At its core, social media is about being social. It is about back-and-forth interaction. It is about engagement. Businesses that have successful social strategies understand this. They also understand their customers have certain expectations. They expect to interact with the brands they like. They expect to engage with the brand when they have a question or require customer service. They expect their favorite brands to be sharing great content. So, who’s making all this happen? The Social Media Manager, of course.

People of all ages are Social Media Managers. They are tasked with managing the reputation of the business they work for. They have a big job that comes with a lot of responsibility. Remember, social media sites don’t shut down every day at 5:00 when your business closes. Social media is up and running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A successful Social Media Manager is going to have these qualities.

Knowledge Of The Social Network
I you’re responsible for managing your brand’s presence on a particular social network, you best understand how that network works. You should be certain your audience can be found on this network and understand the demographics of your audience. What is your audience’s gender and age? Where do they live? When are they online?

Knowledge Of The Tools That Make You Efficient
There are a number of tools available to the Social Media Manager. Understanding the way these tools work is essential to your success. For example, a tool that allows you to schedule a tweet or a status update may be what you need in order to get some sleep. These tools will also enable you to collect the data you need to effectively do your job.

The Ability To Write And Think At The Same Time
“Think before you tweet” should be the mantra of every Social Media Manager. Without this skill you are sure to fail. Recognizing that “Content is King” is also essential. The effective Social Media Manager know when to post promotional content and when to share content customers want to engage with. Successful Social Media Managers know what the competition is posting and what they need to do to differentiate themselves from their competition. Successful managers can write. They use proper English grammar and punctuation. They choose their words carefully. They know what to say and when to say it.

The Desire And Ability To Keep Up
Every day there is something new in the world of social. Something different is trending. New Terms of Use are introduced. New privacy rules are put in place. Sites are re-designed and features come and go almost daily. The best Social Media Managers can keep up.

The Passion To Succeed
The successful Social Media Manager has passion. Passion for the work they are doing. Passion for the brand they represent. Passion for engaging with customers (even when they are complaining about something). The successful Social Media Manager has a passion to succeed and it’s evidenced in every post they make.

These are just a few of the skills one needs to be an effective Social Media Manager. What skills to you think are required to succeed at this job? Let us know in the comments below.

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