Who Should Manage Social Media?

By now, many companies have moved past “Do we need social media?” to “Who should manage our social media efforts?” In short, there is no one right answer, because companies have such diverse situations. Let’s look at some of the qualities a good Social Media Manager might have, and take a look at some possibilities of people already working for a company that may be good candidates for the job.

Good Qualities of a Social Media Manager

• Curious. The social media manager should be curious on a couple of levels. He or she should be curious about what’s going on in your industry, motivating him to seek out other blogs and people to connect with. He should also be curious enough to never settle for what he knows about social media, but to keep seeking new information and evolving with the genre.
• Thoughtful. The manager should not be a rash or volatile. Imagine an impulsive person potentially being confronted with negative reactions every day. You need someone who will be meditative on why a customer is commenting negatively, what can be done about the situation, and how his own actions and responses will affect the company in the long run.
• Social. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s a crucial quality. The social media manager needs to have an aptitude for technology, yes, but even more so, he needs an aptitude for people; he needs a genuine and natural interest in people and conversation. Even coming from behind a computer screen, insincerity will be obvious.
• Committed. A social media manager’s work is never done. The nature of social media demands immediacy, so a social media manager doesn’t necessarily work a 9-5 job. Even regular hours are exhausting, because social media accounts require constant upkeep and grooming.

Potential Draftees for the Job

These suggestions aren’t one-hit solutions. They’re just people likely to have a quality or two from the above list that may already be an asset. You would need to take into account individual characteristics, as well as your social media goals.

• Technical Communicators would probably naturally be interested in social media as a genre and cultural phenomenon, and they would make sure your business appears competent in communication.
• A Human Resources Specialist would be thoughtful and trained in how to handle catastrophes and how to respond calmly and sincerely to negativity.
• An In-House Search Engine Optimizer would be ideal if you are trying to increase SEO with your social media. However, some SEO’s are prone to lose the people aspect behind links and metrics.
• A Marketer or Public Relations Specialist would be able to see the big picture and would be strategic with social media plans.

No matter who takes on the job, it will be a challenge! Who else might be a good candidate?

Advertisement