POV: You’re sitting at a family BBQ, talking to your second cousin’s college boyfriend, when he asks what you do for a living.
You take a gulp, tell them you’re a social media manager, and brace yourself for the inevitable and always-expected response – “So, you just scroll social media all day, right?”.
You silently count to ten and almost respond with your best smart ass comeback before saying, “Nope! Social media management is so much more than that! Let me tell you about it.”.
Let’s Squash the Rumor Mill
Social media management is a learned skill that requires more effort than those Saturday nights spent on the couch watching reels.
I’m exposing common misconceptions because, trust me, it’s a lot more in-depth than liking posts and responding to comments.
The Myth: We post random content.
Listen, I think I speak for every social media manager when I say I’d love to post compilations of funny cat videos all day. But random content doesn’t make our clients money.
The Truth: We create high-performing, strategy-based content.
Social media managers collect data, plan content, and create posts based on what their audience wants to see and needs to know. Every piece of content has a purpose and a unique conversion goal. If you do see us posting cat videos, know that there’s a method to the madness.
The Myth: We “like” posts all day.
Sure, engagement is part of the job description, but it’s not as mindless as it seems.
The Truth: We create, follow, and re-create engagement strategies.
If we’re liking posts, it’s because we’re responding to activity on our clients’ accounts or building relationships with ideal clients.
The Myth: Social media management is easy.
That’s far from the truth! Social media practices and trends are always changing. The minute
you think you’ve learned something, the industry pivots!
The Truth: We’re constantly sharpening our skills.
We breathe, eat, and sleep all things social media! #smmlife is a whirlwind of coming up with creative ideas, reviewing analytics, providing customer service, and learning, learning, learning! It’s not easy, but it is a fun and rewarding career! Especially when that reel you spent an hour making goes viral!
So, Here’s the Real Scoop on What Social Media Managers Do.
Now that you know our days aren’t filled with doom-scroll seshs, here’s what we actually do.
Strategy & Planning
Effective social media management is strategic and involves more than just throwing content at the wall to see what sticks! Here’s a peek behind the curtain in the strategy and planning department.
Define goals and target audience.
We need to understand WHO we’re talking to and WHAT we want them to do. This way, we can build content that drives the right people to take the right action!
Create an intention content calendar.
We meticulously plan content weeks, or even months, in advance to make sure we are posting consistently. Planning content ahead of time helps us hit all of the must-have marketing points for the best results!
Track trends and pay attention to competitors.
Content needs to be relevant to work! You can find us keeping up with the trends and checking in with competitive accounts to stay ahead of the curve. And yes, sometimes we have to convince our clients to dance for their reels.
Content Creation & Curation
Write engaging captions and create scroll-stopping visuals. Ever spent an hour perfecting a caption? Or felt the frustration when a Canva graphic isn’t just right? It happens to us sometimes, too! And that’s because every single word and image we create needs to spark inspiration and action!
Schedule posts on account follower’s timeline. Account analytics and timing are a match made in successful content heaven. We use insights to determine when audiences are active and schedule posts to optimize reach and engagement.
Create high-quality content that stands out. Audiences scroll right past crappy content. Sorry, it’s true. Social media managers work endlessly to create and edit videos and graphics so they reflect professional quality.
Community Management (sub-heading)
Social media management isn’t just about creating aesthetically pleasing feeds or running numbers.
You also have to be social – because, ya know, it’s social media. Connecting with followers and building a sense of community is part of the game!
Respond to comments and messages quickly. We know you can’t just hit ‘post’ and then ghost the audience. We are there to answer any questions, address concerns, and spark conversations.
Build authentic relationships. It’s critical to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where followers feel valued and heard. We engage with followers to build real relationships, which, in turn, boosts sales!
Monitor brand mentions and sentiment. We check notifications throughout the day to see if our accounts are being mentioned or tagged. We stay on top of this so we can respond in real-time. And yes, we have several alarms set throughout the day so we don’t forget!
Analytics & Reporting
Watch key metrics. Metrics are like social media manager magic. They tell us what’s working and what needs to change. We live by key metrics such as engagement and follower growth!
Analyze data to optimize performance. The numbers tell us everything we need to know so we can get the best results for our clients. We’re constantly shifting gears based on what the insights tell us.
Generate reports to show clients that social media management is worth it! Clients need to know that their investment with us is paying off. We send them reports every month to prove we know what we’re doing. Although, their bank account tells them that, too!
The Unsung Heroes: Skills & Tools of the Trade
Besides being a boss at numbers and a total creative genius, there are other skills that successful social media managers have. Remember when I said this gig was about more than just scrolling? Do you believe me now?
You’ll want to have these skills, too.
- Copywriting and storytelling so you can create compelling captions that speak directly to the heart of ideal clients.
- Graphic design and video editing skills so you can create eye-catching images and visuals.
- Data analysis and interpretation strengths so you can make sense of the numbers and leverage them to work!
- Communication and people skills so you can build relationships with followers and your clients!
And the icing on the social cake. . . the tools.
Are you tired yet?! Me too!
The good news is that there are tools that help social media managers save so much time!
There are non-negotiable platforms that help us schedule content in advance, analyze insights, edit videos, and help us get the job done efficiently and effectively.
The next time someone tries to dismiss social media management as an easy way to make money, tell them this: It’s a demanding career that requires a wide range of skills to create successful content for clients who are raving fans!
Need help with your social media game?
Book a call with Creative Gravity! Our full social media services will help you grow your brand without any heavy lifting.
