Social Media Manager

A Social Media Specialist/Manager is an employee who is responsible for managing their employer's social media presence. In some workplace settings, these marketing professionals may be known as Customer Experience Managers, Community Managers, Digital Engagement Specialists or Content Marketing Managers.

Job Responsibilities of Social Media Specialists/Managers

The primary job responsibilities of Social Media Specialists/Managers include the development, implementation, management and review of social media marketing plans. As they work to fulfill those primary responsibilities, Social Media Specialists/Managers typically perform the following duties:

• Use research, benchmarking, messaging, target (audience) identification and other tools to build and implement a social media strategy
• Create and optimize pages in social media platforms to increase company visibility
• Generate, edit, publish and share content daily on company pages (text, images and videos, for instance)
• Develop and maintain editorial calendars, syndication schedules
• Connect with social media page visitors via dialog and messaging
• Moderate user-generated content/comments on company social media pages
• Work with other departments, such as sales or customer service, to manage company reputation, promote products and/or services on social media
• Capture and analyze data and metrics to evaluate and improve the performance of social media marketing strategies.

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Common Employment Settings for Social Media Specialists/Managers

Social Media Specialists/Managers work in a wide variety of employment settings throughout virtually every industry. Basically, any company, business or organization that uses social media to promote their goods and services, engage consumers and/or create brand recognition requires the services of these professionals.

Many work directly and exclusively for large corporations, small businesses, non-profit organizations or government agencies, managing their social media presence via in-house positions. Many others work in advertising or marketing firms, and some pursue their trade as freelancers, working remotely from their own home or office to serve the social media management needs of a variety of clients.

Social Media Specialists/Managers: Career Outlook

The career outlook for Social Media Specialists/Managers is expected to be favorable in the coming years. As the number of enterprises using social media as a platform to promote their products and services continues to rise, demand for these workers is expected to increase as well.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook groups Social Media Specialists/Managers under the Public Relations Specialist category, so job growth projections for the specific position are not provided. However, the occupational group is expected to see job growth of about 9 percent between 2016 and 2026, according to BLS projections.

While this information can be helpful to those exploring the career potential of certain occupations, it is important to note that job market data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook is simply intended to provide insight on occupational opportunities. It is not to be construed as a guarantee of salary or job title. Neither BLS nor Bryant & Stratton College can guarantee employment as a Social Media Specialist/Manager or in any other occupational field.

Becoming a Social Media Specialist/Manager: Educational Requirements

Starting a career as a Social Media Specialist/Manager generally requires earning a degree in digital marketing or a closely related field. The Bryant & Stratton College AAS Digital Marketing degree is an excellent choice for launching such a career, providing a strong foundation for the skills and knowledge you will need to enter the field as a social media professional.

Additional Training/Requirements

Many employers prefer to hire candidates for Social Media Specialist/Manager positions who have significant work experience, typically 3 to 5 years of employment in social media marketing or a closely related occupation. Most employers prefer to hire candidates for these positions who have demonstrated their expertise by creating successful social media strategies for other employers or clients, and/or building a strong personal social media presence.

Many employers also prefer to hire candidates who have earned professional certifications, demonstrating advanced knowledge of social media management and digital marketing. Among the certifications most often requested in this field are the Online Marketing Certified Associate (OMCA) or Online Marketing Certified Professionals (OMCP) credential. Earning these and other professional certifications generally means meeting the educational and work experience standards of the issuing organizations and passing an exam. In some cases, maintaining certifications once they have been earned may require meeting requirements to complete periodic continuing education courses. The cost of the OMCP certification is included in tuition for the  Bryant & Stratton College AAS Digital Marketing degree.

What can I do with a Digital Marketing degree?

Earning a Digital Marketing associate degree through Bryant & Stratton's program can give you the skills and credentials you need to pursue a career as a Social Media Specialist/Manager. You will learn how to design and implement effective social media marketing campaigns, engage consumers through a variety of social media platforms, enhance brand visibility, increase website traffic, analyze data on consumer behavior and evaluate marketing campaign results.

This degree program includes courses that can prepare you for many other roles within the digital marketing field, including web analytics, search engine marketing and optimization, and mobile and email marketing, to name just a few. Additionally, since Bryant & Stratton's AAS Digital Marketing degree program is an approved program through OMCA, the degree you earn upon graduation will qualify you to sit for the OMCA certification exam. Finally, completing this degree program can prepare you for success should you decide to continue your marketing education via Bryant & Stratton College's Digital Marketing Bachelor's degree program.

For more insights into building a career as a Social Media Specialist/Manager or in another area of the digital marketing field, please visit the Business degrees section of the Bryant and Stratton College blog. By exploring the blog and our website, you can gain further insights on how to plan your most effective path to success as you work towards building a lucrative and fulfilling career.