Duties of a Social Media Manager

Social media is not a fad, it is here to stay. Every day, more and more organizations are realizing its value and hiring Social Media Managers to increase brand awareness, to ensure that their marketing is reaching the largest possible audience and for many other reasons. Read on to find out 12 duties of a social media manager.

1. Implements a social media strategy

A social media strategy doesn’t appear out of thin air. It needs to be developed. The social media manager will develop the plan and the parameters for the corporate social media strategy.  They will determine objectives, establish what needs to be accomplished and define how it will be done

2. Manages social media sites

Stale social media accounts can be bad for business and leave customers with the wrong impression. The social media manager will ensure accounts are updated on a daily basis and that messaging is timely and relevant. This also includes using social media tools (i.e., Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, etc.) to schedule tweets to appear overnight and on weekends, to promote the brands to night-owls and clients in different time zones.

3. Engages in dialogue and monitors customer issues

In this day and age it cannot be prevented. People will post both good and bad things about a company online. It is vital to monitor the internet for any positive or negative feedback about an organization, and then follow up on the feedback. The social media manager will encourage and thank individuals for positive feedback, and try to appease any unhappy customers.

4. Monitors trends and encourages adoption of social media tools

The social media manager identifies and reports on social media trends. It is key for organizations to be on top of the latest trends and tools to ensure that an organization is ahead of the competition, reaching the maximum amount of customers and on top of its “tech game”.

5. Searches for news/articles to post

Depending on the nature of the organization, the social media manager may be tasked  with the duty of constantly scouring the internet and the news headlines for articles, stories and tips that are industry related and which can be posted to the social media accounts.

6. Implements social media campaigns

Social media campaigns are things like e-coupons, promo codes or the chance of winning a prize for “Liking” a company on Facebook.  Social media managers will develop these ideas and bring them to fruition.

7. Manages social media campaigns

It is vital to track and monitor the effectiveness and success of online initiatives, in order to calculate a return on investment.  The social media manager will then provide reports for executives and management on what worked and what didn’t work.

8. Write blog articles

To be a leader or influencer in any given field, it is important to be writing interesting articles or blog postings on topics relevant to the company or industry. The social media manager will identify and develop blog posts and other materials. They may also recruit and develop other bloggers and blog editors.

9. Uses social networking analysis tools

It’s important to measure the effectiveness of different channels. The social media manager will use TwitterCounter, Google Analytics, and other tools to measure clickthroughs and measure traffic activity.

10. Monitors internet for brand related topics of conversation

There are always conversations going on in the social space that provide the perfect segue for a company to promote itself. The social media manager will actively engage in industry conferences, chats, blogs, wikis, video sharing, etc to promote corporate messaging and increase brand awareness, which will drive brand traffic to company website.

11. Provides feedback to higher ups

A well run organization has strong internal communication. The social media manager should be in constant contact with the Public Relations, Marketing, Sales and management departments to communicate on public feedback, complaints and conversations surrounding the brand that are taking place in the public sphere.

12. Promotes social media within the organization

Educate staff on the importance of social media, as well as the implementation of new technologies and campaigns. The social media manager will also promote social media activities internally.