How to Become a Social Media Manager

About Social Media Manager

A Social Media Manager is a person who handles a company's social media accounts and channels such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. He is the voice of the company on social media. Some of the major tasks performed by a social media manager are reporting and tracking social media engagement and trends, writing engaging content and articles, developing and managing campaigns to promote the brand on social media and managing the work of junior staff such as an assistant or social media executive. 

Since the market is competitive, companies look for skilled and experienced social media managers who can promote and advertise the products and services of the company over social media. Almost every company requires a good social media manager to manage the promotional activities and for training other members of the team.  

A career as a social media manager is full of challenges as the digital marketing and social media industry is a fast-paced sector. Candidates who are interested in creating and managing social media campaign can opt for a career as a social media manager. Besides this, they must be good at photoshop and other editing tools for creating advertisements and promotional banners.

Eligibility to become Social Media Manager

Candidates must meet the minimum eligibility criteria specified below

Education: There are no specific qualifications for getting a job as a social media manager, although companies prefer candidates who have a bachelor's or master's degree. Candidates who have a degree in business management, marketing, media and communication, public relations and digital marketing can apply for a job as a social media manager. 

Experience: Companies often consider working experience as important as the degree. If you are new to social media marketing then you can apply for the junior or assistant level profile before moving to the managerial position. There are many companies which offer part-time and internship opportunities to the candidates. There are also many certifications programs available for the social media managers such as Hootsuite Social Marketing Certification, HubSpot Academy Social Media Certification, Social Media Strategist Certification and Facebook Blueprint. These might help you learn new things in this field. 

Skills: Apart from having ome experience and a degree in marketing, you need some additional skills to qualify for a job as a social media manager. Some of the recommended skills for social media manager are:

• Technical ability
• Time management
• Communication Skills
• Analytics
• Creativity
• Customer service
• IT Skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Project management skills

Types of Job Roles Social Media Manager

Social media managers spend most of their working day at an office setting. They will have to be active on phones and computers to check the progress and reach of the marketing campaign. There are many job profiles available for a social media manager depending on the type of work they perform. Some of the job roles are listed below.

• Social Media Marketing Executive
• Social Media Analyst
• Marketing Coordinator
• Media Production Manager
• Social Media Strategist
• Community manager
• Brand Manager
• Digital Marketing Manager
• Content Manager
• Market Research Analyst
• Media Planner

Employment Opportunities for Social Media Manager

Since almost every sector is connected to the marketing industry, many opportunities are available in social media marketing. Some of the employment opportunities available for social media managers are in:

• MNCs
• Brand Management firms
• Media houses
• Startups
• Advertising Agencies
• IT firms
• Digital Marketing Agencies
• Education
• Telecommunications
• Social Media Marketing Agencies

Top Recruiting Agencies for Social Media Manager

Companies are always looking for a good social manager who can create effective campaigns. Some of the major recruiting companies where social media managers can find work are

• Samsung
• Genpact
• Cognizant
• Accenture
• LG
• Apple
• Google
• Flipkart
• Zomato
• Oppo
• Microsoft
• HP
• Amazon

Pay Scale/Salary of Social Media Manager

A fresher in the social media management field can earn up to 2 lakh per annum. His salary will totally depend on his skill and educational background. The average salary of a social media manager will increase with time and experience. The average salary is given below.

Books & Study Material to Become Social Media Manager

There is always some scope for learning new techniques and skills in social media marketing. Candidates can analyse their own campaign or refer to some books to understand more about social media marketing. Every social media platform has different engagement strategies. A good social media manager should be experienced in all kinds of social media platforms to have a successful career. Some of the book recommendations for a social media manager are

• The End of Marketing: Humanizing Your Brand in the Age of Social Media and AI by Carlos Gil
• See You On The Internet by Avery Swartz
• Brand Storytelling by Miri Rodriguez
• Social Media Marketing Workbook by Jason McDonald
• Faster, Smarter, Louder: Master Attention in a Noisy Digital Market by Aaron Agius and Gián Clancey
• Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
• Digital Trust by Barry Connelly
• Fanocracy by David Meerman Scott and Reiko Scott
• Run with Foxes: Make Better Marketing Decisions by Paul Dervan
• YouTube Growth Hacking by Jeff Abston
• One Million Followers by Brendan Kane
• Instagram Secrets by Jeremy McGilvrey

Pros of becoming a Social Media Manager

• You'll be getting paid for using your favourite social media platforms.
• There are many opportunities available for a social media manager. He can choose to work in any industry.
• A career as a social media manager doesn’t require any particular degree.
• He can analyse his work and change strategies if one is not working for him.

Cons of becoming a Social Media Manager

• Social media managers should be well updated with the latest strategies and tools related to social media marketing. 
• All social media platforms keep changing their algorithm from time to time. Social media managers should be well aware of all the changes made in the algorithm to gain maximum engagement.
• Social media managers have to manage the work of junior analyst as well as other members of the team.
• Competition for a social media manager is very high as this is a very competitive field.