If we take a look at the marketing scene ten years ago, the position called social media manager did not exist. Marketing and advertising and brand people were focused on above the line channels like TV, out of home, radio and print to reach their target audience. At that time, Facebook was just starting to explore social media marketing and since then, the world has never been the same.
Now in 2017, the social media manager or content manager is one of the hottest titles— the rock stars— in the marketing industry.
Most businesses have seen the value of using social media marketing in introducing their goods and services to a wider audience. That’s why they want to have one as part of their creative solutions services team.
In this article, we will list down some important skills that savvy social media managers have that help them boost their company’s or client’s business. Read on if you want to put on the hand of an effective social media manager.
Research and data science analysis skills
Without the right voice or image, your social media marketing efforts will not be effective. To make sure you have the right theme and tone to reach and engage your target audience, your social media managers need to have knowledge in market research. Also, seasoned social media managers find social networks to be a valuable goldmine of market and customer data, insights that they use to create campaigns and content that appeal to the market you wish to tap.
The ability to organize content and time posting accordingly
A lot of us get tangled in the relentless social media web. To be effective in content management, we are expected to wear different hats and to be expert multi-taskers. From doing market research, to helping in brainstorming for content development as well as being effective communicators for engagement, we are expected to handle these. To be able to perform effectively, social media managers must be organized and know how to utilize time well.
The eye for details and the nose for trending stories
Social media monitoring is a skill that is of paramount importance for any social media manager. The better they are in listening and monitoring, the better they are in creating timely and engaging content.
Effective social media managers know how the social media environment evolves and that’s why they are always on the look-out for trends to take advantage of.
The power to engage
Without engagement and one-on-one conversations, your social media marketing efforts will be lifeless; as if handled by robots. That is why community management and customer engagement skills are important if you wish to succeed in your digital marketing efforts.
Social media managers should know how to listen and carry out a conversation which sounds natural and as human as possible.
Creative direction
Content creation is an important part of social media marketing. A social media should have a creative eye in creating content which helps in developing content that wow and engage their audience.
If we are going to break down social media content, they are going to fall under two categories: text (copy) and design. Because social media managers generally work with both the writers and the artists, they should have an understanding and good taste for both.
Soft skills and the ability to network
Face-to-face networking is starting to fade from the general psyche paving a way for online or social media networking to flourish. In fact, nowadays, you can engage with a huge number of contacts through Facebook or Twitter alone. Despite the medium used, the skills that are involved in engaging with people is the same as the interactions we’ve had since time immemorial. Social media managers who have interpersonal and networking capabilities are in-demand and can boost results for brands who wish to build a loyal following in this digital era.
Effective social media managers connect with the right people and know how to use engagement and influencers to expand their reach.
