What is troubling me as a social media marketer?
…constantly having to explain “what it is that i exactly do” yet me myself can hardly grasp the full term of what it is exactly that i do. Why can’t social media managers be just social media managers? hey? a teacher is a teacher, a surgeon is a surgeon, however a social media manager has to explain “what it is exactly that they do”. Fair enough the industry is new but damn right people it means exactly what it says and if you want to take it as sitting on our phones all day then be our guest. haha. kidding.
Now you may wonder where does one find social media managers that work truly to definition (because most of us do the most out here). There are social media managers that work at a corporate company where you are simply managing their social media as a business, working with a team of other marketers and content creators for example or you are working in an agency where again you have a team that produces the content for you and all you have to do is manage social media accounts for businesses. Those are the few social media managers that work true to definition like other job roles out there. Then there are social media managers like me who are ALSO content creators. Do I say I am a content creator and social media manager because technically I am currently creating content for all my clients and then going on to manage that content? me just saying I am a social media manager and not including content creation is giving a false definition to my role. Unlike being in an agency or working within marketing of a corporate business, i not only have to come with copy “sometimes” to help the copywriters, i have to come up with copy/captions all the time, i have to be a videographer, a photographers, a graphic designer and much more to produce content for me to social media manage. Content to post, for community building and to grow the clients’ platforms by constant exposure of that particular account on social media. It is that and more that i do as a social media marketer and as a freelance social media manager but how am getting this mouthful out in a couple of sentences to quickly explain “what it is exactly that i do”.
Something else troubling me as a social media marketer is something I unfortunately have no control over and that is how in this industry room for mistake is very little to none because it is a very public industry, mistakes are bound to be made publicly too. I mean on social media there is basically zero room for mistakes because it’s mistakes that you normally cannot take back; imagine communicating the wrong message for a client on a graphic, posting on the wrong account, incorrect captioning or typos; you can’t undo that you know, even though you can sometimes edit captions WHILE IT IS ALREADY OUT THERE. THE MISTAKE IS ALREADY MADE. This is a worry for because absolutely no one is perfect therefore mistakes are bound to happen, it is just that those mistake not only leave a bad impression on you and your work but also on the that particular business as well, that you are managing. If you are someone that works alone then i would recommend having a trusted source that can always proofread some of your work. Give a different set of eyes to your graphics, images or videos you know to check if the colours are correct or if you have not left any mistakes. I am saying this because sometimes there is only so much scrutinising you can do to your own work you will still unintentionally miss something.
Lastly, What’s bothering me as a social media manager is the misconception that even i have had a very hard time with, being a self taught social media manager. That to be a good social media manager you need to have worked at corporate, within a marketing team or an agency before. How you have acquired your skills and experience as a social media marketer should not be what define or measures you. It is your work and your performance that should.
Build your portfolio, constantly be learning within the industry, take short courses, practice practice practice: that is what will make you a good social media marketer if you already have the other qualities.
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