All companies have a marketing plan. A way to cultivate leads and sales, to promote the goals of a business, develop brand awareness, all that good stuff. Well, the Social Media Manager will implement the business’s social media marketing plan. You know, web presence, tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram pictures and all the buzzy new software applications we just don’t know about yet.
The job of a Social Media Manager is to be in the know. They are hired because they have a motivation and passion for designing and creating content, blogging, building or sustaining online communities. They essentially lead the company in these efforts because they truly see the value in participating within these digital social networks from a business perspective.
Education
Entry level into a Social Media Manager position requires both a marketing background as well as a strong knowledge of computer science. A BS in either should be appropriate and a heavy coursework in the other should suffice. An Associate’s degree may even be acceptable for entry-level positions if you have coursework in the appropriate business and computer classes.
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As a Social Media Manager you will need to be versed in the following:
- Social Media ROI
- Advertising
- Marketing
- Technical Writing and language skills
- Digital publishing
- Expertise in all current social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Digg, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
Job Expectations
You will live and breath the Internet. Be prepared to spend hours logged on, targeting an audience that fits your company’s needs. You need to become a story-teller to this audience; an analytical mind and amazing communication skills is a must. Of course empathy is also a must-have, customers will voice their concerns for your companies products and /or services and you will need to address them. Empathy helps humanize the organization and managers who have that skill can greatly increase a company’s positive reputation.
Plus, the internet works quickly; this isn’t the Mad Men days, when a marketing plan was pored over and refined like your first novel. You have to be quick to react, be able to analyze instantly when a tactic isn’t working, and keep your campaigns flexible and agile. People get bored quickly too; this is the ADHD age, so keep moving.
Common duties:
- Measure and analyze data and report
- Manage all online published content for company (words and pictures)
- Oversee design on all social platforms
- Develop community
- Monitor, listen and respond to users
- Create promotions and ad campaigns
- A social Media Manager is the online voice for a company, you need to be appropriate when engaging in dialogue and maintain a positive presence that your company most likely wants to convey.
Outlook
According to the Payscale.com, a Social Media Manager’s average salary is $45,260 per year. Skills that will increase the pay for this job most are Strategic Marketing and Web Analytics, you will see much higher salaries for Social Media Managers that specialize in those particular Computer Science fields.
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