Like any senior marketing role, becoming a good social media manager requires a wide range of skills that will help you create engaging social content that converts followers into loyal customers.
A social media manager is typically responsible for setting content strategy and driving engagement on a company’s social platforms. To be successful in that role, 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—and what doesn’t.
Social media has become a key marketing area thanks to its ability to reach and capture customers while learning more about their needs, desires, and frustrations. It is present across industries — corporations, brands, non-profits, government officials, celebrities, and more have accounts to communicate directly with followers — which means working as a social media manager can lead to a variety of fields.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, the demand for social media managers or specialists is expected to grow by 10% before 2026. This stresses the importance of hiring the most skilled professionals in the industry who can help your company drive real business results.
A social media manager is dedicated to growing audiences on social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In addition to creating a schedule for your posts, they also curate platform-specific content, including graphics, text posts, and videos. Most importantly, these versatile managers keep an eye on your social media metrics, analyze and interpret the data, and make changes in the existing format for increased profitability.
Social media managers are ordinarily responsible for developing strategies to increase followers, creating and overseeing social campaigns, producing content, reviewing analytics, and communicating with key stakeholders in a company.
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’s common for social media managers at smaller companies to take on more content creation.
If you’re interested in working as a social media manager, your tasks may include:
- 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’ responses. You may also be responsible for responding to comments and messages from followers.
- Increasing followers and driving engagement. Boost a company’s profile on all active social platforms by increasing the number of followers they have and the amount of engagement (likes, comments, shares) they receive. You may be expected to develop written or visual posts to achieve both.
- Strategizing content and campaigns. To drive engagement, you’ll be responsible for ideating (and sometimes executing) social campaigns that align with a company’s larger marketing strategies. You may also generate ideas for timely and evergreen content or repurpose user-generated content.
- Analyzing data. In addition to creative work, you’ll also spend time analyzing data to conclude how a company’s posts and content are performing. This can include social listening—monitoring what social media users say about a brand or competitors.
- Reporting metrics to key stakeholders. Companies want to know the work you’re doing has an impact, so you’ll likely be expected to report your achievements—or any problems that arise—to your marketing team and even the company’s stakeholders. They’ll probably be looking to see how you grow followers, increase engagement, and develop creative content and campaigns, among other metrics.
Social media manager salary: How much does a social media manager make?
Currently, the average annual salary for a social media manager in the United States is $64,845 a year, according to ZipRecruiter. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $31.18 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,247/week or $5,403/month.
According to Glassdoor, social media managers earn an average salary of $74,367.
While the annual salary can be as high as $109,500 and as low as $24,500, the majority of social media manager salaries currently range between $47,500 (25th percentile) to $76,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $95,500 annually across the United States. The average salary range for a social media manager varies greatly (by as much as $29,000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
According to ZipRecruiter, there are ten cities where the typical salary for a social media manager job is above the national average. With them having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a social media manager appear to be exceedingly fruitful.
The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a social media manager role.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $80,113 | $6,676 | $1,540 | $38.52 |
| San Jose, CA | $77,464 | $6,455 | $1,489 | $37.24 |
| Marina del Rey, CA | $76,453 | $6,371 | $1,470 | $36.76 |
| Oakland, CA | $75,803 | $6,316 | $1,457 | $36.44 |
| Hayward, CA | $75,675 | $6,306 | $1,455 | $36.38 |
| Vallejo, CA | $75,596 | $6,299 | $1,453 | $36.34 |
| Antioch, CA | $75,451 | $6,287 | $1,450 | $36.27 |
| Odenton, MD | $75,244 | $6,270 | $1,447 | $36.18 |
| Seattle, WA | $75,216 | $6,268 | $1,446 | $36.16 |
| Lebanon, NH | $74,984 | $6,248 | $1,442 | $36.05 |
The following is a social media manager job description example that includes the important responsibilities, qualifications, and all that are a part of the job description.
| Social Media Manager We seek an experienced Social media manager to collaborate with your team of content developers and administer our social media accounts. You will be responsible for supervising and creating original video and text content, engaging with our followers and managing posts to accelerate our success via marketing goals. We expect you to be well-versed in the latest digital technologies and social media trends. To be successful as a social media manager, you should have in-depth knowledge of SEO, analytics, and content management tools. Key Responsibilities: Curate creative content for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter Perform research on the latest audience preferences and the benchmark trends in the fashion industry Design and implement social media strategy that aligns with our business goals Define specific objectives and monitor ROI Curate, edit, publish and share engaging content daily Monitor web traffic metrics and optimize for the same Suggest new features to promote brand awareness Collaborate with the sales, marketing, and customer service teams to ensure brand consistency Analyze key metrics using the latest management tools to boost sales Social Media Manager Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Digital Marketing or a relevant field 3+ years of proven work experience as a Social media manager Proficiency in content management Excellent copywriting skills Solid knowledge of SEO and keyword research Expertise in Google Analytics and Hootsuite Knowledge of online marketing channels Excellent communication skills |
Becoming a social media manager often requires a combination of education and experience, though the specifics can differ by company.
Consider a degree
Social media managers typically hold a bachelor’s degree, according to the BLS. Majoring in a field that will build your communication or business skills—like marketing, journalism, or communications—can prepare you for the role.
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’s resources to look for internships, volunteer opportunities, or part-time roles. Otherwise, try joining a club and contributing to their social media efforts.
Get an internship or entry-level social media job
Experience working with social media is a key part of becoming a manager in the field. If you’re 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
Digital or multimedia producer
With the growing popularity of visual platforms like Instagram, and the launch of features like Story, Reels, and Live Videos, the need for social media managers with multimedia skills is on the rise.
A Digital or Multimedia Producer focuses on creating graphics and images to accompany Facebook posts, images or videos for Instagram, mobile-optimized stories for Snapchat, and other creative content from scratch that expands reach and popularity among followers.
The following are the skills necessary to become a digital or multimedia producer:
- Hands-on experience with Design Software
- Creativity
- Adaptability
- Basic Photography and Videography
A skilled Digital or Multimedia Producer adapts visual content for each social network to yield more clicks and leads. The average Multimedia Producer’s salary is $55,056 annually in the United States.
Copywriter
Your text-based content must adapt to every social network. For instance, you will have to write Instagram captions with a more relatable and relaxed tone, while LinkedIn posts will have a crisp and more business-oriented voice.
A copywriter is responsible for creating and adapting written content for specific social media networks. They must be proficient in creating creative content as short as 140 characters and even long-form blogs over 200 words.
The following are the skills necessary to become a digital or copywriter:
- Copywriting
- Adaptability
- Understanding of Brand Voice
- Creativity
- Positioning
Maintaining a brand voice is the primary responsibility of copywriting, as generic posts for all platforms might bring down the value of brands. A customized-for-platform caption or piece of content that directly speaks to your audience leads to increased engagement and profitability.
The average salary for a Copywriter in the United States is $54980 annually.
Social media metrics analyst
As marketing roles become exceedingly data-driven, social media metrics analysts dig into the data, analyze it, and draw actionable insights. Their role includes monitoring macro data like overall reach and generated leads and microdata-like experiments around content positioning. They curate and constantly test new strategies, campaigns, and content.
The following are the skills necessary to become a social media metrics analyst:
- Data Analysis
- Experience with Running Scientific Experiments
- Curiosity
- Strong Presentation Skills
They build effective standards by constantly testing and analyzing results. The experiments and carefully crafted strategies often enhance social media engagements and conversions, dramatically accelerating online businesses.
The average Social Media Analyst salary is $70,237 per year in the United States.
News commentator and curator
A News Commentator/Curator is a professional efficient in finding new opportunities for the company by tracking industry-specific news and social media trends. They know where to look for the news, what’s changing on social networks, and how to adapt accordingly for greater ROI.
Serving as an extension of the PR team, the social media news commentator and curator connect your team with journalists and reporters, thereby increasing the coverage for the company.
The following are the skills necessary to become a news commentator and curator:
- Content Curation
- Effective Monitoring
- Information-seeking approach
- Quick Decision-making
They allow you to stay on top of trends with the latest updates. Posts related to news or trends boost social media traffic and urge the audience to re-share or retweet your content, thereby increasing your brand awareness indirectly.
The average salary of a digital content curator in the United States is $60,167 a year.
Customer service representative
The person running social media accounts serves as the voice of the company. They constantly receive queries and comments about their company’s services, products, and content. A social media manager serves as a customer service representative while communicating with people in different mood dispositions and buying stages.
They act as traffic directors and must possess the skills to understand the questions, address them appropriately, and procure a course of action.
The following are the skills necessary to become a customer service representative:
- Strong Communication
- Patience
- Ability to Troubleshoot
- Thorough knowledge of the company and its products/ services
In the present scenario, posting good-quality content is not the only requirement. Your company must interact with the audience to gain a competitive edge. Understanding customer grievances and timely addressing them saves your company’s time, money, and other resources.
The Social Media Customer Service Manager’s average salary is $44822 annually in the United States.
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