what’s your real job?”
Social Media Managers are, most of the time, solely responsible for representing a brand across social channels. We have to listen, respond and engage with customers, when things are going well and unfortunately when things are going not so well.
“Can you help me caption this selfie?”
We’re sure from the outside running an Instagram account looks fun, but it’s a lot of work! We are communicating and establishing relationships based on a complete strategy; this includes copywriting (including nailing tone of voice), content curation, A/B testing, community management and reporting. While we love having our own personal gram, thinking of a witty caption is not the best use of our time.
