Social Media Managers are all different. Which one are you?
It’s tough being a social media manager (SMM) these days. More and more tasks are being asked of them, and their skillset is often stretched to the limit. Some are able to rise to the occasion, but our experience in coaching and assisting social media managers, is that every one is different. It’s not always the manager who has shortcomings, it is often a combination of the structure of the job itself. It can also be the way that the function of social media management is integrated – or not – into other marketing and communications functions.
What style is your social media manager?
The Octopus
- Covers all the bases pretty well
- Always juggling multiple tasks
- Seems to know what needs to go where and when
- So task oriented that they’re never sure if they are on point with company strategy.
In the Dark
- Gets little input and assets for social
- Tries to cover all the bases, but sometimes misses the mark
- Kind of going it alone
Pants on Fire
- Always working last minute
- Usually covers the social channels, but very disorganized
- This working style features a lot of mistakes and corrections
Smooth Operator
- Gets a lot of input from other areas of marketing and communications
- Knows when and where to put their efforts
- Skilled at the brand voice
- Lots of planning in the timeline
- Very comfortable in their role
New and Confused
- New in their role
- Is not sure where the priorities should be
- Hasn’t yet learned the brand voice
- Afraid to make mistakes
With so many different styles of social media managers and different resources and structure within organizations, it’s no surprise that businesses struggle to provide the right level of support. While each social media manager brings unique strengths to the table, every SMM can benefit from guidance and professional development.
Few organizations take the time to invest in the skillset of their social media manager and then wonder why they leave for another opportunity in a year or so. We can guess at some of the reasons, but it’s different for everyone.
That’s where our Social Media Maximizer coaching program can help. By focusing on key areas like brand voice, audience, timelines, planning and metrics AND providing customized education and resources, we empower managers to excel in their roles.
What we CAN say is that the world of social media is here to stay, even as it morphs and changes. To prevent burnout, turnover and conflicted communications, investing in the skillset of your social media manager helps YOU and helps your organization.