What It’s Like Working as a Social Media Manager?
When people ask me what my job as a social media manager is like, I usually respond with “It’s just like Emily in Paris, minus the Eiffel Tower view and instant success of each Instagram account.”
Hi, my name is Stephanie and I’m a Social Media Associate at Forward Social! I’ve been working in the social media industry for the past two years. I’ve created content and managed communities for just about every type of client there is. (Podcast, Retail, Restaurant, Blog, Real Estate, you name it!)
Are you ready to learn more about what it’s *really* like to be a social media manager? Read along!
The Day Begins
As soon as I arrive at the office, I sit at my desk and respond to any emails that may have come in from the night before. Once that is taken care of, I immediately log into Asana (our project management system) and review any client calendar edits from our Marketing Specialist, Ashley.
Edits can be as easy as rewording a caption or as lucrative as scrapping a couple day’s worth of Instagram stories. I try my best to finish these edits ASAP so that our client calendars are sent out in a timely fashion.
Client Calendars
My job as a Social Media Associate largely revolves around our client calendars. These calendars are sent out every Wednesday by 5PM so that each client has ample time to review and edit any of the content. Each client calendar is different, some require daily Instagram posts and stories along with weekly reels while others only need three posts and three stories weekly.
These calendars are prepared and well thought out in advance through brainstorming meetings, strategy research, and any requests our clients may have of their own. Each week is more about piecing everything together and adding final copy, hashtags and edits before sending to our clients for approval.
Daily Schedule
8:30-9:30: Answer Urgent Emails + Review Calendar Edits
9:30-10:30: Work on Client Calendar 1 - One IG Reel, Three IG + FB Posts, Three IG + FB Stories
10:30-12:30: Work on Client Calendar 2 - Seven IG + FB Posts, Seven IG + FB Stories
12:30-1:00: LUNCH
1:00-1:15: One-On-One Meeting with Ashley
1:15-2:00: Work on Captions (Hashtag Strategy, Trend Research, Engagement Research)
2:00-3:00: Work on Graphics (Design Research, Typography Research)
3:00-4:00: Work on Side Projects (Mock Feeds, Blog Posts, Strategy Research)
3:00-4:30: Head to Client Photoshoot for a Restaurant
Meetings and More
We set most of our one-on-one and team meetings for after lunch. It’s a great way to get back on track after having your lunch break. During these meetings, we discuss a number of things such as ongoing projects, client calendar statuses, client outings, weekly goals, monthly strategies, the list goes on and on. These meetings are especially important in ensuring that everyone is on track for the week and that nothing slips through the cracks.
Strategy + Engagement
After having our meetings, I usually work on engagement throughout our client socials. I answer any direct messages, respond to user comments and truly take the time to not only grow our community but connect with them as well.
This is usually the time where I do most of my analytical + strategy research as well. I’ll measure the performance of our clients’ posts weekly and try to analyze the success (or poor performance) of our content. It’s important to understand why a piece of content resonates (or doesn’t) with our audience so that we can continue creating meaningful content.
Content Creation
That’s not to say it’s all work and no play. I enjoy getting out of the office every now and then to capture content for clients. Photography is a passion of mine that I discovered while working in this industry. We focus on product and food photography mainly at Forward Social.
During our content creation days, we aim to capture at least 30 pieces of usable content for our social media accounts to be used across feed posts, graphics, e-blasts and stories. Different clients require different forms of content. Two shot lists can be found below.
Restaurant
Boomerang of clinking cocktails
Video of hot rock + wagyu
Image of sushi roll against wallpaper
Image of cocktail against Replica Surfaces
Image of sushi roll in front of store sign
Video of store layout
Video of sushi chefs preparing rolls
Party Supply Store
Video of walkthrough of the store
Image of Christmas ornaments against white board + garland
Image of the store sign
Video of children’s pajama options
Video of seasonal decor
Being a Social Media Manager requires a drive that can handle a little bit of everything. My job and tasks are always pulling me in different directions, and it’s something that I’ve come to enjoy in my years of experience. I love being able to work creatively and analytically, it gives me the option to switch gears at any time and helps whenever I’m experiencing burnout.
If working with stellar clients and a stellar team piques your interest, I suggest checking out our job openings over at Forward-Social.com/Careers :)
Stephanie Castillo
Social Media Associate