If you are thinking of earning a bachelor’s degree in social media management, you probably love social media. You happily update Facebook every day. You avidly browse new YouTube videos. You Tweet as easily as you breathe.
On the other hand, you may be interested because you know that many organizations use social media as a marketing tool, and you know that social media jobs are in demand.
Either way, you may know what social media is, but you may not completely understand social media management.
Job Description
Social media professionals have a variety of duties. First, social media managers manage content. They may write posts, updates and tweets. They may design websites or Facebook profiles. Or, they may assign these tasks to someone in the creative department, depending on the size of the organization.
Social media managers are also responsible for setting a strategic direction and goals. If a company needs more traffic to its site, the social media manager is responsible for analyzing how to get it. They generate a plan and target specific segments of the audience.
In addition, social media managers need to know search engine optimization (SEO). If people need to know where to buy summer sandals in your area, they will probably do an online search. Does their search find your store? Your job will be to utilize SEO so that it does.
Furthermore, social media managers need to generate revenue. The people reading or viewing your company’s content need incentive to read more and take action (inbound marketing). Sales and marketing need to know who was interested enough to click through.
Finally, social media managers act as a link between your audience and the sales team. If you work for a travel company, for example, a podcast you create on the Caribbean might draw many listeners. You need to connect them with sales — by, for example, creating a downloadable white paper on Caribbean islands. Access to this white paper will require listeners to provide their email addresses so the salesforce can contact them later.
Responsibilities
The main responsibility of a social media manager is developing an organization’s brand. What does your organization offer, and why should consumers want it? The social media manager determines target audiences and crafts content to reach them. Does your company primarily sell Caribbean vacations to people 35 and older? You may need to create a social media campaign for the 18- to 30-year-old age group to increase your company’s reach.
Social media managers need to know whether social media is generating a good return on investment (ROI) as well. Is the money spent on Facebook generating traffic for a store? Is Twitter causing people to attend store openings? Are your blogs generating leads for sales?
A bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communications — Social Media Management will give you the skills and knowledge you need for a successful career in social media management. You will also develop a solid portfolio that showcases your writing, visual media, strategy and marketing skills. A B.A. in Strategic Communications — Social Media Management will prepare you for a successful career in marketing.
Learn more about the A-State online BS in Strategic Communications — Social Media Management program.
Sources:
Kruse Control: Social Media Manager Job Description — A Complete Guide
Social Media Today: What Is a Social Media Manager?
Entrepreneur: Inbound Marketing — What Is it and Why Does it Matter?