what is a social media manager?
As a social media manager, you oversee the company's social media marketing team to increase traffic and attract customers. Depending on the size of the company, you might work with a large marketing team with specialists in different areas, or with a small team of just a few people managing social media campaigns. Your main role is to develop strategies for the company's social media platforms and supervise the execution of marketing efforts. Additionally, you monitor the performance of each social media channel by analyzing data to assess engagement rates.
Social media managers can work as in-house employees for a single employer, managing the company's entire social media marketing efforts. When working for one employer, you become specialized in their brand offerings and use your social media marketing skills to boost sales and enhance customer engagement with the company. You report your progress to marketing managers and executive teams.
Some social media managers working for marketing consulting firms handle social media pages for multiple clients. In this role, you evaluate social media marketing strategies and help your clients develop new ways to attract their target audience. When working with several clients, you focus on generating ideas and overseeing projects. However, in smaller companies, you also implement the ideas generated by the team.
Are you interested in working in marketing and communications as a social media manager, given your creativity and exceptional writing skills? If so, keep reading to find out what skills and qualifications you need to advance in a social media management role.
search for jobsthe average salary of a social media manager.
According to Paylab and internal resources from Randstad Romania, a social media manager earns an average net salary ranging from 4,000 - 5,500 RON per month. Most social media managers start as junior managers or social media assistants as they learn the trade. In junior roles, a social media marketing manager typically earns a compensation package between 3,000 and 3,500 RON net per month. As you develop your skills and move into mid-level management positions, your earnings usually increase to around 5,000 - 5,500 RON net per month. Experienced senior social media managers with extensive expertise can earn over 7,500 RON net per month.
What factors influence a social media manager's salary?
As a social media manager, your compensation package depends on the company you work for. Salaries vary whether you're employed by an agency or a consulting firm, compared to working in-house within a company. The size of the organization is a major determining factor. When you work for a large agency handling huge projects, your earnings tend to be higher compared to working for smaller companies. Working in-house can also boost your income if the employer has substantial marketing budgets.
The success of your social media campaign activities can also impact your salary. Most employers pay social media managers a fixed salary, but some rely on performance metrics when reviewing compensation packages and benefits.
types of social media managers.
As a social media manager, you can work across various social media platforms or specialize in specific ones. Here are some areas of specialization for social media managers:
-
social networks
You can specialize in social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, which connect people and businesses online. Social media enhances brand awareness, branding, and lead generation for companies.
-
media sharing networks
Social media managers can also handle content shared via Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube. Audiovisual and video content distributed across these platforms generate leads and strengthen brand awareness by encouraging content sharing.
-
discussion forums
As a social media manager, I also participate in discussion forums to enhance your online presence and visibility. Since forums are used for sharing and finding various types of information, your participation helps boost your brand's authority.
career as a social media manager.
To work as a social media manager, you need creativity and an excellent sense of design to use images and graphic elements that will catch the audience's attention. The role also relies on careful planning to make the most of each social media platform. Let's explore the daily tasks and work schedule of a social media manager.
-
job description for social media manager
Among the main responsibilities of a social media manager are:
-
Conducting social media audits: As a social media manager, you keep track of your company's social media pages and regularly evaluate their performance. For example, you ensure that branding and display names are consistent across all channels to make it easy for both existing and potential customers to find you on any platform. Additionally, you compare the recent performance of each social media platform with past results and those of your competitors. A social media audit helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth.
-
Planning and developing a social media strategy: After conducting an audit, you set your objectives and develop strategies to achieve them. For example, you create engaging content to boost engagement across various platforms. Alternatively, you can launch new campaigns or contests to generate interest around a product or your brand itself.
-
Tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): As a social media manager, you set KPIs to help monitor the progress of your social media pages. For example, if your goal is to increase the number of followers across all platforms, you ensure that your audience grows steadily by boosting activities like contests and competitions that require users to subscribe or follow the page to participate.
-
Content strategy development: As a social media manager, you participate in brainstorming ideas for campaigns and social media content. Your job is to align the content and posts across social platforms with the company's marketing strategies and goals. Additionally, you generate ideas for evergreen content and oversee the creation of visual assets, such as graphics and images.
- Reporting social media data to stakeholders: as a social media manager, you communicate the social media strategy to clients or company leadership. You also document the company's successes and challenges in achieving objectives, such as increasing engagement and follower count.
-
-
work environment
Social media managers work across a variety of industries, from manufacturing to retail and financial services. Any company that relies on social media and an online presence to generate revenue needs a social media manager to select content and craft brand messages across different platforms. Social media marketing is primarily an office-based role, involving most of the workday at a desk. You also attend meetings and conferences to improve your social media skills, but business travel is minimal. Since social media managers can perform most of their duties from a computer, remote work opportunities are widely available.
-
who are your colleagues?
As a social media manager, among your colleagues, you might find marketing managers, social media specialists, and digital marketing managers. You could also work alongside sales managers, sales consultants, and SEO specialists, as well as other professionals such as web content managers, marketing directors, marketing coordinators, and web content editors.
-
work schedule
The work schedule for a social media manager typically ranges from 38 to 40 hours per week. Most social media managers work regular office hours, but sometimes they attend events and engage with clients outside of standard working hours. As a social media manager, you usually work full-time, but many companies offer flexible work arrangements, including part-time roles or remote work options. Some social media managers also work as freelancers or on short-term contract basis.
-
career perspective
Social media managers have a pretty clear path when it comes to career advancement. You can move up to a higher position in digital marketing or communications from a social media manager role. For example, you might become a digital marketing manager before progressing to a managerial or director-level role in communications. Some social media managers enhance their skills and become specialists in content creation or editing for the web.
-
the advantages of finding a social media manager job through randstad
Finding a social media manager position through Randstad offers significant advantages such as:
-
a wide variety of training and development opportunities
-
a contact person with experience whom you can reach out to if needed.
-
a wide range of opportunities
-
temporary and permanent contracts
Are you looking for a permanent contract? A temporary job as a social media manager is often a stepping stone to a desirable permanent position. Every year, thousands of people secure permanent contracts with trusted employers thanks to temporary roles found through Randstad. Plus, many companies also recruit their permanent staff through Randstad!
-
education and training.
Some of the academic qualifications of a social media manager include:
-
university courses
Most employers prefer candidates with a bachelor's degree in relevant fields such as advertising, business management, marketing, or communication and public relations.
-
master's degree
Although not mandatory, having a master's degree in fields like online marketing or social media marketing can increase your chances of landing a role as a social media manager.
-
practice
A few months of hands-on experience as a junior social media specialist also provides you with an entry point into a social media specialist role.
-
work experience
To become a social media manager, you need extensive experience in managing content across social media platforms. Start with entry-level positions in digital marketing to gain relevant experience and skills.
skills and competencies.
If you want to excel as a social media manager, here are the top skills to develop:
-
writing skills
You need exceptional copywriting skills to keep your audience engaged across various platforms. With excellent writing abilities, you can connect with different types of audiences and tailor content for each social media channel. In addition to crafting descriptions and headlines, you also edit content created by the content creation team.
-
creativity
As a social media manager, you need creativity to keep users engaged. Your expertise in using images and visual graphics helps you craft unique posts.
-
flexibility
As a social media manager, you should be adaptable to the ever-changing landscape of social networks. For example, as users shift from written content to video, you need to adjust your social media strategy accordingly to prevent losing followers.
frequently asked questions (FAQs).
About the role of social media manager.
-
what does a social media manager do?
As a social media manager, you develop strategies to grow the follower base across various social media platforms. You also create and monitor social media campaigns, craft product content, and keep online customers engaged. Your role involves conducting performance analyses and preparing reports on social media platform metrics for stakeholders.
-
what are the three key skills of a social media manager?
As a social media manager, you need exceptional writing and communication skills to create engaging content. Creativity is also important to stay competitive and maintain customer loyalty online.
-
what qualifications are needed to become a social media manager?
You need a bachelor's degree in marketing, advertising, public relations, or business management to start your career as a social media manager. It's also important to gain work experience through entry-level roles in digital marketing to improve your skills and expertise.
-
what is the salary of a social media manager?
The average compensation package for social media managers ranges from 4,000 to 5,500 RON net per month. Depending on experience and qualifications, the salary can even exceed 7,000 RON net per month.
-
how can I apply for a social media manager role?
Applying for a social media manager position is easy: create a Randstad profile and browse our social media manager jobs in your area. Then, simply send us your CV. If you don’t have a CV yet, no worries, we’ll help you create one. Need assistance with your application? Check out all our career tips here! Want to stay updated on the latest trends and insights in the job market? Download the newest reports and research here.
