Social Media Managers: what do they do?
Communication has changed a lot since the advent of social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest, and so has the way companies go about marketing and communicating their brand image. These days, websites are no longer enough, and it’s vital for companies to have a presence on social media platforms. It’s only by using social media that companies can achieve the visibility they need to create a global brand. Which is why numerous companies have started to employ Social Media Managers, such as large organisations, businesses, publishing groups, VIPs, associations, and even government agencies.
Social media managers take care of a company’s social media accounts. Their task is to achieve the objectives commissioned by their client, which may include more generating profits. A key aspect of their role is to develop a long-term strategy: every action must be aimed at achieving the client’s intended purpose, which may differ from company to company. Social media managers are not just creative people who create catchy posts on Facebook and Twitter in order to increase followers, they are also competent people who can employ their knowledge of web marketing as part of a well-studied strategy.
What does a Social Media Manager actually do?
What does a Social Media Manager do, specifically? They have numerous tasks beyond sharing content on social networks. In fact, some of their tasks involve monitoring, moderating and responding to follower comments on the various pages for which they are responsible. In collaboration with the Digital Marketing Manager, they also initiate and manage partnerships with Social Media Managers from other brands in order to increase results.
Often, Social Media Managers are tasked with creating illustrations and memes for various accounts, finding out what content is likely to get the best results, and effectively implementing strategies in order to grow the customer’s intended audience. In short, Social Media Managers must be able to combine creativity with knowledge of various technologies in order to build a customer’s online community.
What knowledge should a Social Media Manager possess?
Social Media Managers need to possess the following skills:
- excellent knowledge of various social networks
- strategic planning
- community management
- creativity
- good writing skills
- digital marketing knowledge
- analytics
- leadership, negotiation and communication skills
Strategic planning involves understanding the general framework as a whole: it is essentially about understanding how research, content and social media all work together. Social Media Managers need to know how to define goals and to identify a target audience, which is then used to decide on the most appropriate social network for the purpose.
Community management,on the other hand, may seem like a less important job, but it is actually a vital task. Positive or negative page evaluations are based on interactions with users. Social Media Managers must therefore monitor tweets, respond to Facebook posts and engage users. They must also possess enough common sense to be able to respond to trolls and negative feedback in a precise and punctual manner.
Depending on the audience or social network, Social Media Managers need to understand what the most suitable content to post is, as well as the posts with the greatest chance of becoming viral. Being creative and able to write original and engaging texts is another essential requirement for this role, as well as a decent knowledge of digital marketing tactics and the main analytical tools needed to monitor the impact of campaigns and strategies on various social media networks.
Last but not least, they need good leadership and communication skills in order to effectively engage their team.
How much does a Social Media Manager earn?
As with all jobs, it depends on the person’s job title, qualifications, experience (a junior or senior role) and the company itself. Generally speaking, Social Media Managers have a starting salary of about €1,000 a month after tax. The key to earning a decent salary, however, lies in building a decent customer base: the most successful Social Media Managers, those in possession of a solid clientele, tend to earn about €4,000 a month.
BBS offers master’s degrees and courses that can help you to become a Social Media Manager
Bologna Business School has devised a master’s degree and specially-designed course in order to train up dynamic and competent Social Media Managers:
- A Master’s Degree in New Media and Marketing Communication – the perfect way to improve your knowledge of the digital world, embrace the creative side of communication, and acquire analytical marketing tools.
- Digital Marketing and Communication Executive Programme. Thanks to an efficient teaching team, participants will be equipped with a complete understanding of the digital world, as well as activities to be completed both online and offline. By the end of the course, students will be able to assess individual company situations, as well as to identify objectives and devise an appropriate web marketing strategy.
Digital advertising themes are also explored as part of the Digital Marketing and Communication Executive Programme, which teaches students how to marry investment with results. The course is aimed at creatives who have been working with the web for a long time or those who are just starting out. The course is divided into 14 days, split into seven two-day residential sessions on Fridays and Saturdays. The programme includes six teaching modules in total. At the end of the course, participants will have to complete a final project using their acquired knowledge. The Digital Marketing and Communication Executive Programme aims to teach students how to create an effective digital marketing plan, develop a web marketing strategy, create an advertising campaign and measure the success of their implemented strategies.
