For many small businesses, understanding the nuances of digital marketing and all of its various positions can be challenging. Particularly within the world of social media. The social media realm in many instances is no different than an entire marketing department. Social media requires all of the same moving pieces and areas of expertise including photography, video production, paid advertisement, copywriting, account management, coordination, graphic design, public relations and much more. Most major large companies will have robust social media departments with one or several employees focusing on a single niche area, such as copywriting. But for small businesses who typically do not have the budget for multiple positions, you may be wondering where to begin.
Let’s start by discussing the difference between a social media manager role and a content creator role. The roles of a social media manager and a content creator overlap in some areas but also have distinct differences:
A Social Media Manager is typically responsible for tasks like:
- Strategy: Social media managers are responsible for developing and executing comprehensive social media strategies aligned with the business goals. This includes setting objectives, defining target audiences, and selecting the most appropriate platforms and tactics to achieve desired outcomes.
- Community Management: They engage with the audience, respond to comments and messages, and foster interactions to build a sense of community around the brand.
- Analytics: Social media managers analyze data and metrics to track the performance of social media campaigns, identify trends, and make informed decisions to optimize strategies.
- Platform Management: They oversee multiple social media platforms, ensuring consistent branding and messaging across channels while adapting content to suit each platform’s audience and features.
- Overall Social Media Presence: Social media managers are responsible for the brand’s overall presence on social media, including content planning, scheduling, posting, and monitoring.
While a Content Creator is responsible for tasks like:
- Content Production: Content creators focus on generating engaging and high-quality content for social media platforms. This can include writing copy, creating graphics, shooting photos or videos, and editing multimedia content.
- Creativity: They bring creativity and innovation to content creation, developing ideas and concepts that resonate with the target audience and align with the brand’s messaging and identity.
- Storytelling: Content creators excel at storytelling, using narratives and visuals to convey messages, evoke emotions, and connect with the audience on a deeper level.
- Specialization: Content creators may specialize in specific types of content or platforms, such as photography, videography, graphic design, or copywriting, bringing expertise in their respective areas.
- Collaboration: While content creators may work closely with social media managers to align content with overarching strategies, they also collaborate with other team members, such as marketing managers, designers, and product managers, to ensure content aligns with broader business objectives.
Social media managers often take on the role of content creators due to the demands of smaller budgets in the industry. Balancing the needs of your business with your budget is crucial. If you can only afford one social media staffer, acknowledge their weaknesses while allowing them to focus on their strengths. Prioritize your social media needs and hire accordingly.