I’ve seen it all. I was a social media professional for 10+ years, and during that time, I learned how to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of social media marketing – from new platforms like Vine to memes that emerged on Reddit. In this blog post, I’ll share some secrets I picked up along the way: what not to do when you’re launching a campaign, how to effectively use hashtags in your posts (and why!), and more! Read on for insider tips from someone who’s been there before.
A social media manager and a social media strategist are the same, right?
A social media manager’s primary role is to maintain and grow an account on a particular social media platform
Versus
A social media strategist’s primary role is to use the power of digital platforms to achieve marketing goals
Social Media Managers are focused on content creation, while Social Media Strategists are focused on strategy
Social media managers are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of social media accounts and content. This means that the social media manager is in charge of managing the company’s social media accounts.
A social media strategist is a person who uses creativity, marketing knowledge, and digital skills to develop a strategy for an organization’s use of social media platforms. In other words A social media strategist analyzes what types of content to post and when to post it for maximum engagement.
Social Media Managers typically have a background in marketing or communications while Social Media Strategists usually have a background in digital marketing or public relations
Social Media Strategists are more likely to work with senior management, while Social Media Managers are more likely to answer customer service emails and handle basic tasks like posting on Facebook
The difference between the two positions is that while both may require some basic graphic design skill, only those in the role of strategist would require extensive knowledge about branding and marketing strategies which are essential components when developing a campaign plan
Social Media Strategists are more likely to work with senior management, while Social Media Managers are more likely to answer customer service emails and handle basic tasks like posting on Facebook
A typical day for a Social Media Manager might be responding to comments on Facebook posts, answering questions about products from potential customers, and monitoring metrics such as likes and shares
A typical day for a Social Media Strategist might include analyzing which type of content was most popular during the last few months, deciding which type of content should be posted next based on trends, planning out future campaigns that will generate the best response from audiences (e.g., using hashtags), creating graphics for posts (e.g., memes)
The difference between a Social Media Manager and a Social Media Strategist can be summarized in one sentence “A Social Media Manager creates content for your company’s various accounts, whereas a Social Media Strategist focuses more broadly on how that content gets distributed.” – AnnaMarie Houlis
“The main difference between these two positions lies in their focus.” – Christopher Poole
