Social Media Roles & Responsibilities

Social media changes the responsibilities of traditional corporate roles and requires the creation of entirely new jobs. Below are the most obvious changes to traditional jobs and some of the key new positions created. An infographic summarizing these details can also be found below.

Once the project concept is set, I’ve found it very helpful to get tactical in the early planning stages and list the roles and tasks. That way the project can be shaped to fit the budget and staff available. There is nothing more frustrating than creating a beautiful project plan and then determining you don’t have the people in place to execute it.

Here are the three roles the social media manager plays:

  • Strategist
  • Community manager
  • Data analyst
  • In larger organizations, these roles are often assigned to separate individuals who are highly specialized. In smaller organizations, these roles are typically performed by one person.
  • I hope the job description below helps you scope your social business work – whether it’s a marketing campaign or internal social collaboration project.
  • Role #1: The social media strategistdefines a social strategy that supports the overall organizational goals. This includes target audience, goals, social platforms, policy and rules of engagement, communication style, and key performance metrics.

Key Responsibilities

  1. Define goals, audience, rules of engagement policy, content strategy, and communication style
  2. Evaluate and select social platforms to engage target audience
  3. Evaluate and select social media management and measurement tools
  4. Define strategies to increase engagement and build the community
  5. Analyze social metrics and campaign results and adjust strategy as needed

Role #2: The social media community manager serves as the online brand evangelist, community leader and social media property manager. They author and publish content on social properties, monitor and engage in user discussions, and actively seek out advocates and influencers that will help strengthen and expand the community.

Key Responsibilities

  1. Establish and set up profiles for selected platforms, ensuring brand consistency
  2. Define and manage an editorial calendar
  3. Author and publish content on social properties on a regular basis
  4. Monitor discussions, mentions, and comments and respond in a timely fashion to build community interest and involvement
  5. Identify, cultivate, and strengthen relationships with influencers/advocates so they become followers and evangelists

Role #3: The social media data analyst collects, analyzes and reports on social media performance metrics, making recommendations where to adjust the strategy to meet stated goals.

Key Responsibilities

  1. Define key performance metrics
  2. Implement social media measurement tools to collect metrics
  3. Create reporting methodology and templates
  4. Collect metrics and produce reports
  5. Analyze data and draw conclusions to refine and improve the social media strategy