This is Why Your Team Needs a Social Media Manager
By Raquel Chisholm, Social Media Manager @ Foodie Tribe
A copywriter, designer, strategist, analyst, and customer service rep login to Instagram… and the social media manager was born. This is the role that’s paved the way for how brands and agencies maintain their online presence. Presenting yourself as a trustworthy brand now requires more than just a blind click and post, and social media managers have carved out that role, navigating that intricate system for you. But this position hasn’t always been perceived as a legitimate career path.
Social Media Consultant and former Bon Appetit Assoc. Social Director Rachel Karten’s newsletter, Link in Bio, deep dives into the inner workings of the social media world. One particular phrase that struck me was: “Fire your intern” and “Your intern deserves a raise!”
The all too familiar, outdated trope aimed at the work inside social media management all guised under the veil of a username handle. When comments like these find their way to a post, whether poorly or positively received, it seems to be the way the Internet perceives the role behind the brand as simply the task for the intern.
The assumption here is that anyone can be a social media manager, but there’s a complex system hidden beneath the surface with a lot more than what meets the eye. According to data collected by LinkedIn, in the last decade job postings for this role have had an upward spike of more than 1,000%. The role requires someone to wear several hats to become the brand’s voice, deliver actual results each month, and react to real-time feedback. This isn’t only about crunching and understanding numbers, but listening to legitimate people. It’s often forgotten that there are human beings behind these screens. Reaching out to them with an imaginary, virtual hand to connect, listen and engage with the person on the other side.
This search for the most authentic connection to consumers is why the rise of digital-forward agencies has come up on top. Curating a team with roles that target and direct the workings of a brand’s social media is how to craft genuine messages and relationships with consumers. Foodie Tribe’s mission has always been about strategy and collaboration, but at the core is a true belief in constructing the perfect game plan geared toward your brand. It’s a belief that by understanding the system and those who consume it, the right code can be cracked, the right message can be received, and the right idea can be executed with a copywriter, designer, strategist, analyst, customer service rep, and intern… or perhaps a social media manager.