Today, we live in a world where social networks are very important. Now the way things are done is completely different than it was years ago. What is a marketing strategy today is not even close to what it was 5, 10, or 20 years ago and this is due to the way the world is moving forward. Now, if you have a company, you need a complete team to take care of the networks. Surely you have heard the terms community manager and social media manager before. A few years ago these vacancies did not exist in companies, but now they are essential for the objectives to be met.
The issue is that the two terms are often confused a lot. It is believed that they are the same, that one can do the work of the other, and that if one of the two is missing, there won’t be too much of a problem. The truth is that it is not, because both professionals are a gear that is capable of meeting the objectives of a project.
So if you have any doubts about what a community manager and a social media manager are responsible for, what they are used for, or what the functions of a community manager and a social media manager are, we will tell you absolutely everything below.
Key Differences: Community Manager vs. Social Media Manager
To begin with, we can tell you no. They are different professionals, who are in charge of different things, but who work together. The activities they perform are complementary and are directed to the same end.
For this reason, we will now review their functions, roles, usefulness, and much more.
What is a social media manager?
If we talk about a social media manager, we refer to the person who is in charge of managing the social media accounts of a company. That is, it is the person responsible for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and any other social network that has the company for which he is working.
A social media manager will be in charge of thinking and developing strategies. These will be framed in a specific project and will require the creation of content and data analysis. In addition to other activities such as the management of plans and the execution of campaigns through social networks.
What is a community manager?
Now, the community manager is the person who functions as a link between the company or brand and the community with which it interacts. This community is the target audience, for example, if you are a baby products company, you will keep in touch with new mothers, experienced mothers, fathers, and other people who connect with the brand.
The interesting thing about this position is that the community manager will be in charge of establishing links with that community in order to strengthen the relationship with potential and existing customers. So, if someone makes a comment on Instagram, the community manager will respond. He/she will give likes to the interactions, solve doubts, and more.
The goal is to be able to develop a community. In it, you will connect with the public, you will be helpful in solving problems, and you will help make the customer experience satisfying. And your work is so important that you might be able to increase sales.
Social Media Manager: Responsibilities and functions
Earlier we talked to you in general terms about what the social media manager position is about, but now we will explain in detail each of its functions in the work area.
- Choose the right social networks for each strategy. Not all social networks work the same, so design a strategy for each one if necessary or set a goal thinking about the networks that are really useful.
- He is in charge of planning and executing network strategies adapted to the brand’s target audience.
- Develop a publication schedule, a content strategy, and also the style in which they will communicate.
- Assists with brand growth through partnerships and collaborations.
- He is the budget manager for social media campaigns.
- It is able to act in the face of crises that arise in projects.
- Analyze the results and present the social media report in order to know if the objectives were met or not.
Community Manager: Responsibilities and functions
Once the roles and responsibilities of social media managers have been clarified, it now remains to address those of community managers, and these are:
- It is in charge of building a close community that will then be able to make sales or stick to the designed strategy.
- Establish a solid relationship with users of the brand’s social networks.
- It makes users feel comfortable, answering their questions, solving problems, and any kind of conflict.
- He is always looking for new viral trends in social networks that can be adapted to the brand.
- It is the voice and face of the community. By being the bridge, you will let the rest of the team know what is working, what needs to be changed, and how they can improve.
- Interact with the community through private chats, stories, comments, and any other communication format according to the network.
Are both roles important in a company?
Yes, they certainly are. The presence of a social media manager and a community manager are both essential in any company that wants to have a solid presence on social networks. In some cases, companies try to save money by having only one person in charge of both functions, but it is practically impossible to do it well if you are doing someone else’s job in addition to your own.
For example, a social media manager cannot design, plan, and monitor a strategy as the head of a social media project, while having to respond to comments, go live, respond to direct messages, and write the post to be published. That’s why it takes both to form a good team.
