Posted on June 10, 2022 by Webfor What does a social media manager actually even do? Many a social media manager has been confronted with this question and left the asker speechless with a long list of duties far beyond “scroll through social media.” I guess technically, yes, most social media managers are on social media all day. But no, we don’t just sit on social media all day. I’m going to tell you what we really do all day. First Off, Who Am I To Talk About Social Media? Hi there! ? I’m Drew (he/him). I’m Webfor’s senior advertising specialist, which means that I manage both the Paid and Social departments at Webfor. I handle all of our client’s social strategies, content, posting, engagement, and more. This also means that I spend (arguably too much) time on social media in my personal life. (Feel free to find me @DrewskiParker on all platforms, but mostly Instagram.) So, What is a Social Media Manager? A social media manager is someone who manages a business’ social media presence through strategy, content production, analysis, engagement, project and campaign management, and more. What is a social media manager at Webfor? At Webfor, the social media manager is responsible for our client’s social media campaigns. It is our responsibility to compile a comprehensive social media strategy, ensure the team is properly executing on that strategy, and analyze the performance of posts. From coordinating timelines to reviewing analytics, the social media manager sails the social ship for their clients. What Does a Social Media Manager Do All Day? It’s no surprise that every social media manager’s daily tasks and routine will look a bit different. But here are some of the common tasks on most social media managers’ plates: Coffee, and lots of it (or your fuel of choice, of course) ☕ Check all social channels for tags, mentions, and posts to interact with ? Analyze metrics ? Engage with community ?️ Content creation ? Schedule new content ?️ Check automation queue ✔️ Outline future posts ✍️ Ideate content topics ? QA posted content ?️ Approve/edit captions, graphics, videos, etc. ? Create and maintain a social strategy ? Stay up to date with latest changes and updates across social platforms ? There’s more that could be added to this list, but the above gets the point across — there’s a lot that a social media manager does every day. Most people don’t think about the time it takes to craft the perfect response to an in-depth comment or the thought that goes into each word of a caption. Sometimes even coming up with content ideas is time-consuming. Pro tip for content idea brainstorming: Set all the constraints aside. Pretend you have all the time in the world to dedicate just to this social client. Your one-and-only job is to work on their social media, and you have access to any resources you may need (copywriters, designers, videographers, and so on). What would you do? Make that list of ideas and then break them down into bite-sized pieces that you can execute on. Maybe you aren’t able to film a 60-second, professionally produced, high-quality, engaging Instagram Reel. But you can make a 15-second clip using just your smartphone with the same valuable content. How Do Social Media Managers Prioritize Their Tasks and Time? via GIPHY It’d be easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you’re responsible for as a social media manager (and oftentimes it is overwhelming). The tips I’ve outlined below are the Top 5 areas of focus that I believe to be the most important on a consistent basis to succeed. I hope this helps you prioritize your own social duties as well! Strategy — How are the posts that are currently up or scheduled to go up adhering to the strategy we developed? Does it align with the client’s overall business goals? Engagement — How can I interact with our audience in a meaningful way right now? Who have we not interacted with that maybe we should consider? Creation — What content needs to be created, and what can I execute on right now? Curation — What am I unable to create myself, and where can I find already existing content to share? What can I delegate to my teammates? Scheduling — Is everything in Buffer (or your scheduling platform of choice) for the next week? Do I need to add more posts to the queue? #1: Strategy via GIPHY It’s tough to accomplish anything without a plan or strategy in place. (This is really my outlook on life, but it’s relevant for social, too!) The first thing I do on any social media project is create a strategy that aligns with the client’s goals and outlines key metrics to measure success. I review this strategy (and update it!) frequently based on new client needs, platform changes, and analytics. Social media strategy is always the first thing I create for new social media clients. #2: Engagement via GIPHY At the heart of every social media platform is community. No matter who you are or what business you’re in, the core goal of social media is to cultivate a community of happy and engaged followers who will eventually become ambassadors for your product, service, and/or brand. This does not just happen. It takes effort in the form of engaging with your audience. You should be responding to every comment on your posts (except for spam comments — more on that in a future post), as well as every direct message (DM). Beyond that, commenting on other people’s posts and responding to their stories are great ways to build community. #3: Creation via GIPHY Content doesn’t just appear out of thin air; it must be created. Quality, engaging content is imperative to successful social media. Creating content could mean: Writing a blog post Creating an infographic Filming and/or editing a video Turning photos into GIFs Photoshoots This list could continue for eternity, but I’ll cut it short there. In a nutshell, anything that can be shared (image, video, GIF, written word, etc.) is considered content. #4: Curation via GIPHY Utilizing content from other credible sources is a great way to fill your social queue without creating new content. (Just be sure to give credit where credit is due!) However, it does require ample knowledge of the industry and its leaders as well as time to read through those sources before sharing across channels. Depending on your resources, curation could also mean delegating content creation to other team members and then curating that content. For example, at Webfor anyone is capable of and encouraged to create content for social use. Sometimes coworkers will film a quick video, and I alter it (if needed) for each social platform, or I take their brilliantly written blog posts and chop them into social-sized pieces. #5: Scheduling via GIPHY I think planning is critical to a happy life — though I’m learning to be more flexible now that I have a kiddo ?. The same is true for social. Plan out your content, execute on it ahead of time, and schedule those posts so you don’t have to worry about making sure to post something day-of. You never know what’s going to come up that might make you miss that perfect moment to post. But if it’s ready to go in a tool like Buffer, then you have nothing to worry about! So, What Does a Social Media Manager Actually Do? A lot! I think it’s clear that there’s a lot that goes into social media management, and a lot of it goes unnoticed by the general public. It’s so much more than scrolling through social media every day. It’s strategizing, executing, analyzing, delegating, creating, curating, ideating and more. It’s creative. It’s challenging. It can be exhausting. But it is also so rewarding! Seeing businesses meet their goals through the execution of an effective social media strategy makes me happier than I can describe! If this all sounds like a lot for you as a business owner or employee to handle for your entire business — it is. But don’t worry, that’s why agencies like Webfor exist! From all-inclusive social media management down to consulting, we help everyone from small, local companies to national businesses not just survive but thrive on social media! You deserve a strategic social media partner. Don’t hesitate to reach out to succeed on social!