Social media marketing (SMM) is an umbrella term that covers a variety of digital marketing activities, such as marketing your products or services on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Social media marketing encompasses various roles and responsibilities, from content creation to monitoring brand mentions. Here’s an overview of the main roles you can expect to find when searching for social media marketing jobs:
Content Marketing Manager
As the name suggests, a content marketing manager is responsible for creating and promoting content that will help attract new customers and improve brand awareness. A content marketing manager may work closely with a digital marketing manager to create content calendars and promotion strategies. They may also work with social media strategists to create content that is most effective for social media channels. A content marketing manager might handle a wide range of tasks, from editing and formatting blog posts to researching content ideas and managing writers.
SMM Strategist
An SMM strategist determines how your brand can best use social media to achieve its marketing goals. A good strategist will research your industry and the audiences you want to reach, then create a social media strategy based on those findings. An SMM strategist will also create a plan for measuring success and making adjustments as necessary.
SMM Producers
Social media producers create social media posts based on a strategist’s plan. They may handle all aspects of the process, or they may supervise a team of social media editors. A producer might create a variety of posts each day, or they might produce posts on a less frequent basis, creating posts that last longer and receive more engagement. Make sure you’re applying for jobs as a social media producer and not a social media manager. Although the job titles are similar, producers handle the day-to-day tasks associated with creating and publishing posts, whereas managers oversee the entire process and make strategic decisions.
SMM Analyst
A social media analyst analyzes data to determine how well your social media marketing efforts are performing. An analyst may review social media metrics, such as follower growth or engagement rates, or they may analyze sales data to determine if social media played a role in any increase or decrease in sales. A social media analyst may review data related to each social media channel or they may look at data across multiple channels. Analyst positions are ideal for marketing professionals who prefer analyzing data over creating and managing content.
SMM Coordinator
A social media coordinator supports other members of the social media team. They may manage social media schedules and respond to questions from managers and analysts. A coordinator may also be responsible for training new members of the social media team or overseeing interns.
SMM Writer
Social media writers create content for social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Writers create posts based on a social media strategy and make sure the posts are optimized for each channel. A social media writer may handle all aspects of the process from researching topics to creating posts and scheduling them. A social media writer may also be responsible for monitoring brand mentions and responding to comments and questions as necessary.
Data Analyst
A social media data analyst studies data to determine how well your social media marketing efforts are performing. An analyst may review social media metrics, such as follower growth or engagement rates, or they may analyze sales data to determine if social media played a role in any increase or decrease in sales. An analyst may also review data related to each social media channel or they may look at data across multiple channels.
Marketing Specialist
A social media marketing specialist is responsible for analyzing your social media strategies and making adjustments as needed. A specialist may create reports and track social media metrics to determine which strategies are working best and which could use some improvement. A marketing specialist may also create content calendars and recommendations for the best times and days to publish posts.
Social Media Manager
A social media manager oversees all aspects of your social media presence, from planning and creating content to analyzing data and making adjustments as needed. A social media manager may manage a team of social media specialists, reviewing their work and providing feedback as necessary. They may also create social media strategies, create content calendars and promote your social media channels. When searching for social media marketing jobs, be sure to identify which role is most appropriate for you. You may also want to consider specializing in one or two social media channels. This will help you grow your expertise and ensures you’re not getting overwhelmed by trying to manage too many channels at once. And most importantly, don’t forget to have fun! Social media can be a great way to express your creativity and connect with new people.
