What Do Social Media Managers Actually Do?

WHAT'S IT ACTUALLY LIKE TO BE A SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER IN 2022?

It may be the most misunderstood job in business right now, yet every company has one (in some form or another). The role of Social Media Manager is nearly impossible to tie down, so this recent report by Social Insider attempted to figure it out by asking them what exactly it is that they do all day.

The answers are important for anyone who's managing, hiring, or contracting social media people, because it will give you a bit of insight into what it's like to do the job. It's also educational for those of you who do this for a living, because it will give you a peek into what all the rest of the social media managers are up to (or at least what they say they're doing).

Here are a few of the stats that we found most useful:

50% HAVE BACHELOR'S DEGREES, OR HIGHER

You know how pretty much every job posting says something along the lines of "must have a Bachelor's degree or equivalent?" Ignore that part.

44% ARE SATISFIED WITH THEIR JOBS

Job satisfaction among marketers and creatives in general isn't much higher than this, but that doesn't mean that we should accept this as being okay. Many social media workers report feeling that they bear an unreasonable about of responsibility with very little support; that most people in the org don't understand what they do, which often leads to under-compensation; and that there isn't a clear path for their careers even if they are successful.

WHAT DO THEY DO WITH THEIR TIME?

1. Create content
2. Build strategy
3. Create reports
4. Community management
5. Customer support

Notice that two of the three tasks have nothing to do with executing the work that needs to be done. What these people are telling us is that they are spending so much time creating decks about what they're going to do, and then more decks about what they did do, that it's a wonder they get anything done at all (see below).

WHAT DO THEY NEED MORE OF?

1. Time
2. Photo/video editing resources
3. Ad budget
4. Social media software
5. Research tools

It's no wonder that time was the #1 thing people want more of, but it's also the thing that their bosses can give them more of. Fewer meetings, streamlined reporting, and support on strategy would give them the thing they're asking for most – even more than an increased budget.

WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS?

1. Improve an existing skill
2. Build a better understanding of social media
3. Learn a new skill
4. Outperform past achievements
5. Contribute to the company

What jumps off the page here is how important personal development and proficiency is to social media managers. Unlike other roles where the only goal is to move up, make a big impact, and get promoted, these people are primarily interested in honing their craft.

SO WHAT?

Here are just a few of the ways we can see managers making use of these insights:

1. Validate them with your team (it's just a research paper – your people could be different)
2. Look at your job postings/descriptions – do they match what's actually going on in the job?
3. Find ways to free up their time
4. Invest in their skills development

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

Written by Conner Galway, Junction Consulting