How To Be A Successful Social Media Manager

When I left school all those years ago, a social media manager didn’t even exist, so it’s quite incredible to think about the number of people who now have this as a job title.

Social media is the epicentre of everything these days with over 3 billion daily users, and while it can be great fun to do as a job, there is far more to it than just scrolling through Facebook and Twitter all day. The role of a social media manager is one that requires organisational and communication skills like no other. So how can you be a successful social media manager in this age of complete distraction? Read on to find out how.

Build a community not an audience

A lot of people have social media all wrong. It’s not just all about the audience; it’s about growing an engaged following. Social media managers need to know who we want in our little community and what it is they want to see and hear from us. Social media content without reason and purpose will fall flat, and of course, you want to avoid that at all costs.

Social media isn’t just about grabbing attention and growing an audience. The one thing to remember is that you will never engage everyone. It’s just not possible to resonate with every single person online. You need to appeal to your niche and to do that you need to know them.

You need to take the time to see what kind of posts work on each platform. Always be prepared to learn and find out what interests people and what inspires them. Once you’ve done that, you’re halfway there.

Stay organised

Organisation is vital when it comes to managing social media, and the only real way you can do this is by using a social media management tool. When it comes to planning content you will need a social media content calendar to plan your content for weeks, if not months in advance.

A lot of the software these days will come with social media marketing tools such as post previews, pre-set publishing times for consistency and one of the most useful – post-approval. This creates a streamlined and straightforward process for both you and your client. Much easier than sharing fiddly spreadsheets, and if I’m honest, once you’ve used a social media management tool, you’ll never want to go back.

Look after your mental health

Social media managers and the stress relating to the job is a real thing, and the consequences are just beginning to be adequately understood. Use of social media day in and day out can be detrimental to our mental health. This is why it’s of paramount importance to take a step back and switch ‘off’ from the ‘always on’ community.

Turning off notifications can be one way you can contribute to this. Set aside some time to check all notifications at a specific time. If you try to respond to notifications when you receive them, not only will you disrupt your working pattern, but you will never feel free of it.

Always take a break from the screen and when you take annual leave, remove the apps from your phone. Your mental health is essential, and that means we should take digital detoxes seriously.