5 Ways The Role of Social Media Managers Has Changed
Scroll, scroll, scroll your finger gently through the feed. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream — for users, that is.
For social media managers, it can be a hot mess at times. With the constant changes and new developments, there is absolutely no room for rest and relaxation.
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s a fun and rewarding job, but there is a lot more to it than just posting and liking content. It’s a legit JOB, not a hobby.
The social media industry has changed tremendously over the past couple of years. The older platforms have made tons of updates and modifications to keep up with consumers, while the newer platforms finally made the right adjustment to break through the mold.
So, how do these changes affect social media managers? It simply changes the role of social media managers altogether, forcing them to wear many hats. On any given day, they are responsible for creating content, responding to customers, creating reports, managing budgets, etc.
With that said, below are 5 ways social media has changed for social media managers.
1. Who Run The World? Influencers!
One significant change in the social media industry is the use of influencer marketing. They have taken over, and they aren’t going anywhere.
For social media managers, this means that they now have to find influencers that will coincide with their audience and pay them to represent their brand. This is a positive change for social media managers because once they find the right influencers that can use them to their advantage. For example, influencers can help create fresh, meaningful content and spark innovative social media strategies to attract consumers.
2. Tools, Tools, Tools, Tools, Tools, We Do Adore!
What do you get when you have a successful platform or product? Yep, you guessed! Tons of new tools and software that can be used to enhance it.
When it comes to social media managers, tools are their best friends as the number of platforms continues to increase. It can be the difference between dreading your job or loving it. Trust me! They are essential. With that said, as the industry grows, there are tons of social media management tools being released to help social media managers. This can have its perks if you know how to filter through the crowd. Here’s a tip, if you want to try a new tool, try to use it for at least three months before switching to another new shiny tool.
3. Rolling In The Trends
Seriously, trends are everything. This has especially proven true after the unforgettable year of 2020. Everyone and their mama (literally) joined TikTok.
Due to the constant change in social media trends, social media managers have to be quick learners and easily adapt to keep consumers engaged. This could be a negative thing because, unfortunately, trends go as quickly as they come, so you have to catch them while they are hot.
4. These fingers are made for responding — to consumers
I am sure we are all guilty of searching for a company’s social media page first, rather than their website, when we want to get in contact with them.
The ability to reach and interact with companies through social media is one of the main changes that affect social media managers. This can be both a positive and negative thing because one missed comment can affect your company’s reputation. Social media managers have to now act as customer service representatives and continually tend to their consumers’ needs online. This can be tricky for smaller companies who may only have one person monitoring the sites and can’t keep up with their consumers. However, if done right, it can be a game-changer for consumer engagement and interactions. Consumers will simply feel like they are appreciated, which guarantees they will be back for more.
5. Go Live or Go Home!
The addition of live streaming to the social media industry is significant. It gives companies the ability to have a 1:1 interaction with consumers while organically boosting engagement.
With this in mind, who do you think is responsible for organizing these lives and sometimes even speaking on them? Yep, you’re right again! Social media managers not only have to add live streaming to their content calendars, but they also have to become confident public speakers. This can be a positive thing for social media managers because it allows them to better understand their audience and improve their future campaigns.
All in all, the social media industry is constantly emerging, which means a social media manager’s role will never stop evolving. The key is to remain in drive because you never know if a sharp turn is around the corner.
Happy Scrolling!
