So, you wanna be a social media manager?

HECK YES, BESTIE! Welcome to the cool club (I may be biased). Let's dive into what it means to be a social media manager, the struggles that come with it, and the rewards that you will love!

First things first. What is a social media manager? Good question...

To be a social media manager means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Social media is still relatively new in the marketing world and back when Twitter, Facebook and Instagram were starting, most social media business accounts were being run by the intern or the office assistant.

We know now how incredibly important it is to have a social media manager, and I think most people started realizing this during the Pandemic. Your brand's identity is out there, online, and in the hands of your social media manager, so the stakes couldn't be any higher when finding a social media manager that is really good. During the pandemic, there were so many shifts and pivots in the world, in marketing, in economics that it truly showed if you had a bad social media presence. You do not want to be canceled, right? Right.

What is a social media manager?

To be a social media manager means that you are an incredibly talented person that is miraculously able to use both sides of your brain, you are obsessed with creativity AND strategy, you are highly self motivated, you are in tune with world happenings, you are an incredible writer, and you understand branding like no one's business. To be a social media manager means that you literally do it all, including:

• Strategize posts by truly understanding and building an audience

• Conceptualize content

• Plan content and keep a tight calendar

• Create content (that's right, you're a photographer, videographer, and master at graphic design)

• Create KPIs and understand how to analyze your content so that you can continue to get better

• You also somehow have a knack for public relations and can be the voice of a brand, advocate for the brand, and put out any fires for a brand

• You are a true copywriter and can write like a mofo

• You don't mind working 7 days a week

• You can think fast on your toes and adapt to the environment around you, and are always on top of the latest trends

• You can manage online relationships super well and talk to influencers and manage their campaigns

• You also manage all digital marketing budgets for influencer campaigns, and sometimes paid ads (although, that is an entirely different job altogether).

Do all of those things describe you or what you want to do? Great. Read on.

The downsides.

There are some real, serious struggles when it comes to being a social media manager. I know this first hand and go through waves of these seriously awful mental health crises due to what my job entails. Let's first start off with time. Your time is precious, and so is the time you spend on social media accounts. If you want your social media to grow, you must be ON IT. A lot.

You are working daily. Every day. Either you're posting, or interacting, or creating, or planning, or managing marketing relationships... But, not only is this a daily thing. You are on social media all the time. This, of course, can be fun. But, it can also be daunting and take a toll on your mental health. All of a sudden you're seeing all these posts and getting ideas, which is a good thing. But you're also seeing a lot of posts that might make you feel "less than" or that you're not good enough or doing enough. Beyond all of that, maybe being on your phone all the time will hurt your IRL relationships. It's not a glamorous job when you're out on a date and have to pop on your phone because of some "emergency" (it's rarely ever an emergency).

So, it's important to really check in with yourself. Take breaks. Make sure you're planning ahead. Make sure you spend some quality time with people who love you. And, if I'm being honest, make sure you're charging enough for this inevitable stress that is about to enter your life.

The upsides.

Social media is FINALLY getting the recognition it deserves! That means there are finally jobs available for you and they're actually paying the right amount. No longer will you see an intern literally holding the company's entire online reputation in their hands, this is now for a professional, like you.

This job is super fun. I'm not going to lie, I LOVE creating content and watching it do well. I love when Reels or TikTok videos go "viral"and I love making a small business owner happy with what I do for them. There's nothing like it.

And, finally, you are on the cusp of a whole new career path that has never been paved, or even walked on, before. Let's say you're starting out as a social media intern or coordinator. KEEP WITH IT. You have a career path ahead of you! Next you're going to be a Social Media Content Creator, then a Social Media Manager, then a Senior Social Media Manager, then a Director of Social Media, then the VP of Social Media, then the Head of Social Media Marketing... You get my point. The time is now and you are about to embark on an awesome career path! YAY!

Wanna chat?

Want to chat with me about being a social media manager? Do you want advice or do you want to know my process? Do you want to understand the different channels and how to manage them all together? Do you want to just pick my brain or use me as a mentor for an hour? Let's do it.