5 Qualities of a Great Social Media Manager

by on July 25, 2012 at 12:15 pm in Blog, Brand Management, social media, Top 5 Lists

By Amy Kattan

If you stay up to date on the latest trends in social media, I’m sure you’ve read Cathryn Sloane‘s article on NextGen, Why Every Social Media Manager Should be Under 25. Cathryn argues that since “under 25ers” were teenagers when social media exploded (aka when Facebook started), they have a superior understanding of social and are therefore, most qualified for social media positions. Needless to say, this strong opinion was not so well received by many social media professionals. Whether you agree or disagree, I’m here to argue that the age of your social media manager is insignificant: Your social media manager needs to be not only the voice of your brand, but someone who accurately represents your brand’s core values and has an understanding of the company’s overarching strategy. When hiring your social media manager (or any type of social media position), here are a few things you should look for (besides age):

1) Knowledge of major social platforms: Although there are definitely a few points Cathryn made that can be disputed, she did touch on one very important point: your social media manager needs to understand the major social platforms (or, at the very least, have the ability to learn the platforms quickly). Part of understanding social is understanding the platforms and how they can be most effectively used to benefit your brand.

2) An understanding of how people work: Social media is not a broadcasting tool: It’s a way for brands to tap into people’s natural socializing processes. In order to do this, your social media manager must understand your consumers’ typical behavior patterns, including how they communicate with one another and interact with brands they support.

3) An understanding of how business works: Understanding social media is great, but it means nothing if these efforts aren’t providing any value to your business. What are you paying your social media manager for? What results can you show? Your social strategy should tie into the brand’s overarching business strategy. It is essential for your social media manager to understand your company’s challenges and goals so that he/she can build your social strategy around that.

4) The capacity and eagerness to learn: Social media is an industry that is constantly changing. Regardless of the amount of experience your social media manager has, the willingness to learn is one trait that cannot be overlooked. This person must be willing to stay on top of changes on current social platforms in addition to staying up to date on emerging platforms that will be a good fit for your brand. Your social media manager must also be able to determine if your current social strategy is benefiting your business and identify challenges on a regular basis.

5) Adaptability: Since social media changes every day, your social media manager must not only stay up to date on all of the changes, but also be willing and able to alter your social strategy accordingly. Making sudden changes to a plan is never easy but in this industry, it is essential. It is important for your social media manager to be driven by the success of your brand, which often means re-evaluating tactics when new opportunities emerge.

What do you look for in a social media manager?

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  • aussiewriters

    Thanks. Great article and I agree with you 100% – age is irrelevant and a knowledge of sociology (people interacting with people), psychology and an understanding of business are key indicators, but that willingness to learn and a genuine interest and curiosity about social media and the various platforms and how they operate are the qualities you need to look for. And believe me, these are rare as a combination!

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  • http://twitter.com/penguinblogging Fiza Malik

    Hi  Amy,
    I thought this article was very encouraging and I appreciate that. That’s a very good post. Thanks for sharing. 

  • http://twitter.com/Totally_Taryn Taryn DiMartile

    Age is definitely irrelevant. I am under 25, but I didn’t join Facebook until I was 21 and Twitter until I was 22. I started my job as social media manager (along with a few other titles) for a small company less than 6 months after I joined Facebook and a week before I joined Twitter. However, those doing the hiring recognized I had qualities #2-5 and was capable of quickly learning quality #1, so gave me the job. And considering I recently talked social media strategy with someone in the industry and when I told them I’d personally been on Facebook for less than a year and their jaw hit the floor, I think we’re on the right track! Thank you, Likeable and Dave Kerpen for all the learning you have allowed me to do through your resources!

  • Ben Blakesley

    Empathy. #1 trait needed by a social media manager.

  • romanrandall

    Excellent post! Agree with all 5 points. 

  • http://twitter.com/SocialMedContrc John Cosstick

    I like the approach that you have taken in regards to the age of a Social Media 
    Manager, but I think that business experience counts for a lot also because the Social Media Marketing plan has to be a part of the business strategic plan. I have seen many errors that have occurred because this mistake has been made. Experience and business insight is essential.  I believe that many businesses will hire social media contractors contractors to work with business owners and managers to get the mix right.It is clear that social media is going to provide employment for a lot of people and the role of Social Media Manager/Contractor is rapidly becoming a new profession.In answer to your question : business experience and up to date training in social media is what I look for in a social media manager.John Cosstickhttp://www.social-media-contracting

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  • http://twitter.com/scottleroy07 Scott Le Roy

    I agree with this article, but age can vary, especially 25. Most people under 30 started on Social Media when it first came out. I freelance social media and always talk about the beginning of Facebook when it was segregated with high school and college.

    Everything has changed, and will continue to change. Social media is definitely a fun job to work, but takes countless hours to perfect. The only issue working it is that you usually work 7 days a week to send out all the information to your followers, fans, subscribers, etc…