What functions does a social media manager fulfill?
Social networks are an increasingly important medium for companies around the world, as they are not only a massive environment through which they can reach a large audience, but they can also use these channels to create links with the audience and build loyalty . On the other hand, knowing social networks and how they work can help organizations tackle online reputation crises very effectively. And who is in charge of all this? Well… the social media manager !
What does a social media manager do?
A social network administrator , also called Social Media Manager , is a professional in the field of online marketing who is an expert in social networks and who knows how to use them to advertise the company he works for through the application of different marketing strategies. Therefore, he must know perfectly the business environment in which the organization operates as well as the necessary programming and management tools to be able to translate his strategic vision.
In other words, a social network administrator deals with the following issues on a day-to-day basis:
Carry out market research to find out what network the company's potential audience is on, what interests them and how they communicate with each other in order to create attractive content that attracts the audience.
Allocate a budget to the organization's social media strategy and monitor its spending , with particular emphasis on ROI or return on investment.
Select the social networks in which the brand will have a presence.
Design and plan the marketing strategy of a brand or an organization in social networks and provide it with a social and strategic approach.
Define the SMART objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and limited in time) that the organization wants to achieve with its network actions.
Monitor the metrics and interpret them to keep track of the objectives that have been proposed to see if the strategy works or if it is necessary to modify it.
Benchmark your competitors to find areas for improvement and adapt strategies to improve results.
Supervise the task of the Community Manager to verify that it follows the defined strategy.
Design a contingency plan that can be implemented immediately if an online reputation crisis occurs.
What tasks does a social media manager not perform?
A social network administrator is, as you can see, an expert in the field of communication and social networks, and that is why his figure is often confused with that of the Community Manager . However, his functions are very different, since the administrator is not in charge of creating the brand's online community, nor does he publish content or engage in conversations or interactions with his followers: that is the CM's task. In short, the manager is the one who designs the strategy, and the CM, who applies it.
Another difference is that the Community Manager must listen to what the audience says about the company and establish bilateral conversations, while the social network manager only transmits what the company wants to say to the public . On the other hand, the CM is in charge of establishing direct links with his followers, while the administrator must establish relationships with other companies. (ads manager)
In other words, in the company's hierarchy, the social network administrator is the superior of the CM, although both must work side by side so that the organization's network strategy comes to fruition.
Now that you know the figure of the social network administrator, do you dare to delve into this profile? Who knows, maybe this will end up being your career path!