Some of a social media manager’s most crucial abilities are not easily quantifiable. Look at these “top secret” abilities of successful social media managers.
Since the introduction of Facebook 16 years ago, several additional social networking sites have cropped up. The role of “social media manager” has become increasingly important to businesses, and candidates are expected to meet increasingly high standards.
But what special abilities do some social media managers have that others don’t? Why do they have success when others don’t?
Long before I started Contentworks Agency, I worked as a social media manager in the frantic world of banking. In this piece, I will reveal the six qualities that I believe are essential for a social media manager’s success, along with some practical advice on how to implement them. We bet you’ll be surprised by a few of these!
What exactly does one do for a living as a social media manager?
Not all of them spend their time playing Candy Crush and chatting on Messenger. Managers of a company’s social media accounts serve as the face and voice of the business online. They update their profiles frequently with new material, respond to comments and complaints, organise visual content, and adhere to crucial company KPIs.
Some of these key performance indicators may be quite precise, such as “gain subscribers in Australia.” One’s goals could be more abstract in nature, such as “reverse our adverse online reputation” or “boost brand awareness.”
It’s common for social media managers to launch initiatives that are implemented across the board.
Control their emotional well-being
Because it’s both crucial and often overlooked, I’ll address this first.
A lot of people who work in social media management experience mental health issues as a result of the high levels of stress they are exposed to. Because smartphones are “always on,” social media administrators are never truly free from their duties. Even on the weekend, they are checking messages and keeping an eye on trends.
When you factor in tense clients, unfavourable media coverage, and, more recently, a worldwide pandemic and an unprecedented surge in the need for social media help, you have a potential pressure cooker.
Proficient social media managers understand the significance of taking breaks away from their devices.
To promote employee advocacy
The best social media managers know how to get their staff excited about using social media. That involves training workers to become advocates for the company online, who will promote the company’s social media profiles and assist it meet its KPIs.
Employees of a company often have ten times as many LinkedIn followers as the firm itself, and after implementing an employee advocacy programme, 79 percent of businesses saw an increase in their online visibility. A social media manager who wants to encourage staff advocacy will be personable, open to feedback, and prepared to devote time to employee training and incentives.
You must portray yourself as a hero to the common folk.
Plus, the benefits are substantial. Real people representing your company online, in interviews, on documents, and in those all-important positive Glassdoor reviews. See fantastic examples of employee activism at work by following Barclays Bank on Instagram. This is a great way to indicate that the company values diversity and inclusion in its workforce, and that its employees are comfortable being shown in publicity photos.
Acquire New Methods
Your marketing team should ideally consist of a manager, a number of writers, an SEO expert, a social media manager, and a number of designers and videographers.
The reality is that few businesses have a flawless advertising infrastructure. True enough, not even the largest banks and fintechs I’ve worked with have it. On the other hand, if you want to be a very effective social media manager, you’ll need to have access to high-quality video and image content as well as a firm knowledge of search engine optimization strategies.
Therefore, the third superpower of effective social media managers is the aptitude for picking up fresh software. If you can identify a gap and learn to apply the right instrument to fill it, you can make significant progress towards your goal. You can learn to make some very cool stuff if you practise making short films and social media images.
Create Entertaining Captions
The most effective social media managers are also fantastic writers, particularly when it comes to writing captions. Everything from catchy ads to intriguing queries to a wealth of hashtags in a compact 280 characters or less. As such, this is an essential competency for anyone working in social media management.
I have a lot of respect for the Benefit Cosmetics Instagram account. Its subtitles are succinct; it employs appropriate emoji; it identifies relevant influencers; it makes use of hashtags; and it features salient items.
Retain Your Focus and Organization
The typical image of a social media manager is that of a high-energy person who is constantly on the go and launching new initiatives. However, there is another aspect of social media management that involves strategy and structure.
Maintaining consistency with your social media approach is crucial to the success of your overall campaign. In a similar vein, being well-organized can help you keep on top of your task and your content calendar in such a demanding position.
Keep in mind that social media managers frequently must report on their strategy, key performance indicators, and results to colleagues, superiors, and shareholders. Financial results are the only thing that matters to shareholders. You must be able to articulate the connection between your social media efforts and tangible business outcomes, as well as identify areas in need of resource additions or reallocations.
