The volatile nature of social media and it’s impact on social media managers.
As a “Zillennial” I’ve watched social media so much as I grew up. I was a bit too young for MySpace, however, I vividly remember creating my Facebook account when I was in middle school, and later creating my Instagram and Twitter accounts in high school. Did I post ridiculous things because I had no clue what I was doing? You bet. And I think lot of us feel the same way about how we first used these platforms.
This hilarious MTV article perfectly sums up what many of Gen Z/Millennials posted early on. Thankfully, it’s been almost ten years since I was in middle school so hopefully no one ever scrolls to the very bottom of my posts.
As I got older, the cringe-worthy content stopped. My social media folder on my iPhone only continues to become more filled with social media apps as time goes on. And as each social platform grows, brands took notice and made sure they are present on each platform as well.
Each time we open our social media platforms, we provide so much information to these platforms, we tell them what we like, where we like to go, and so on. This user data became extremely valuable for brands to target their audience. In 2018, a total of $107.5 billion dollars was spent on online advertising and $70.9 billion dollars on television advertising.
So how has the social media industry changed for social media managers?
Not that long ago the job was essentially non-existent and now the job is in high demand. According to Enveritas Group, “the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that public relations jobs will increase by 12% in the next 6 years due to an increase in the need for social media positions.”
Social media marketing now plays an integral role in the success of a company. In our course’s book, Julie Atherton states that brands exist both in the digital and real world. As experience becomes the most important metric, social media ensures that brands have a presence wherever we spend our time.
Since experience is now the most important measurement this has changed the role of a social media manager. Before, a social media manager’s job was just to reach as many as possible and create content that is reactive to what is happening within a brand or organization. But now, the job has gotten a lot more complicated. It’s often assumed that social media managers just create cute posts and just play on Instagram and Facebook, but that’s far from the truth these days.
Well, why has it become complicated?
As social media platforms changed, so does the content that we want to see, which further complicates the job of a social media manager. The days of just posting what your brand offers is long gone. If you want to create engagement and loyalty, the content that is posted needs to add value to the customer experience. Social media gives the opportunity to brands to really personify themselves.
One way social media has changed is video.
According to Oberlo, videos are a consumers’ favorite type of content to see from a brand on social media. Consumers expect more video content. In 2016, Instagram launched Instagram stories. This is a way to keep consumers updated or to show behind-the-scenes glimpses. While on the feed you might see high-quality videos, on the other hand, stories are very user friendly and allow for anyone to make creative content. Then there are live videos which allow for anyone around the world to join your event, which a social media manager would typically be in charge of. After the release of Tik Tok, Instagram recently came out Reels this past year. Both these platforms are great for creating engaging video content that also doesn’t require an actual videographer.
Another big change is social listening.
In order to enhance the consumer experience, brands need to establish a good relationship between them and the consumer, which means actually listening and building community.
Social listening means tracking what your audience is talking about. And it’s important to use this to your advantage.
Social media managers are now an extension of customer service. Which means social media managers must be able to have empathy an good conversation skills to handle customer concerns and questions. Also, in order to build long-lasting relationships it is important to create community. Which means social media managers are responsible for facilitating engagement.
My favorite example of building community on social media has to be Starbucks’ Leaf Raker’s Society Facebook group. The group for those who celebrate Fall all-year long. Not only does this help personify the Starbucks brand, but provides intel as to what consumers want.
So are all these changes good or bad for social media managers?
Well, it depends. Social media only continues to change, which means that social media managers need to be on top of trends constantly, in order for brands to succeed on social platforms.
All these changes are great for brands, but not so great for a social media manager’s workload. The reason social media manager jobs are growing is so the workload can be split amongst a team. These changes also require a lot more creativity, which is not as overwhelming when you have a team to brainstorm with. It also means that a social media manager needs to be very well-rounded, meaning they need to be good at design, video, customer service and mostly importantly, writing.
Social media will only continue to evolve, which means the role of a social media manager is alongside it.
