Social Media Manager Job Description

In today’s digital world, the role of social media manager is more dynamic than ever. But what does a social media manager do exactly? From content creation to data analysis, the responsibilities of a social media manager include developing strategies, engaging followers, and improving brand visibility across platforms. 

This guide will walk you through the complete social media manager job description. This includes core duties, essential responsibilities, skills, salaries, tools, and the process of becoming one.

Table of Contents:

• Who is a Social Media Manager?
• Roles and Responsibilities of a Social Media Manager
• Must Have Technical Skills to Become a Social Media Manager
• Must Have Soft Skills to Become a Social Media Manager
• Tools, Platforms, and Emerging Channels for Social Media Managers 
• Social Media Manager Salary Overview
• Common Social Media Manager Jobs
• Sample Job Description Template for a Social Media Manager
• How to Become a Social Media Manager: Step-by-Step Guide
• Conclusion

Who is a Social Media Manager?

A social media manager is a professional who creates, manages, and maintains a brand’s presence on social media platforms. The main responsibility of a social media manager is to engage audiences, increase brand awareness, generate leads, and increase followers on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube. They also manage communications within online communities. 

Social media managers use customer feedback to improve the brand and build a positive relationship with their customers. This role requires both technical and soft skills in a fast-changing digital world.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Social Media Manager

Here are the main responsibilities most companies expect from a social media manager:

1. Strategy Development

• A crucial role of a social media manager is to create and implement strategies to achieve business goals.
• They research and understand users’ preferences and needs.
• They monitor trends, platform updates, algorithms, and industry news to ensure their strategies work effectively to achieve goals.

2. Content Creation and Management

• They build and schedule content around relevant news, events, and holidays. Managers implement these content plans across different platforms.
• They create engaging content such as posts, videos, and GIFs for social media platforms based on the target audience.
• They manage copywriting for brand captions and headlines, and also review for proper grammar and spelling.

3. Community Management and Engagement

• They manage communication by replying to comments, messages, and mentions from followers.
• They create and manage online communities by encouraging discussions and relationships with followers.
• They monitor negative feedback and manage tense communications if necessary.

4. Campaign and Advertising Management

• The social media manager designs and executes the social media campaigns to launch, promote, and market products or services.
• They identify influencers and collaborate with them to create trending content and improve their brand reach.
• They also set up and manage paid ad campaigns on social media platforms to reach a wider audience.

5. Analytics and Reporting

• The social media manager tracks key metrics, including engagement rates, reach, impressions, click-through rates, and conversions.
• They analyze social media data by using analytics tools to understand what is working and what is not.
• They provide regular reports to stakeholders and show the impact of their efforts to achieve business goals.

6. Collaboration and Coordination

• They also guide and support junior social media professionals and content creators.
• The social media manager works with marketing, sales, design, and customer service teams. This ensures all social efforts align with business goals.

Master Digital Marketing Course with Certificate.

Start Today. Enroll Now!

Explore Program

Must Have Technical Skills to Become a Social Media Manager

To succeed as a social media manager, you must have these technical skills:

1. Social Media Platforms Expertise 

Social media managers require solid knowledge of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube. They must also be able to understand algorithms and best practices, and manage audience engagement.

2. Content Management Tools

Content management tools play a critical role in managing the large amount of data on social media. The social media manager must know how to use scheduling and management tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, and Later. This helps plan and implement posts for better content management.

3. Analytics and Reporting Tools

They must be proficient in tools such as Google Analytics, Meta Business Suite, and LinkedIn Analytics. This helps them to track and report the effectiveness of the campaigns and advertisements.

4. Graphic Design and Video Editing

For creating visually stunning and engaging content, a social media manager should have intermediate proficiency in Canva, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and basic video tools.

5. Advertising Management Platforms

Social media managers must know paid social advertising platforms to run and optimize brand ads.

6. SEO and Content Optimization

The social media manager must know how to improve SEO and optimize content using keywords, hashtags, and discoverability techniques.

7. Collaboration and Project Management Tools

Tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams help social media managers coordinate with teams across departments. Familiarity with Trello and Notion is important for seamless communication and project tracking.

Must Have Soft Skills to Become a Social Media Manager

In addition to technical skills, a social media manager must have these soft skills:

1. Creativity

Must come up with new, engaging content ideas and ads according to the needs and preferences of the users.

2. Communication

Excellent verbal and written communication skills help create clear messages, emails, and presentations to share with teams and stakeholders.

3. Strategic Thinking

The social media manager must have the ability to align the social media goals with marketing and business objectives. This is to make sure there is consistent and effective brand advertising on social media.

4. Adaptability 

Should be able to adapt in a fast-changing social media environment for efficient work on trends.

5. Time Management

Strong time management is essential for handling content calendars, deadlines, and campaigns.

6. Problem Solving

They must have the ability to identify and solve problems in the ads, content creation, and communication.

7. Attention to Detail

Should pay attention to every detail, such as grammar, guidelines, and design consistency. This helps to maintain a clear, correct, and professional social media presence for the brand.

Tools, Platforms, and Emerging Channels for Social Media Managers 

A social media manager uses a variety of tools for scheduling and managing posts. For content design, tools like Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, and CapCut are popular. They also use Google Analytics, Meta Business Suite, and Sprinklr to track performance and measure engagement.

Tools Used by Social Media Managers

A social media manager relies on a variety of tools to perform their daily tasks efficiently. These tools fall into different categories but can be grouped as part of the essential toolkit:

• Scheduling & Management Tools: Platforms like Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, and Later allow managers to plan, schedule, and publish content across multiple social media accounts. These tools also help monitor engagement and manage conversations in one place.
• Design & Content Creation Tools: Social media managers use Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, and CapCut to design visuals and videos across formats.
• Analytics & Reporting Tools: They use Google Analytics and Meta Business Suite to track content performance and user engagement. These tools provide insights into reach, impressions, conversions, and audience behavior.
• AI & Writing Tools: ChatGPT helps generate content ideas and captions, while Grammarly ensures correct grammar and readability in posts.

Platforms Where They Work

They operate on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok. Each platform is used for different audience types, content formats, and goals. For example, LinkedIn for B2B, Instagram for visual storytelling, and TikTok for viral short videos.

Emerging Channels

To keep brands relevant and future-ready, social media managers also explore new and emerging platforms:

• Threads (Meta’s alternative to X) and Discord are used for building communities.
• Some brands experiment with platforms like Clubhouse or Lemon8, depending on audience fit.

Many teams now use AI tools to generate captions, post ideas, and video concepts faster, showing how technology is reshaping their work.

Social Media Manager Salary Overview 

If you are starting your career in digital marketing, knowing the salary of a social media manager is crucial. The growing focus that organizations have placed on engaging with customers online and building brand exposure has created a need for social media managers across all industries. As a result, it has become a competitive and desirable career. Here is a breakdown of the average salary of social media managers: 

Note: Salary may vary depending on experience, location, industry, specialization, and company size.

Common Social Media Manager Jobs

A social media manager can work in every industry. Their job titles may change depending on the size, structure, and focus of the company. Most often found within the social media management career path are the following jobs:

1. Social Media Executive

This is an advanced role that involves managing channels daily, assisting in building content calendars, and running bigger campaigns.

2. Social Media Manager

This is a versatile role responsible for the creation and implementation of social media strategy and campaigns across channels. It also involves monitoring performance outcomes and leading a small team or teaming up with content and design departments.

3. Content & Social Media Manager

A content and social media manager oversees content creation and social media liaising. They also have an eye on maintaining consistent content and voice across digital platforms.

4. Community Manager

The main focus of this role is to manage engagement. The community manager focuses on connecting with the audience and creating a community around the brand. This also involves actively responding to comments and messages.

5. Digital Marketing & Social Media Specialist 

A role where social media is only one of many aspects of their responsibilities, alongside email marketing, SEO, and digital advertising. This occurs often in smaller companies or agencies, where roles are combined.

6. Influencer Marketing Manager

Focuses exclusively on sourcing, negotiating with, and managing influencers for branded collaborations, campaign partnerships, and content amplification.

7. Social Media Strategist 

A role around planning long-term social strategies, setting KPIs, analyzing audience data, and aligning the brand with goals, trends, and followers.

8. Paid Social Media Manager 

This role mainly focuses on paid media advertising across Facebook Ads, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, including campaign planning and management, budget optimization, and performance evaluation. 

9. Social Media Director 

This is a senior-level role that handles the entire social media function at a high level. It includes high-level strategies, budget management, and working with senior leadership to achieve business goals via digital innovation.

Sample Job Description Template for a Social Media Manager 

Below is a real-world example of a social media manager job description you might find in company listings:

How to Become a Social Media Manager: Step-by-Step Guide

To become a social media manager, at first, you need to research and understand the role. Whether you are new to the industry or coming from a different sector, this step-by-step guide will help you to set yourself up for success.

Step 1: Familiarize Yourself with the Role

Learn about what social media managers do. Some of the general responsibilities of a social media manager are content creation, social media strategy, audience interaction, analytics reporting, and tracking trends and changes.

Step 2: Learn the Relevant Skills

To be successful, develop both technical and soft skills. Technical skills to learn:

• Social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, TikTok)
• Content creation tools (Canva, Adobe Suite, CapCut)
• Analytics and reporting (Meta Business Suite, Google Analytics, Buffer, Hootsuite)
• Paid advertising (Facebook Ads Manager, LinkedIn Ads)
• SEO basics and hashtag strategy

Soft skills to focus on include communication, creativity, strategic thinking, time management, and adaptability.

Step 3: Pursue Education or Online Courses

A bachelor’s degree helps, especially in marketing, communications, journalism, or digital media. You can also take online certifications from platforms.

Step 4: Build a Portfolio

Build an online portfolio that must have:

• Examples of social media posts or campaigns.
• Follower growth or engagement statistics.
• Screenshots of your analytics reports.
• Content calendars that you have created.

Use applications like Notion, Canva, or a personal website for professional presentation of your work.

Step 5: Keep Up with Trends

Social media is always evolving. Follow the blogs of major platforms (e.g., Instagram Creators, LinkedIn for Business) to be informed about changes to their algorithms, features that are trending (e.g., Reels, Shorts), and any tools they have developed.

Step 6: Network and Join Communities

Engage with other social media professionals through:

• LinkedIn groups
• Twitter/X chats
• Reddit (e.g., r/socialmedia)
• Online forums and webinars

Step 7: Apply for Jobs and Internships

Look for roles such as Social Media Intern, Digital Marketing Assistant, Community Manager, and Content Creator. Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight social media experience, creativity, and measurable results.

Step 8: Continue Learning and Specializing

As you gain experience, consider specializing in areas like:

• Paid social media advertising
• Influencer marketing
• Video and short-form content strategy
• Social media analytics

Advanced roles may require leadership and campaign management skills.

Step 9: Grow Your Career

Over time, you can grow your career into roles like:

• Senior Social Media Manager
• Social Media Strategist
• Head of Social Media
• Director of Digital Marketing

Freelancing or starting your own social media agency is also a viable option if you prefer working independently.

Conclusion

A social media manager shapes what people see and say about a brand online, builds the community, and sparks day-to-day engagement. Whether you are drafting a social media manager job description or preparing to apply, knowing the core duties and responsibilities will help you succeed. With a clear plan, some training, and steady effort, you can become a successful social media manager.

Start learning digital marketing for free with Intellipaat’s Digital Marketing Course. Enroll now and build the skills you need to grow your career in social media marketing.

Useful Resources:

• Social Media Marketing (SMM)
• Social Media Marketing Salary Trends
• Top 10 Social Media Marketing Tools
• Social Media Marketing Interview Questions

Frequently Asked Questions