We've said it before and we'll say it again, social media is the toughest job in marketing. The role of a social media manager has evolved in such a short time span. It's no longer just about posting to keep your audiences engaged. Social media has evolved into a profitable business that gives brands the ability to directly see the impact of their advertising efforts. This is a huge contrast from the one-to-many model traditional advertising followed. As digital ad spend grows, so does the need for savvy social media marketers. To create a powerful social team you need to make sure you have all of your bases covered - it's no longer a one-man-show.
Social Media Manager
A social media manager is the captain of the ship and is responsible for guiding other members of the social team. As the title suggests, a social media manager - manages. This person often ensures that social media tactics are aligning with business goals that have been set by higher management. To prove that social investments are worthwhile, it's absolutely essential to have someone on board that can report on the effectiveness of social media campaigns.
At the same time, a social media manager often provides creative direction for the team and is able to make executive decisions based on analysis. More importantly, a person in this position holds the purse strings and enforces a strategy for how the budget should be allocated across social media platforms.
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Social Media Strategist
Digital ad spend is expected to soar, with a projection of growth hitting the double digits over the next few years. Naturally, an increase in budget for digital advertising creates a huge need for experts that know how to turn budget into business impact. The scale and demand for social media content, means more people are needed than ever before. A social media manager no longer has the capacity to execute a paid strategy while overseeing content for multiple platforms at the same time; they need a right-hand-man (or woman) to manage the dark part of social.
A social media strategist would be in charge of everything paid. This person would often be responsible for running social media campaigns and optimizing ads to ensure that the company is getting more bang out of their buck.
Creative Content Strategist and Curator
Every social media team needs a member who is full of creativity - and is able to convert that passion into content. The responsibilities of this role are wide and can include everything from content creation to scheduling and publishing posts. While a social media strategist operates in the dark part of social, a content creator is churning out posts that take center stage.
A content creator not only writes everything from Tweets to blogs but also develops a content calendar that runs in parallel with the company's activities. With that being said, they need to have their finger on the pulse of the social conversation, finding ways to transform momentary buzz into content. This role also requires an in depth understanding of different social media platforms, so content can be adapted across digital channels.
Visual Content Specialist
Social media is highly visual - so it's not enough to have a wordsmith on your team. To work at full capacity you need someone to create an array of stylish media. While some companies have a graphics team dedicated to visual tasks, it's becoming more common to have a visual expert that works solely with the social media team.
Whereas traditional graphics teams' members often specialize in different areas, an individual overseeing social visuals will need to be well versed in all formats. And did we mention video? This is one of THE most engaging formats that get your brand noticed, but of course, production can be time-consuming. That's why you need a jack-of-all-trades to turn your content into social gold.
Community Manager
At the end of the day, everything you do on social media, revolves around your community. To keep your community members happy, you need someone to represent your brand across your social media channels.
In addition to solving customer qualms, and addressing complaints on public and private channels, a community manager also strikes up conversations with their audiences. Before social media, brand interactions often took place at the point of sale - but as you as you already know, social has changed the game and the pressure is on to constantly make contact with your audiences.
Takeaway
Here, we covered the key disciplines that are growing on social media, and could eventually (if not already) require more hands on deck. The bottom line is that the future of social media is bright, and is guaranteed to have more space for experts that can drive an effective social strategy. Use these new openings to your advantage and create an all-star social media team that will help your brand outshine the competition. Or better yet, if you are a social media manager operating solo - you may want to send this over to your boss!
Now that you know what roles make up an all-star social media team, you need to move on to the next step! Jump over to our next blog to find out how you can develop a content workflow at lightning speed!
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on socialbakers.com. Any statistics or statements included in this article were current at the time of original publication.
