Social media management is the process of analyzing audiences and developing a strategy that’s tailored to them, creating and distributing content for social media profiles, monitoring online conversations and collaborating with influencers.

The rise of social media managers mirrors the hiring activity for webmasters in the mid-1990s, but it’s not the only job requiring technology skills today. It also requires knowledge of strategy, community building, data analysis and optimization, writing, and creativity.

Social media platforms

Social media is a web-based form of communication that allows users to share information. It includes a variety of platforms, such as social networking sites, photo-sharing sites, instant messaging, video-sharing sites and blogs.

Most of these platforms are free to use, although paid services can be a good investment for some companies. They offer tools to schedule posts, track metrics and analyze data to help businesses make informed decisions about their social media presence.

Many social media management tools are designed for specific industries or teams. For example, Oktopost is targeted at B2B marketing and provides features that cater to that audience.

Sendible is a social media management tool that is specifically designed for agencies with multiple clients. It offers a content calendar that makes cross-platform social media planning easy and allows you to create content mockups so your clients can give approval easily. It also has a single-view inbox and priority filter to ensure that all client communications are addressed quickly and efficiently.

Content creation

Content is a key element of digital marketing. It is a way to engage with customers and potential buyers, educate them and promote your business.

To achieve this, you need to create a content plan. This will ensure that the right content is created for your business and audiences.

The content you create needs to meet a user need, inform your audience, be specific to your personas and be consistent with what you provide.

Creating relevant, useful and inspiring content is an essential part of social media management. It helps your business attract and retain customers, grow brand awareness and boost conversion rates.

To create effective content, you need to have a clear process in place and the right people involved. You should also have a clear understanding of what content you need, who you need to create it for and where you will publish it.

Monitoring

Monitoring is a critical component of any social media strategy. It enables you to quickly find and respond to relevant mentions about your brand or product, which is important for boosting brand awareness and loyalty among customers.

It is also a great way to track conversations about your industry and competitors, which can provide valuable insights for future marketing strategies. However, not all tools offer the same type of functionality, so it is important to choose one that suits your needs and budget.

Sprout’s unified Smart Inbox makes it easy to stay on top of all the mentions across social media without switching between multiple apps. It also allows you to respond directly to the most relevant messages without wasting time on irrelevant ones.

Reporting

Social media reporting is a skill that can be used by social media managers to illustrate their work and justify their strategy. It can also help them determine success points, gather insightful data for future campaigns and highlight which metrics to hone in on most.

Reporting can be done on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. The amount of information to include in your reports depends on your business’s goals and objectives.

For example, if your goal is to increase audience size fast, you might want to show numbers of followers first, while if your social strategy focuses on brand community influence, you might be more interested in engagement metrics.

Choosing the right kind of report is essential for social media management. It should include measurable goals and key performance indicators (KPIs).