What is a Social Media Manager?

In February’s blog, we covered what a Social Media Content Creator is and what they do. While their roles can sometimes overlap, a social media manager is a distinct position. Many confuse the two or believe they are the same—but trust me, there’s plenty of work to go around! I briefly touched on this last month and promised to delve deeper this time.

Content Creation vs. Social Media Management

A content creator focuses on providing tailored content specifically for your brand, ensuring it aligns with your business goals, target audience, and the platform where it will be posted.

Creating a Social Media Presence

Among the many responsibilities of a social media manager, the first two are creating and maintaining a brand’s online presence. If your business doesn’t have social media accounts, they can set them up for you. Your profiles should be cohesive across all platforms for easy brand recognition and include essential business information and links.

Now What?

Great! Your social media accounts are established. What comes next? How do you grow a following? Here’s where the key difference between a content creator or influencer and a social media manager becomes clear. While branded content is essential to engage your target audience, a social media manager goes further—they plan campaigns, engage with followers, and track trends to keep your brand relevant and appealing.

Campaign Planning & Execution

Developing strategies for the type of content to create based on marketing goals takes significant effort. A social media manager collaborates with your business to discuss objectives—whether it’s promoting a product, informing the public about a service, or determining the best posting times based on user activity.

But it doesn’t stop there. A social media manager monitors engagement and analytics to understand who is interacting with your content, which types perform best, and how to refine strategies for continued growth and success.

Community Engagement

Beyond analytics, a social media manager actively monitors brand interactions. They check for mentions, comments, and likes, ensuring engagement with your audience. Building a strong community involves thanking those who share your content, responding to mentions, acknowledging reviews, and answering questions in a timely and professional manner. These efforts foster relationships and encourage people to stay connected by following your page.

Staying Active & Up to Date

Social media management is a full-time job. It involves strategizing campaigns, collaborating with content creators, engaging with audiences daily, and reviewing analytics. On top of that, social media managers must stay informed about ever-changing platform policies, experiment with new tools and features, run paid ads, research relevant hashtags, and adapt to best practices for each channel.

Phew! That’s a lot of work! Now you see why social media management has become a full-time profession in today’s digital world.

In-House vs. Outsourcing

Some businesses hire in-house social media managers who may also create content. Others prefer to have a dedicated content creator working alongside a social media manager. For small businesses, outsourcing to a freelancer or agency is a cost-effective option.

Many business owners I’ve worked with prefer to avoid the expense of an additional salaried employee and opt to outsource social media management or content creation. However, some have found that agency-produced content can feel generic, lack an authentic brand voice, or limit their ability to pivot strategies quickly.

What Do You Do?

For my clients, I offer social media account setup to ensure everything is done right from the start. I also provide training and consulting to help business owners manage their accounts effectively. Most of my clients hire me for campaign-based work and monthly content creation, allowing me to understand their brand and deliver customized content as needed. My clients appreciate my personable approach and the flexibility of working with a freelancer.

Although I love helping businesses with social media, I don’t have the bandwidth to manage accounts for all my clients full-time. In addition to running my own business and managing my father’s company, Farmer Boy Furniture, I serve as both the social media manager and content creator for both.

Would you like help strategizing your social media presence? Let’s connect!