It’s 8:59 AM. You are staring at your browser with 5 tabs open and a social calendar, screaming for attention. Slack is pinging in the background, and your brain is already scrambled.
Welcome to the life of a social media manager, an endlessly creative and chaotic place because trust me, it’s not just memes and emojis.
Social media managers are involved with strategy, trendspotting, analytics, and creativity, channeling all of these into one high-impact role.
We are experiencing a time where social media content creation drives brand engagement. It’s not just a box that you have to tick off. Hence, social media managers are modern storytellers and digital diplomats.
So, those of you who are curious about this ‘glamorous’ role should know what their daily routine entails. You might learn a trick or two along the way.
9:00 AM — Coffee & Calendar Sync
The day begins with a quick scan of the social media marketing plan. You could call this document the holy grail, as it outlines all the campaign goals, key messages, platform-specific strategies, and publishing schedules.
It’s 9:15 am and we are busy with -
- Reviewing the current day’s scheduled posts
- Checking DMs and brand mentions across platforms
- Responding to overnight queries or responses
Pro Tip: If you want to become a successful social media manager, be consistent with your content. Consistent posting can lead to a 70% increase in brand recall and a 30% increase in organic traffic.
10:00 AM — Real-Time Trendspotting
One of the key traits for the role is being a great detective for trends. The routine morning scroll isn’t just for fun. It’s finding the answers to questions like,
“Which # posts are blowing up today?”
“Did a celebrity mention your industry?”
“Is there a new viral sound on TikTok that can be repurposed for your content?”
A social media manager has to take advantage of relevant real-time trends. For instance, remember the “tab tabi tab” memes that blew up during this Ramadan? Brands could leverage such content by simply joining in and increasing their engagement.
11:00 AM — Team Huddles & Brainstorming
Days are incomplete without team huddles, whether for a quick sync with design or marketing or a detailed meeting with the CMO.
The purpose of the meetings includes -
- Reviewing performance analytics
- Pitching ideas for upcoming content
- Aligning future campaigns with broader marketing goals
A social media marketing plan may evolve weekly, depending on analytics and business goals. Let’s say engagement on reels is up by 40%. So, we double down on video content.
12:00 PM — Engagement Power Hour
If you guessed lunch, you are absolutely wrong! First, we have to reply to dozens of comments, reshare tagged stories, and drop some emojis on your community thread.
Being responsive to consumers portrays that there’s a real human behind the brand. This builds trust and engagement.
73% of consumers claim that when brands don’t respond fast, they will switch to competitors on their next purchase.
Content creation is important, but so is community management.
1:00 PM — Content Creation (The Fun Part)
Contrary to popular belief, social media content creation isn’t just snapping pics and uploading them with hashtags.
A typical content creation schedule includes -
- Writing platform-specific copy.
- Designing static posts, reels, carousels, or infographics.
- Scheduling everything through a tool like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Later.
The content depends on the brand. For instance, sports entertainment brands like the UFC or WWE post behind-the-scenes IG stories.
On the other hand, you might have to create carousels for LinkedIn with the latest industry insights for another brand.
Essential Stat: The average engagement rate of IG carousels is 1.92% higher than images (1.74%) and videos (1.45%).
3:00 PM — Analytics & the Weekly Social Media Audit
During this time of the day, we check out the numbers because numbers don’t lie.
A social media audit includes -
- Assessing top-performing content
- Checking CTR, saves, shares, and comments metrics
- Tracking engagement rates and follower growth
- Comparing results with the goals laid out in the social media marketing plan
Tools like Meta Business Suite come in handy when conducting a social media audit. Their real-time dashboards paint a vivid picture of all the numbers.
Quick Insight: Posting between 9 am to 12 pm on weekdays results in better engagement on most social platforms.
4:00 PM — Crisis Control or Campaign Launch?
The job brings unpredictability into the mix. Some days will be business as usual,l and in some you will have a PR crisis at hand.
You might have to reply to 500 DMs because some influencer with 1 M+ followers shared your product.
There might also be a campaign launch where you are -
- Going live with a content blitz
- Updating the ‘link in bio’ across multiple accounts
- Posting a quick reel
This part of the day is basically all hands on deck. It’s the peak performance time for a social media manager.
5:30 PM — Wrapping Up, But Not Clocking Out
Your shift might end, but social media never sleeps. You will have to check notifications well into the evening.
Content inspiration might come at odd hours - scrolling TikTok at 2 am or while taking the subway back home.
Sending texts on Slack at odd hours with crazy ideas is totally acceptable.
How Can You Become a Great Social Media Manager?
Writing great captions or spotting viral trends is part of the job. But the best managers are more than that. They -
- Have a deep understanding of digital funnels
- Can read performance metrics like a book
- Have a great community-building approach
Most importantly, they remember to change the link in bio before the CEO notices.
Beyond the Feed
A social media manager’s routine is a blend of art and algorithm. It’s chaotic but also filled with calculated strategy.
Days are different, but the mission to grow communities and spark conversations remains the same.
They are good at observing, social listening, using tools, analyzing, and improving brand sentiment. Their job stretches beyond the usual line of 9-5. Yes, it is a full-time job for those of you who were wondering.
FAQs
1. What does a social media manager do?
A social media manager’s job stretches to creating, scheduling, and analyzing content across a brand’s social platforms. The purpose is to grow brand visibility, engage the community, and support marketing goals.
2. What skills do you need to be a social media manager?
Copywriting, content creation, SEO optimization, communication, proficiency in social media tools, and trendspotting are skills you need to be a social media manager.
3. What is the 50 20 30 rule for social media?
The 50 20 30 rule for social media is to balance value and branding, businesses should create 50% valuable content, 20% promotional content, and 30% user-generated content.
4. What is social media content creation?
Social media content creation involves creating statics, images, video content, carousels, and captions across various platforms to engage, inform, and entertain the audience.
5. What is a social media audit?
A social media audit is an assessment of a brand’s social media performance. It evaluates metrics and identifies growth opportunities.
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