The Truth About Being a Social Media Manager – 10 Things Only We Understand

If you have ever been at a party where someone introduced themselves as a social media manager, and everyone was unsure about what they actually do, then you are not alone. The role of a social media manager is often misunderstood, with many people assuming that they simply sit on Twitter all day. However, the truth is that being a social media manager is an extremely challenging job that requires a range of different skills and expertise. Here are 10 things that only people in this profession truly understand:

1. They are skilled marketing professionals – A social media manager is not just someone who writes a few tweets every day. They must develop a social media strategy that fits into a client’s wider campaign, and this requires an integrated approach with different elements of marketing, such as PR, PPC or SEO, to get the best results possible.

2. They know everything about your audience – Social media managers are in a unique position to liaise and interact with a client’s target market, allowing them to learn what makes an audience tick. This helps in creating engaging content for each social media platform, which can be further refined to ensure each part of the client’s audience is targeted.

3. They have a pipeline of topics prepared months in advance – Social media needs a consistent purpose, and social media managers must develop a strategy to boost a client’s online presence. This cannot be done on an ad-hoc basis.

4. They are often fantastic writers – Social media managers must be good writers who can think creatively to squeeze complicated subjects into 140 characters; they must also be savvy bloggers to communicate clearly with customers.

5. They have all the data – Social media managers collect vast amounts of data, which they can use to show a variety of things, such as conversions, the most popular channels, and best times for posting.

6. They are unfortunately prone to epic sugar/caffeine crashes – Social media managers regularly work with tight deadlines, and have to master Google’s algorithm changes, making them prone to epic sugar/caffeine crashes.

7. They never sleep – People don’t stop using the internet outside of working hours, and social media managers have to be active even when asleep, especially if a client’s audience is based halfway around the world.

8. They live, breathe, and get popular culture – social media managers must be well-versed in current affairs to produce content that resonates with their audience.

9. Their industry is often underrated – social media is an essential tool for promoting businesses, but it is often underrated by CEOs who do not understand its importance.

10. They have no idea what the future holds – social media is a rapidly changing industry, and social media managers must adapt their strategies accordingly. This brings new ways to interact with customers, making the industry exciting.

In conclusion, being a social media manager is more than just sitting on Twitter all day. Behind each tweet, post, and campaign, there is a complex strategy that has been developed by a skilled marketing professional. Social media managers are the experts in audience engagement, customer interaction, and data analysis. They are a crucial part of a client’s marketing strategy, and their expertise should be valued more highly than it often is.