Social Media Manager

Typical Salary

£23,000 To £75,000

Typical Hours

38 to 40 a week

evenings / weekends attending events or appointments

How To Become a Social Media Manager

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role

College / University

Some employers may expect you to have a degree in a relevant subject, like:

advertising
marketing and public relations
digital and social media marketing
internet design
journalism
business management

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could do a digital marketer advanced or degree apprenticeship, or a digital community manager higher apprenticeship.

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start work with a social media or marketing company as an assistant or digital content writer. As you get more experience, you could work your way up into a management position.

You could also do qualifications through professional bodies like the Institute of Data and Marketing and The Chartered Institute of Marketing to help improve your prospects.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of media production and communication
knowledge of English language
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
excellent verbal communication skills
the ability to sell products and services
the ability to work well with others
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
the ability to use your initiative
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your duties may include:

updating social media sites
writing blogs, articles and posts
responding to social media posts and developing discussions
checking online for company mentions and customer feedback
searching for interesting posts, news and articles to attract site visitors
overseeing competitions and campaigns promoting your company
taking part in conferences and group chat relevant to your industry or company
educating other staff on social media use
promoting social media use within your company
developing strategies to increase your audience
using social media tools like Hootsuite, TweetDeck or Buffer to manage multiple sites
using web tracking tools like Google Analytics, Social Report or Bitly

Working Environment

You could work in an office.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could move into managing social media for larger companies or progress to a senior or head social media manager job.

You could also become an online digital community manager, acting as a link between consumers and businesses supplying online products. For example, working with gamers and games developers in the online gaming community.

Volunteering Opportunities

You could get experience by volunteering to manage a charity's social media channels.

You could also show that you understand and know how to use social media by:

managing your own social media profiles
setting up and writing your own blog, and tracking its use and popularity
getting involved in social media for the company you already work for

You could also keep up to date by joining webinars about social media trends.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about social media marketing careers through The Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.