The 5 Most Important Skills of a Great Social Media Manager

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Susan Mullin

When we hear “social media manager,” the first thing that comes to mind is a millennial. Someone who graduated with a communications major and didn‘t know what to do with it. Now they sit in an office chair and scroll through Facebook for the majority of their day. Although the name of the position sounds quite simple, the job is more complex. Certain strategies and tactics are crucial to an organization’s success. Social media managers contribute significantly to the public-facing image of many companies. Not only that, but customer relations, marketing, and many other aspects of the business.

Over the past decade, social media has become a key component of most organizations’ communication strategies. Your content and engagement with people online can largely impact the way customers perceive your company. With a few strokes of a keyboard, customers can now access thousands of reviews of your products and services. That being said, not just anyone can be a social media manager. Just because you use social media doesn’t necessarily qualify you for this type of position. You need skills in a number of key areas in order to succeed.

Here are five skills that you need in order to be a great social media manager:

Good copywriting 

Strong writing skills are crucial for getting clicks, which in turn increases your user engagement. Social media management involves a lot of original writing–it’s not just reposting other people’s posts and adding a short comment. The key is the ability to express your brand’s distinct voice and effectively engage your target audience via original posts. Social media managers have to get users to act, sometimes using only a few words like a short photo caption. Also, you need to know how to write effective longer-form content about topics of interest to your audience.

Proficiency in graphic design

Engaging content involves well-written posts as well as visual appeal. Visuals are great for accompanying written text, or as a stand-alone post. Nowadays, attention is a hot commodity. Make use of videos, gifs, and infographics to catch people’s attention. Working knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, and video editing is a requirement for your professional social media toolkit.

Familiarity with SEO and content optimization 

Top-quality content production is crucial for this position. But, what’s the point of writing an amazing 10/10 blog if it has 0 actual reads? In order for your blog to reach interested readers, you need to optimize it for search engines. You need to be able to research keywords, competitors, and effectively write using SEO best practices.

Understanding of social media manager-related analytics

Data on social media engagement isn’t of much use if you can’t analyze it properly. Social media metrics can give you tons of insightful information. You can learn your audience’s demographics, content performance, the rate of people viewing your profile, and overall engagement. It’s very important for social media managers to use a variety of analytics and data points to prove ROI. 

Customer service orientation

Social media platforms are the ideal space to start a conversation with your followers and customers. People with similar interests can come together in a community to interact with your brand. According to Ambassador, 71% of consumers who have had a good social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others. Establishing a positive relationship and engaging with customers online is very important. If you don’t, you risk backlash from unhappy customers. 

Writing, design, SEO, analytics, and customer service skills are all key to success. Throw in some charisma, curiosity, and a can-do attitude, and you’ll be unbeatable!

What top skills do you look for in a Social Media Manager?

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