7 a.m.: The Social Media Manager Wakes Up
If you’re a social media manager, your days are exciting ones. You wake up knowing that you’re “trusted with monitoring, contributing to, filtering, measuring and otherwise guiding the social media presence of a brand, product, individual or corporation.”1
You may be part of an agency performing this service for clients. On the other hand, you could be the person within a large company assigned this responsibility. Whatever the scenario, it’s crucial that you understand what your typical day might look like if you’re considering this career path.
9 a.m.: It’s Go Time
If you haven’t checked your work email before arriving at the office, now is the time. It’s important to always be on top of your clients’ or company’s needs. Those needs could change at any time, and social media campaigns must be adjusted accordingly, and often very quickly.
Another thing to stay on top of is social media trends and relevant technological developments. A quick Google of the latest news first thing in the morning is a good habit to get into. You can also set up a Google Alert for relevant keywords, so information automatically arrives in your inbox.
Morning meetings with other members of the agency or company are also crucial for ensuring that everyone is on the same page. It is key that social media campaigns are properly aligned with the business’ overall objectives.
10 a.m. to 12 noon: New Client Meeting
If you are a social media manager within a digital marketing agency, you can expect to meet new clients regularly. In client meetings, you’ll need to listen carefully to what their goals are for their business. Then, you’ll need to present the kind of social media campaigns that could be launched to help make those goals a reality.
If a client does not utilize or under-utilizes social media platforms, you will need to suggest which ones are best suited to his or her business needs. For example, suppose your client is an interior designer. Instagram and Pinterest would be great channels on which to promote this very visual business. Conversely, a B2B pipe fittings manufacturer should have a strong presence on LinkedIn.
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Maintaining Existing Campaigns
After lunch, you will need to see how your existing campaigns are doing. That involves checking your analytics. Google Analytics is the go-to for most social media managers, along with analytics built into social media platforms like Facebook Insights.
Another task is to write compelling, optimized content that can be showcased on a business’ social media channels. This means that you will need to have good writing skills and a strong knowledge of SEO. Also, you must have a clear understanding of the kind of content and style that works most effectively on each social media platform.
Content is most likely to garner attention when paired with engaging images. An effective social media manager must know how to select appropriate images. However, being able to use Adobe Creative Cloud is a plus for anyone in this position. This software makes it possible to enhance existing photos and create original images, infographics, etc.
Finally, timing is everything when it comes to social media. Thus, it’s necessary to schedule posts carefully. Through A/B testing and analytics, you will discover when a company’s target audience is most likely to see your message.
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Customer Service
Chances are, as a social media manager, you will need to be in customer service mode at various times throughout the day. You always need to be monitoring comments on social media, the company blog, etc. You should respond to those comments in a professional manner, as you will be the “voice of the company” at that time.
Am I the Right Person for the Job?
If you are creative, have leadership abilities, and a passion for social media, you may want to consider a career in social media management. It’s important to develop your writing and communication skills, as well. A good first step is to refine your own personal social media presence.
1 Rouse, Margaret. “Social Media Manager.” TechTarget. November 2010. Web. 05 Jan. 2018. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/social-media-manager.
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