What’s the *REAL* Role of a Social Media Manager?

Spoiler alert: The online world is growing. Fast.

And the beauty of this digital evolution? The creation of so many incredible career paths that could have never existed before! Social media influencers, SEO specialists, and social media managers definitely weren’t a thing before the year 2000, but now these roles are available everywhere.

With new small businesses popping up in those spaces every single day.

It’s exciting to watch everything grow and change (and be an active part of it), but with major growth, there almost always comes a downside. For social media managers, the downside usually comes in the form of people just not *getting* it.

We know how complex digital marketing roles can be, but too often, jobs in social media get confused or minimized or even viewed as just ‘playing around on a phone’.

And I don’t know about y’all, but I’m tired of that noise!

A social media manager can mean a whole bunch of things, but the title is generally used as an umbrella for someone who manages 1+ social media accounts across many platforms.

The “management” of those accounts includes anything from content design and content creation to community engagement, ads, hashtag strategy and a million other ideas.

So, ya know, a little more than just scrolling away all hours of the day!

Ready to set the record straight about what the role of an SMM really is (and what it’s not)? Want to find out if social media management is the path for you?

Let’s dive into the most common social media manager misconceptions:

Misconception #1: SMMs scroll on Instagram all day

Urgh, this one seriously grinds my gears, mainly because it’s something SMMs are used to hearing on a regular basis.

Well-meaning family and friends will joke that we’re just playing on social media all day, scrolling through stories and liking pics for a living – but the truth is the job couldn’t be more different.

Reality: We’re experts across countless platforms

A social media manager’s role isn’t exclusive to IG. This is a career that will find you juggling multiple platforms at one time!

From Pinterest to LinkedIn, Facebook to Twitter, each platform requires a completely different type of content and method of communication. SMMs have got to be digital chameleons, ready to adjust our approach and tone as we shift between these apps to appeal to a variety of audiences.

Even if you specialize or focus on one particular platform, the job is definitely *not* just scrolling all day.

In a given day (or week) you’ll find yourself using a handful of content creation, scheduling, workflow and analytics tools to help you run campaigns, engage with your audience, and nurture your accounts.

Misconception #2: Social media managers are the same as influencers

This one comes up way more than you’d imagine and it actually makes me laugh.

The misconception that social media managers and influencers are one and the same is actually super common. It’s often out-of-touch brands or businesses who aren’t active online making this mistake, but they see someone with ‘social media’ in their job title and think of these two roles like one and the same.

Reality: We’re influential

In some ways, yes, we do influence our audience. We craft thoughtful copy, eye-catching visuals, and engaging CTAs to chat and pull in dream clients and customers. But we’re not influencers.

Influencer marketing is only one form of social media marketing. Like you probably already know, influencers are those with a loyal following and an authoritative presence. They’ve got the power to affect followers’ buying decisions – making savvy brands go crazy for them.

A social media manager and a social influencer are both super prevalent in the digital world, but they’re distinctly different.

Misconception #3: SMMs snap some pics, write captions, and go. That’s the gig!

I’ve heard the assumption (from many throughout the years) that all this job involves is taking a few photos, throwing together a quick caption, and clicking the ‘share’ button. What more does it take to manage a social account?

Urgh. No.

Reality: It ain’t that easy

To be honest, a social media manager’s role is insanely complex. On a daily basis, we play photographer, editor, graphic designer, copywriter, trend analyser, community builder, strategist, analyst, branding expert and more.

We wear so many dang hats we could open our own mall. #momjoke

It’s also a job that asks for a LOT of your time. Traditional 9-5 hours? Never heard of her.

Online trends move quickly and communication with an active audience can move even faster, so learning to put the phone down and step away from constantly sharing, chatting, and engaging isn’t always easy.

Misconception #4: You can’t earn that much in social media

Because it still feels like such a new and evolving role, some seem to believe there’s a salary ceiling with social media management.

When you don’t understand the job itself, it’s impossible to understand how much money SMMs can earn.

Reality: The sky’s the limit

In the words of the iconic Cady Heron, the limit does not exist.

As long as you’re willing to think outside the box, social media management is an incredibly lucrative career with plenty of opportunities.

Want to scale your business, diversify your income and grow? You can make it happen with the help of multiple income streams, smart and slick processes, and well-timed outsourcing to expand your offering.

You can earn however much you want, honey!

Found yourself nodding along to every single misconception? I feel ya. If you’re an overworked and underpaid SMM (or just starting on this kick-butt career path), The Social Biz System is the nudge you need to step things up to the next level.

Inside the course, I’ll show you how to create your own successful social media management biz using smart + organic strategies that work!