What does a Social Media Manager do?
Social Media Managers are responsible for boosting the visibility of an organisation’s online presence and cultivating improved customer engagement. These professionals need to work closely with other departments and teams, including the marketing, sales and public relations teams. In larger companies, social media management is typically a distinct role. Social Media Managers may be expected to take on marketing and communications tasks as well, when working for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Social Media Manager skills and qualifications
A successful Social Media Managers needs a wide range of various prerequisite skills and qualifications that include sales, management, strategic thinking, teamwork and creativity. Although this is not a comprehensive list, these professionals need the following skills:
- Extensive experience in working with various social media platforms
- Great communication skills in order to liaise with multiple stakeholders, creatives and departments
- Strong leadership to successfully manage a team
- Good networking skills to form relationships with influencers and other key players
- An ability to multitask and perform under pressure
- Sound knowledge of the English language
- The ability to think strategically and creatively
- Solid knowledge of computers and relevant operating systems and software programs
- A sound understanding of SEO, web traffic metrics and keyword search
Social Media Manager experience requirements
A Social Media Managers role covers various skill sets. They typically need to prove their experience in a range of fields and skills. This can include proven experience in delivering successful social media campaigns, working with a range of social tools, conducting audience and buyer persona research, managing projects and working closely with various departments and teams. Social Media Managers may also be required to have at least one to two years of experience working as a Social Media Executive or Assistant.
Social Media Manager education and training requirements
Although there are no fixed education and training requirements for Social Media Managers, many of these professionals have degrees in related fields, such as marketing, media and communications and business management. Increasingly, universities in the U.K. are also introducing Bachelor Degrees in Social Media Management and Marketing, and various post-graduate courses are also available in the field. Candidates may also choose to complete a qualification through a professional body, such as the Institute of Data and Marketing or The Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Social Media Manager salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Social Media Manager is £31,079 per year and Senior Social Media Managers can expect to earn around £43,030 per year. These estimates will vary depending on the location, work environment and level of experience.
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