I used to knock the role of social media managers.
I was generating hundreds of leads each month by producing long-form content and marketing offers, while every social media manager I encountered was more concerned with being the only one in the company who knew the ins and outs of Facebook and Instagram. They didn't seem interested at all in weaving their expertise into a larger plan to grow the company.
However, times have changed, and my thinking has changed.
As your audience becomes more numb to online information, the bar has been significantly raised. Authenticity, transparency, and trust are key to cutting through the noise of today’s digital marketing landscape.
People directly follow blogs less. As your target audience consumes more content each day, they gravitate toward written and visual media on social networking platforms.
That means building an audience on social networks, where people can get an aggregated view of all the information in which they are interested, has become critical to getting and keeping attention.
Today’s social media managers aren’t touting their expertise on new platforms (which aren’t that new anymore). They are, first and foremost, content producers and content managers.
They think strategically about your company, your market, your target audience, and your brand to produce posts, images, and videos on pages, in groups, and for ads. This strategic effort generates engagement and affinity for your company.
Today’s social media managers create, re-purpose, and publish smart content consistently with little direction and oversight. Every small marketing team needs this role.
So, to the social media managers of five years ago - I half-apologize for dismissing you.
To the savvy social media managers of today - you are invaluable.
Now, it’s your turn. Do you agree?
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