Learn more about what it takes to succeed as a social media manager and the skills you'll need to become one.
A social media manager is typically responsible for setting content strategy and driving engagement on a company鈥檚 social platforms. To be successful, social media managers often need to possess a knack for storytelling, a keen eye for design, and an ability to analyze what does well with an audience鈥攁nd what doesn鈥檛.听
In this article, we鈥檒l explore a social media manager's responsibilities, the key skills necessary to do this line of work, and how to get started.听If you're ready to launch this career path now, consider enrolling in the Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate, where you'll learn how to evaluate and interpret the results of your social posts and advertising campaigns.
Social media managers are ordinarily responsible for several goals, including developing monthly, quarterly, or annual strategies to increase followers, creating and overseeing social campaigns, reviewing analytics, and communicating with key stakeholders.听
As a social media manager, your specific responsibilities will depend on the size of your company. For example, while many social media managers at larger corporations typically approve copy or videos rather than create them, it鈥檚 common for social media managers at smaller companies to take on more content creation.听
If you鈥檙e interested in working as a social media manager, your tasks may include:
Increasing followers and driving engagement: Boost a company鈥檚 profile on all active social platforms by increasing their followers and the amount of engagement (likes, comments, shares) they receive. You may be expected to develop written or visual posts to achieve both.听聽
Strategizing content and campaigns: To drive engagement, you鈥檒l be responsible for ideating (and sometimes executing) social campaigns that align with a company鈥檚 larger marketing strategies. You may also generate ideas for timely and evergreen content or repurpose user-generated content.听聽
Posting and monitoring social media platforms: Depending on the size of your team, you may be responsible for posting and monitoring all social platforms. In that case, you may need to schedule posts and observe followers鈥 responses. You may also be responsible for responding to comments and messages from followers.
Analyzing data: In addition to creative work, you鈥檒l also spend time analyzing data to draw conclusions about how a company鈥檚 posts and content are performing. This can include social listening鈥攎onitoring what social media users say about a brand or competitors.
Reporting metrics to key stakeholders: Companies want to know the work you鈥檙e doing has an impact, so you鈥檒l likely be expected to report your achievements鈥攐r any problems that arise鈥攖o your marketing team鈥檚 and even the company's stakeholders. They鈥檒l probably be looking to see how you grow followers, increase engagement, and develop creative content and campaigns, among other metrics.听
You can learn to create engaging content while using in-demand technology like generative AI by enrolling in Adobe's Content Creator Professional Certificate program.
If you鈥檙e interested in becoming a social media manager, it鈥檚 a good idea to develop and strengthen several key social media marketing skills, including those in the following areas:聽
Writing: Whether you鈥檙e drafting posts or crafting captions, good social media writing goes beyond solid grammar and spelling. It will be important to hone your copywriting skills to develop compelling writing that fits into a brand鈥檚 story and voice and engages its audience. before applying to become a social media manager.
Editing: Alongside writing copy, you鈥檒l likely need to review your team members鈥 work and ensure it's grammatically correct and error-free. Honing your copy editing and proofreading skills can help you develop the eye necessary to reassure a company or brand that they鈥檙e in safe hands.听
An understanding of social media platforms: You鈥檒l need to have a thorough understanding of several social media platforms鈥攖heir strengths, weaknesses, and user demographics, among other characteristics鈥攖o manage accounts successfully. Knowledge of the following platforms will likely be most important: Meta, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.
An eye for design: Be prepared to communicate about images, infographics, videos, and more with graphic designers, marketing managers, and other marketing stakeholders. Envisioning a post and then articulating the business or strategic reasons for your choices will be critical.听
Analytical tools: Knowing what messages resonate with consumers requires an analytical eye and the capacity to research. It鈥檚 helpful to know how to use social media listening tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and HubSpot, among others.
Flexibility: Change is constant in the world of social media. New trending hashtags, algorithms, and platform features often require social media managers to think on their feet and incorporate novelty into their work.
Timeliness: News events can cause some posts to be perceived as tone-deaf or insensitive or otherwise overshadow your post in importance. Staying on top of the news and the bigger conversations happening online can help you react accordingly and maintain an organization鈥檚 brand.
Advance your social media analytics skills with the Johns Hopkins Social Media Analytics Specialization. Over four courses, you'll learn how to conduct sentiment analysis to gauge public opinion on social media, informing brand positioning and messaging.
In the US, social media managers earn an average base salary of $60,881, according to Glassdoor reports as of January 2025 [].
Social media continues to be a growing field with strong job opportunities. According to LinkedIn data, the demand for paid social media skills rose 116.4 percent, while the demand for Instagram skills rose 28.4 percent since the onset of the pandemic []. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that advertising, promotions, and marketing manager roles will increase by 8 percent between 2023 and 2033 in the US, which is faster than average [].
After you've gained experience as a social media manager, there are many marketing opportunities you can consider if you're interested in career advancement. These include:
Marketing director
There's more than one path toward a career in social media management. Becoming a social media manager often requires a combination of education and experience, though the specifics can differ by company.
Social media managers typically hold a bachelor鈥檚 degree, according to the BLS. Majoring in a field that will build your communication or business skills鈥攍ike marketing, journalism, or communications鈥攃an prepare you for the role.听
Going to college can also expose you to various opportunities where you may be able to gain specific experience in a professional setting. Use your career center鈥檚 resources to look for internships, volunteer opportunities, or part-time roles. Otherwise, try joining a club and contributing to their social media efforts.
Experience working with social media is a key part of becoming a manager in the field. If you鈥檙e short on experience, look for an entry-level position that can teach you the basics of social media marketing before trying to move into a managerial position.
Keep an eye out for these entry-level job titles:
Social media coordinator or specialist
Social media associate
Marketing assistant
Social media analyst
Digital content producer
Experience with social media doesn鈥檛 have to be relegated to professional realms. If you volunteer for an organization, offer to help run the social media accounts.听
And if you鈥檝e built a sizable following on your personal social media platform, it could be worth mentioning to a hiring team (provided they鈥檙e appropriate to the job). Being able to market yourself successfully can indicate a savviness that may translate to running a brand.
Learn more: How to Write a Social Media Manager Resume
If you鈥檙e ready to embark on this creative career, consider enrolling in the Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate on 糖心vlog官网观看. This program covers how to create and manage a social media presence, run ad campaigns and measure their results, and more.
Marketing Week. ", https://www.marketingweek.com/steep-rise-demand-marketers-digital/." Accessed January 8, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. ", https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm." Accessed January 8, 2025.
Glassdoor. ", https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/social-media-manager-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm." Accessed January 8, 2025.
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