Social Media Manager - Skills needed in 2019

Are you applying for the post of a Social Media Manager?

Do you know what the job description entails?

As consumers are looking for ways to interact with their brands in a more personal way, the internet has offered up a solution - Social Media

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter. Instagram and the likes offer up an easier way for brands to connect with consumers and vice versa.

This has led to the creation of many jobs that never existed a decade ago. One of these many jobs is the post of a Social Media Manager.

Brands now hire people who can respond to customer queries via Social Media, respond effectively to negative comments, create memes and write engaging content.

In this article, we will be looking at Who a Social Media Manager is, Why they are needed and the Skills and etiquette demanded of them

Who is a Social Media Manager?

Monster.com did well to give us a clear understanding and idea of  who a social media manager really is;

"social media manager(s) is responsible for developing and implementing marketing strategies for business(es) social media sites. This might include blogging, creating social media profiles, managing regular post and responding to followers"

in other words, the social media manager is responsible for handling a company's social media marketing and customer services. The position requires the person involved  too;

• plan and set goals
• build brand awareness and online reputation
• content marketing
• search engine optimization and search engine marketing
• cultivating leads and sales

Monster.com further noted that a social media manager "must stay at the leading edge of industry trends and is responsible for evaluating the success of their marketing effort and tweak the marketing strategy as needed." That is the social media while also monitoring the effect of his/her marketing strategies and apply changes when necessary. A social media manager is creative and highly motivated.

Why Firms need Social Media Manager?

A lot of people particularly business owner be like 'oh why do I need someone to manage my business social profiles? I can handle it on my own.' One thing some business owners forget that social media management is totally marketing and that means time and focus. Managing social media for companies is a delicate duty and a full-time job. It needs an ultimate concentration for effectiveness and result.

Secondly, brands and companies have come to acknowledge that social media plays a vital role in marketing thanks to statistics that prove this. Social media platforms help drive sales, quality traffic, leads and boost online reputation. Thus the need for a professional with enough time on his/her hands cannot be debunked.

The Responsibilities

First and foremost a social media manager is a marketer, brand manager and to an extent a public relations personnel. He/She creates and implements a social media plan which according to krusecontrolinc.com involves;

• Brand development
• identifying the target market
• setting clear objectives/realistic goals
• visual design and web development strategy
• content marketing strategy
• promotion strategy
• engagement strategy
• conversion
• measurement and analysis to establish ROI

However, the responsibilities of a social media manager including but not limited to the following

1. developing relevant contents topics for target customers or audience
2. managing publish content
3. monitoring, listening and responding to users in a social way (customer service)
4. Promoting brand products and services via social media channels
5. develop and expand community/influencer outreach efforts via social media
6. design, create and manage promotions and social ad campaigns.
7. manage efforts in building online reviews and reputation.
8. analyze key performance indicators and modify strategies if required
9. compile reports for management showing Returns on Investment

What are the skills needed?

Postcron gives us an insight into the skills required from a social media manager;

• Graphic design: the ability to use photoshop, text editing, PowerPoint, and Excel
• Excellent written and oral communication skill
• Knowledge of HTML and website management
• must be familiar with web analytics tools and the ability to use it.
• must be familiar with social media platforms and their tools
• familiar with managing blogs, discussion forums, ratings and reviews
• must be able to manage a computer both Mac and PC.
• knowledge of marketing and brand management
• content writing and development
• familiar with different advertising systems and paid promotion
• knowledge of ROI analysis, conversions, and social media key performance indicators.
• SEO and SEM knowledge.
• must be open minded and ready to learn

Conclusion

Social media plays a vital part in digital marketing and every organization understands it benefit and thus do not joke with it. Becoming a social media manager is a Herculean task, however, it doesn't need that special degree or you going to some special classes to learn the job (though the classes and degree/certificate are an added advantage). To become a good social media manager requires the zeal to study and as I always tell my friends 'the greatest library in the world is the Internet where every trade can be learned for free.

What I described above is the duties and description of what the job of a  'Social Media Manager.

But  then expect that some companies may need more or less of these duties so continue researching and if you get stuck, remember Google Search engine is your friend.'

1. be passionate about your work
2. be thorough and observant in other to detect threats, opportunities and trends
3. always plan and always update your strategies with a future view of where you want your community to be in the later years to come
4. review and adjust to new trends.
5. admit your failures and right them.
6. have a good sense of humour
7. remember you are dealing with potential customers, customers and leads, so don't let negative comments and response get to you.
8. be patient and persistent
9. always research.
10. and lastly seek help from allies, volunteers and others you know can help you.

With these skills, you are ready to become a social media manager. Goodluck.