Social media manager: what he does and what skills he must have

The
Social Media Manager
is the professionist who sets a company’s social strategy, determining how and what to communicate on the various platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, etc.). To do his or her job best, he or she must possess excellent communication skills, a good eye for design, and the ability to understand what content users value most.

What should a social media manager do

The social media manager develops
strategies to increase followers
, creates and oversees social campaigns, produces content, and writes reports and analysis.

To tell the truth, the social media management activities commissioned from the social media manager depend on the size of the company. In larger entities, the SMM defines the strategy and commissions content (video, slideshows, copywriting) from other creators; in smaller entities, content creation is also his or her responsibility. In the latter case, it will also need to have knowledge of content marketing.

The following may be among the
duties of the social media manager
:

• l’
  increase in followers and engagement
  , through the creation of posts that stimulate engagement and invite the user to like, comment or share the content;
• l’
  conception of ADV campaigns
  , in line with the company’s Marketing strategy and geared toward reaching a targeted audience;
• The drafting of an editorial calendar;
• l’data analysis: in addition to doing the creative work, the social media manager must spend several times analyzing data cosìto evaluate the performance of posts. Not only is he required to look at the metrics of an organic or sponsored post, but he must monitor theand also what users write on social media about the company;
• the delivery of the
  reports
  : companies want to know if the social media manager’s work is working, and thus need to see how the professional has allowed followers to grow and engagement to increase;
• Scheduling and publishing content on social pages;
• User interaction and moderation (responses to posts and comments).

The skills required

For
become a social media manager
it is necessary to possess precise skills, both technical and cross-cutting:

• 
  writing
  : To write posts and captions, it is essential to have an excellent knowledge of grammar and spelling, but also good copywriting skills to develop engaging and compelling stories;
• 
  editing
  : overseeing the work of a team, in Social Media Management, also means making sure that posts are correct and error-free;
• in-depth knowledge of
  social platforms
  , their strengths and weaknesses, and also the demographics of typical audiences;
• creativity: Differentiating yourself, especially on social media, is the key to getting noticed. Creativity helps SMMs develop innovative social campaigns and create engaging multimedia content;
• digital and traditional marketing: For a social strategy to benefit a company, it is important that it be consistent with the other marketing tools (traditional and digital) with which it is combined. Knowing them helps put social in a broader context;
• 
  customer-care
  , understood as the ability to listen to and understand the concerns and requests that customers make on social media;
• knowledge of
  analytical tools
  that “listen” to social media, such as Sprout Social or Hootsuite and HubSpot;
• 
  flexibility
  : Social media are dynamic and changing places, where the rules change frequently;
• timeliness: When there is a very strong trend on social media, or a major event occurs, other posts are likely to be blacked out or take a back seat. Keeping abreast of what is going on allows you to review your strategies.

How to Become a Social Media Manager

What you need to study to become a social media manager? Many universities have courses in degree that prepare for the profession: Digital Communication and Social Media, Communication Science or Digital Marketing. However, to work as an SMM, a bachelor’s degree is not essential. It is possible to attend a
course in Social Media Management.
, and then gain experience at agencies or as an assistant to a Senior Social Media Manager.

Where the social media manager works and how much he or she earns

The social media manager can open the
VAT number
and work as a freelancer, managing the social communication of multiple clients, but also be hired by a
web agency
or by a
company
,

The
salary of a social media manager
, in Italy, is about €27,500 per year. However, working for large clients as a freelancer, it is possible to exceed €80,000.

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