Social Media Manager. Social Media Analyst. Social Media Specialist. Digital PR Supervisor. Content Evangelist. Digital Marketing Expert. Brand Messaging Leader. Marketing Manager. Community Manager.
After 8 years in the business, I’ve heard it all and been it all. Social Media is a constantly changing, and constantly evolving, to the point that as a field it is hard to define. As a job title, it is even harder.
As a “Social Media Something,” do you sit at a screen all day posting on Facebook? Are you out in the field snapping “real-time” shots for your visual campaign? Are you deep diving into Google Analytics and tracking conversions? Are you in SCRUM trying to make sure the IT team puts the social icons above the fold? Are you in a pitch meeting trying to explain to a client about how to increase their social promotion budget to reach their current fans and to meet new ones? Are you on the phone with an Influencer discussing the new FTC regulations for sponsored content? We love this humorous minute-by-minute description of the average day of a SMM.
A social media career can include any number of skills, numerous tools and platforms, across an immeasurable number of verticals:
-Social Media Channels (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and so on!)
-Content Creation and Aggregation (WordPress, Hubspot, Mention, etc.)
-Influencer Marketing (Affinio, GroupHigh, BuzzSumo, etc.)
-Reporting & Analytics (Google Analytics, ExactTarget, Simply Measured, etc.)
-Community Management and Content Distribution (Sprout Social, SpredFast, Hootsuite, etc.)
-Paid Promotion (Taboola, Outbrain, TruView, Kenshoo, Native, etc.)
-SEO (SEMRush, Moz, Google Analytics & Webmaster Tools, etc.)
-IT support (google Webmaster Tools, ScreamingFrog, QA, SCRUM, Ovo, etc.)
-Email Marketing (Pardot, MailChimp, ConstantContact, etc.)
-Design (Photoshop, Canva, Cinegraph, etc.)
This small list of skills and tools doesn’t even scratch the surface! Sometimes one social media position is responsible for all of the above. Sometimes, it is broken out by task. So, for a job with so many potential skill requirements and tool options, how do you define the position?
Perhaps define it by using generic business terms:
-Director
-Supervisor
-Manager
-Jr Manager
-Specialist
But, how to quantify the work? And if you are in the market for a job, how to apply for the right one? Honestly, there is no ONE definitive answer. I am scrolling through LinkedIn right now, and see that we are no closer to a definition for the job title than we were 8 years ago when social media began to become it’s own job role.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you think there should be one title for all? And if so, what would we be?