A beginners guide to becoming a Social Media Manager

To Tweet Or Not to Tweet?

Show us your favourite social media page and we’ll show you their Social Media Manager. Ok, maybe not because you know, POPIA. But what we can tell you (legally and for free) is that the real secret to any successful, visually appealing, well-run social media page is a dedicated Social Media Manager.

A Social Media Manager does just that: they manage social media accounts. That’s it! As you can imagine, this job isn’t too complicated. It’s probably one of the easiest and most rewarding jobs out there. If you already spend an almost embarrassingly high amount of time looking at your phone screen, this job could definitely be for you!

With so many companies looking to increase their digital presence through the use of social media, the career opportunities within this particular field are at an all-time high.

It might seem like a low-hanging fruit, but before you decide to apply for your first position as an SMM, let’s talk about the skills and competencies you would need to succeed at this job.

What does Social Media Management Entail?

A Social Media Manager’s job is to maximize the growth of a company’s brand, reach, and engagement using social media. They do this through creating and publishing content that is aligned with the company’s strategy, as well as monitoring posts to ensure they’re performing well.

Their responsibilities include building an audience on various social media channels like Facebook and Instagram, helping with paid advertising campaigns such as promoted posts, managing influencer partnerships, brand collaborations, and more.

Qualifications Needed to Become a Social Media Manager

To take on the role of a Social Media Manager, you will need to be quite adept with most of the current social media platforms and trends. (It also won’t hurt to know a thing or two about content marketing and SEO😉). 

Additionally, these are some of the skills, competencies, and qualifications needed for this job:

• An eye for visual storytelling and design.
• Experience with content writing and design, as well as social media marketing (preferably from within an agency, but it’s not necessary).
• A bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Communications.

How Do I Get Started?

Businesses are always looking to connect with their audience in meaningful ways, therefore there are plenty of opportunities for Social Media Managers to assist them in achieving their goals. The best way to learn the ins and outs of Social Media Management is by managing your own social media. You can curate your content across your social media platforms to try and grow your audience. Alternatively, you can engage local businesses and organizations for advice on how to get started. Or you can take it a step further and ask if you can manage their pages. 

Freelancing through platforms like the Credipple Marketplace, Upwork and Freelancer is also a great way to build up a portfolio of work experience without working directly under another person’s supervision.

Being a social media manager is an exciting and lucrative career with salaries ranging from ZAR15 000 per month.

Social media is a powerful branding and marketing tool, and its impact is growing every day. So, if you are passionate about content curation and human connection, and have the skillset to binge-tweet and scroll from sunrise to sunset, then this might be the career path for you.

If you are a creative who is looking for remote work opportunities within the Digital Marketing and Social Media spaces, head over to the Credipple Marketplace and join as a freelancer to access work opportunities and earn an income!

Post written by Khanyisile Mngomezulu