What does a Social Media Manager do?

Fineman PR manages the social media presence for several of our accounts.  In contrast to many jobs, my position as the Director of Social Media requires that I spend a part of every day on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

Managing a client’s social media presence requires so much more than tweeting, uploading photos/videos and getting new people to like/follow a brand. Social media communications is not just about apps and tactics.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the process behind our social media programs and the challenges we help our clients address.

Strategic Planning

  • Which social media platforms make sense for an organization to join?
  • What is the organization’s personality and how can we translate that to social media?
  • What would appeal to the organization’s audiences?
  • How can social media extend the reach of other existing initiatives?
  • How can an organization leverage its social media presence to address PR crises/issues that may arise?

Listening

  • What are people saying about the organization?
  • Are there specific needs we can meet via social media that are currently not being addressed otherwise?
  • Who are the organization’s biggest fans and loudest detractors? How are they influencing the conversation?

Engaging

  • How can an organization connect with its audiences in a genuine way? How can an organization talk with, not at, its audiences?
  • To what degree should an organization engage with detractors?
  • What would motivate audiences to share an organization’s message/s?

Researching

  • What new social media platforms should an organization explore?
  • How are competitors using social media and how can an organization maintain share of conversation?
  • To what extent are social media initiatives helping an organization accomplish its objectives?

This is just a small subset of the factors that we take into consideration when managing a social media program. While social media can often be dominated by silly and lighthearted memes/trends, an organization’s social media approach needs to be comprehensive, nuanced and strategic.