Social media has undeniably become a part of everyone’s life. Yet, those who work in the social media industry aren’t always taken seriously.
Yes, there are careers in social media. And yes, it’s a rewarding profession. Unfortunately, those working within the social media field are still looked down upon and disregarded. Those who work in the social media realm often wear many hats. Social media managers (SMMs) act as (including but not limited to):
- Strategists
- Public relations professionals
- Copywriters
- Negotiators
- Email marketers
- Photographers/videographers
- Graphic designers
- Analytics experts
- Crisis management
The list goes on. Since social media is constantly evolving, that means managers are constantly evolving, too. With ever changing updates and new platforms, SMMs need to stay on top of their game – always.
So why are they not respected? Typically, this occurs because people (especially in the older generations) don’t understand the true reasoning for having this role and its importance to a business.
Let’s dive into some reasons why Social Media Managers aren’t widely accepted and why they should be.
Ageism
Historically, the doubters of social media managers are those of older generations. Older people most often view social media in negative aspects, so they don’t try to understand its importance. Older generations tend to think in terms of print collateral in the newspaper, tele-sales, and other antiquated tactics. They grew up without digital footprints, so to them, they don’t need social media to be successful, right? Wrong. Social media is here to stay and is vital for any businesses’ growth.?
It’s An “Easy Job”
Older generations aren’t the only haters though.
Because everyone has their own social media accounts, they assume that they’re experts. People think that they understand the whole process of social media management and could do the job themselves. Everyone thinks they can do the job of a SMM (and that’s not to say they can’t). BUT, a lot more goes into it than people think. Social media management is viewed as an easy job when in reality, it’s not. At all.
The truth is, a personal social account is used for posting random and fun content about you and your life with no strategy behind it. When businesses and thousands of dollars are on the line, social media becomes much more complex with strategies, branding plans, content calendars and monthly, quarterly, or annual plans.
What Social Media Managers Do
Contrary to popular belief, social media managers do far more than just post to social accounts. Social media managers are held to an unrealistic expectation to do more with less.
What makes this position hard?
Algorithms
A huge challenge that social media managers face daily is the power of a platform’s algorithm. You can post the most creative content ever, but because of the implemented algorithms, it could be left unseen. And just when you think you figured out how the algorithm works… the platform updates and completely changes all over again. PLUS, it’s super fun to try and learn every single platform’s algorithm – because, why would they all be the same?!
Trends
We’ve all heard about trends on social media. TikTok itself is a trend with daily new dances, songs, and more, trending for viral content.
Social media managers must follow these trends (for each platform) closely before it’s too late. Trends go away as quickly as they came, so you have to jump on them – hello whiplash. By following trends, this allows the algorithm to promote posts to outside accounts that may not even know about your business (see how everything connects?).
Analytics
What many don’t realize is that social media management revolves around data analysis. Without analyzing data and metrics, it’s impossible to fully grasp which content works for which account.
This is why social media managers and digital marketers must conduct monthly reports for each of their clients. Every month, there are new uncoverings about certain types of content, audience segments, target demographics and more.
This goes back to social media managers not being allowed to just post whatever they want, whenever they want. There are many contributing factors that go into creating content, and believe it or not, it’s very strategic.
How Do We Remedy This?
As the years go on, more and more people begin to understand just how important a social media manager is. Having a good social media plan helps businesses target their audience directly, but it can also catapult any business into success. Social media managers have the power to connect your business with its target audience directly and allows for brands to engage with its consumers in a real way.
For a customer, the first impression of your brand often comes from social media. How the account’s content is crafted can determine the customer’s interest and feelings about your business.
Social media managers are on the front lines when businesses succeed or fail. They are solely responsible for clean-up control when things go sour and they have the ability to build success for the future.
Are you interested in social media management?
If you’re interested in hiring a social media manager for your business, we got you. Mckenzie has successfully managed many client’s social accounts such as Seasons Corner Market, Longplex, PVDFest, and assisted them with amazing growth.