A: I'm based in Los Angeles, California in the United States.
Q: What is your role title?
A: My role title is Social Media Manager.
Q: In your words, describe what you actually do?
A: As a social media manager, I oversee my company's social media strategy and
presence across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. This
involves developing creative content, engaging with our audience, analyzing
performance data, coordinating with other teams, and keeping up with the latest trends
and algorithms.
Q: How long have you been doing this role for?
A: I've been a social media manager for about 3 years now.
Q: How did you get to this point in your career?
A: I started my career in marketing and worked my way up to eventually specialize in
social media. I took on more and more social media responsibilities at previous jobs
before becoming a dedicated social media manager.
Q: When it comes to remuneration, what are your three B’s? (Base, Bonus, Benefits?)
A: My base salary is competitive for the role. I am on a base salary of $110,000, and I
also get an annual bonus based on meeting goals, along with standard benefits like
health insurance, retirement match, and PTO.
Q: I’m not going to ask you who you work for, but, what industry is your company in?
A: I work in the retail industry.
Q: When it comes to work flexibility, is your work primarily office-based, fully remote, or a
mix of both? Which do you prefer? Does your company allow you to be flexible?
A: My work is a mix of in-office and remote. I'm in the office 2-3 days per week for
meetings and collaboration. I prefer the flexibility to work from home part of the week.
My company is very flexible.
Q: What does an average week or a typical day look like for you? Can you walk me
through your day? What time do you arrive and start at work, what are your main
tasks/responsibilities, who do you interact with, what meetings do you attend, etc.?
A: A typical day starts with checking notifications and messages on all platforms. Then,
I'll have a morning meeting with my team. Later in the morning, I work on content
creation - this could be graphic design, writing posts, filming TikToks, etc. In the
afternoon, I schedule and publish content across platforms and engage with our
audience. I also analyze performance data regularly and have meetings with other
teams like PR and e-commerce.
Q: What does a typical day look like when things are going well vs a more
challenging/stressful day?
A: On a good day, I'm very productive coming up with creative new ideas and content
that resonates with our audience. On a more stressful day, I'm troubleshooting issues
like negative comments or dealing with conflicting priorities from various teams.
Q: What skills or knowledge are most important for your day-to-day work?
A: Strong writing and creative skills are essential. I also need to be very analytical with
data to see what performs well. And of course, staying on top of the latest social media
trends and platform algorithms is crucial.
Q: What are some examples of recent accomplishments or contributions you've made in
this role?
A: Recently, I led a viral TikTok campaign that drove a major increase in traffic and sales
for our company. I also built out our presence on a new platform, Clubhouse, which has
led to valuable partnerships.
Q: Do you have a supportive manager and do you feel valued?
A: Yes, I have a great manager who trusts me to execute our strategy with creativity. I
feel empowered in my role.
Q: How much time do you spend collaborating with colleagues vs working
independently?
A: I'd say it's a 50/50 split between independent work and collaboration. Working solo
allows me to get into a flow, but teamwork brings in fresh ideas.
Q: Is there anything you wish you would have known before starting this role?
A: I wish I had known how quickly the platforms and algorithms change. You have to be
comfortable with constant learning and adaptation in this role.
Q: What do you hate most about your role?
A: I dislike the pressure of responding to negative or inappropriate comments. It's
stressful trying to defuse tense situations publicly.
Q: What do you love most about your role?
A: I love the creativity of coming up with fun content ideas and seeing them resonate
with our audience. It's very rewarding when a campaign takes off.
Q: What’s the next role for you and when do you hope to achieve this?
A: In 2-3 years, I hope to move into a Senior Social Media Manager or Social Media
Director role with more strategy oversight.
Q: Is your next role going to be with the same company or a different one?
A: I plan to progress within my current company, which values professional
development.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you could give to someone who aspires to reach your
position?
A: My advice is to continuously practice and improve your content skills - writing, design,
video, etc. Creative talent stands out in social media.
Q: It’s Day 1 for someone in your role. What one piece of advice would you give them to
succeed?
A: Here are some tips for setting yourself up for success on Day 1 as a new Social Media Manager:
Get clarity on goals and KPIs. Make sure you understand what metrics you’ll be measured on and what the key objectives are for social media at the company. This will help guide your strategy.
Study the current social media presence and voice. Spend time immersing yourself in the current channels and content. Take notes on what’s working well, where there are opportunities, and how the brand persona comes across.
Meet with stakeholders. Set up intro meetings with colleagues you’ll work closely with like marketing, PR, customer service, and executives. Learn what they hope social can achieve.
Audit tools and access. Ensure you have full access to company social accounts, analytics, scheduling tools, etc. Set up anything you need.
Review processes and workflows. Ask about any protocols for content approval, legal sign-off, etc. Understand workflows.
Set up listening streams. Establish searches and alerts to monitor brand mentions, competitors, and industry news. This will help you start planning.
Begin relationship building. Follow company leaders and influencers related to your brand. Like and comment on their content to establish connections.
Develop an initial 30-60 90 day plan. Outline priorities like getting to know customers, establishing processes, trying new tactics. Share this plan for feedback.
Ask questions! Don’t be shy about soliciting help from colleagues and learning the ropes. Being resourceful will set you up for an impactful Day 1
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