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Social Media Manager

A Social Media Manager helps build, grow and manage brands’ online communities. They plan and publish content, respond to customers or fans, support campaigns and use analytics to understand what is working and how audiences are responding.

 

In an agency, they may work across several brands and clients at once. They collaborate with strategists, creatives, copywriters, designers and media teams to turn brand ideas into content suited to each social platform.

 

Social Media Managers manage multiple campaigns, deadlines and conversations at the same time. They help keep each brand’s voice consistent and need to respond quickly when trends, feedback or circumstances change.

Great skills to have as a Social Media Manager

An enjoyment of creating social content and curiosity about new platforms, formats and online communities.
A strong eye for detail and care with every post.
Social awareness and an understanding of how different audiences think and behave.
Curiosity about technology and the future of social media.
Confidence using data to understand performance and improve future content.
Resilience and adaptability when responding to feedback, changing plans or difficult conversations online.
The ability to stay calm while managing multiple clients and deadlines.

See what it's like...

Tara Ryan

Social Director at MBM

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"The advertising industry is a place where you never stop being curious."

Pathway to becoming a Social Media Manager

People enter social media from many different backgrounds. Study in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, events or digital media can be useful, but tertiary study is not always required.

Short courses in content creation, community management, analytics, paid social or digital marketing can also help you develop practical skills.

When applying for a role, show the content you have created and explain your contribution, what it was trying to achieve and how it performed. A portfolio could include work from study, employment, voluntary projects or your own social channels.

Building industry connections and developing transferable skills in writing, organisation, customer service, data and communication can also help you stand out when applying for an entry-level role.

Career progression

Many people begin in roles focused on content coordination or community management before progressing to Social Media Executive, Social Media Specialist or Social Media Manager positions.

 

As their experience grows, they may specialise in areas such as social strategy, content, community management, influencer marketing, paid social or analytics. Others move into broader digital, media or leadership roles. Titles and responsibilities vary between agencies.

 

Progress depends on the skills you develop, the results of your work and the opportunities available. Staying curious is especially important because platforms, formats and audience behaviour change constantly.

What might I be able to earn?

The following provides an indication of the sort of earnings you could achieve during your career.

 

We’ve selected a range of roles and provided indicative earning potential. Titles and levels of responsibility can vary depending on the size of the agency, the nature of its accounts, its location and how it defines each role, so these figures are indicative only.