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Is a Social Media Manager Necessary?

February 10, 2013 by 18 Comments

“Social media management” is a buzzword in the Philippines, at least as far as I can tell. It seems like every other blogger, marketing/sales grad, or Juan dela Cruz with a Facebook or Twitter account can be a social media manager. Don’t get me wrong (anyone can be) – there IS, however, a difference between a social media manager and A Social Media Manager.

What do Social Media Managers Do?

social media manager jsncruzIt seems easy; we’re on social networking sites creating content, publishing said content, and talking to people. Well, yes and no. Yes because we DO all of those things, and No because those things are just a small percentage of what full-time social media managers (or SMMs) actually do.

It would be nearly impossible to flesh out what EXACTLY SMMs such as myself do. Each SMM is different from the other in much the same way that a US Marine is different from a navy sailor; both are under one umbrella (fighting men) but with tailored skill sets.

Generally, our responsibilities are determined by three key areas: our company’s direction, our clients’ needs, requirements, and budgets, and of course, our core competencies.

The Key Responsibilities of a Social Media Manager

Having said that, typical social media manager responsibilities are the following:

  1. Listening – This is much more than simple hearing. Listening means being and staying on top of news, current events, and developments in our respective fields, niches, and business interests.
  2. Monitoring – It’s really not enough to listen; what do we do with the information we now have? It’s also crucial to know what steps to take when and how with the information, going forward.
  3. Engagement – SMMs are relationship managers as well. Conversations are created and sustained, while ensuring the continuity of brand affinity, relationship, and to a certain extent, loyalty.

So to answer the initial question: Yes.

Social media managers are and will continue to be valuable specialists in any brand, company, or organization looking to have a professionally-managed marketing and advertising strategy and campaign on social media.

View and download the slides here, licensed under Creative Commons – Attribution (free to use).

This article was a presentation at UPBEAT: A Jumpstart for Marketing Profession, given on February 9, 2013 at Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Please Like, Tweet, and Share this article if you found it useful!

Featured image by webtreats from Creative Commons.

What do Social Media Managers Do?

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About Jason Cruz

Social Media Guy at MRM Worldwide Manila, McCann Worldgroup Philippines' digital arm. I live social media, positive thinking, & running. Marathoner, loves wine & hip hop. Social Media Examiner's Top 24 Social Media Blogs of 2013. Get in touch with me on Twitter, @jsncruz.

18 comments
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zioncampo
zioncampo like.author.displayName 1 Like

Social media managers are definitely on demand right now. With consumers turning to the internet for shopping, news and a whole lot of stuff, businesses need to have a presence in the internet especially in the BIG three, facebook, twitter and google plus. A good social media manager also acts as a customer service manager.

jsncruz
jsncruz moderator

 @zioncampo Hey Zion, thanks for the visit and interesting last line you have there.

 

I have to disagree with you simply because a social media manager (no matter how good) has an entirely different set of skills from a customer service rep. I do believe though in your line of thinking, that as social becomes use more and more to resolve customer issues, a 'meld' of both worlds/jobs will be (and is being) created. Thanks for this great insight!

zioncampo
zioncampo like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @jsncruz  Yep! That's definitely what I meant. As social media managers, you also have the responsibility of making the brand your managing look good. Take for example, a lot of Filipinos turn to Facebook to vent their frustrations towards a company by posting on their fan pages, as social media managers you're the first line of defense against bad reps.Most customers, sometimes don't bother contacting customer support. P.S. You're the first blogger I've met whose niche is social media. Definitely coming back here. Going to bookmark you in my social bookmarking site. 

jsncruz
jsncruz moderator

 @zioncampo Hey Zion, thanks for the (re)visit and sharing a good example.

 

Oh I face THAT situation on a daily basis and I'm pretty fortunate that I have had some PR "training" of sorts from my previous job prior to digital marketing and social media. 

 

There are actually a few other bloggers here in the PH who blog on social media, but there are a few who are on social for a living as well. May I know how you came across my blog?

ronniedare
ronniedare like.author.displayName 1 Like

Social Media Manager or Community Manager is a big responsibility. I mean, a single statement or action can make or break the image or reputation of a certain brand or company. Great slides.

jsncruz
jsncruz moderator

 @ronniedare Months and even years of hard work can be destroyed (especially reputation) by bad management of social assets.

 

Thanks for that, Ron. Appreciate it.

dadofdivas
dadofdivas like.author.displayName 1 Like

I think this position is definitely important, especially if you plan to have a social media strategy for the company itself

jsncruz
jsncruz moderator

 @dadofdivas Most definitely! A lot of brands try to manage their social assets in-house - but without the necessary training and experience, it can cost the brand more in the long term.

 

As is often said "Think it's expensive to hire a pro? Wait 'til you hire an amateur" :)

PalRaine
PalRaine like.author.displayName 1 Like

Sir Jason I have question here: what is the difference between Social Media Manager and Online Community Manager?  I have confusion understanding the two. Thanks. 

jsncruz
jsncruz moderator

 @PalRaine Hi Pal, thanks for the question! To put it as briefly as possible:

 

A Community Manager is very "front end", managing publication of content on social assets, as well as directly engaging ("Talking") with a brand/company's community.

An SMM (at least where I'm based at) deals with a lot of strategies and planning, especially with regards to listening, monitoring, and data analysis. I hope this helps!

PalRaine
PalRaine

 @jsncruz But both are engaging in promoting products or a specific line?  Am I right?

jsncruz
jsncruz moderator like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @PalRaine  Great, good to know it helped you :) Yup, it's just the nitty-gritty details which are different I suppose :)

PalRaine
PalRaine like.author.displayName 1 Like

@jsncruz BIG HELP sir Jason.  I really have a hard time differentiating these two.  Now I know, some will think of that they're both the same in disseminating works. 

jsncruz
jsncruz moderator

 @PalRaine I wouldn't say "promoting products" - pretty much any part of marketing can do that.

 

This is very specific and specialized: CMs manage conversations with a community (it doesn't have to be a product, it can be JUST a community) while many SMMs, myself included, create and formulate strategies, plans, and approaches - from initial framework to execution. Does this help?

r rollon
r rollon like.author.displayName 1 Like

to add up, listening is also being open minded and a critical thinker at the same time... adds up to being a good manager. Yahweh bless.  

jsncruz
jsncruz moderator

 @r rollon The open-mindedness isn't SO important I feel because we deal with cold, hard numbers most of the time :P The critical thinking IS a vital one though.

 

Thanks for your insight! :)

annramirezz
annramirezz

I think social media manager is important, to supervise the operation like in a regular company.

jsncruz
jsncruz moderator

 @annramirezz Hi Ann, thanks for the comment. I'm not sure though what you mean by supervision. We aren't operations people per se; we have a very specific set of skills in a niche department of a brand/advertising agency :) Hope that makes sense.