We break down what social media pros do, how they do it, and how much they make.
Let's face it: there are tons of social media job titles out there. They range from standard roles like social media manager to more unique positions like "community wizard" and "social media addict" (yes they are real).
Sometimes it can be really confusing to distinguish job titles from social media. For example, what is the difference between a social media strategist and a social media specialist? How about a social media manager versus a community manager?
To make your life a little easier, we set out to define 10 of the most well-known (but often misunderstood) social media headlines.
We'll also talk about what each job entails and what makes it unique.
We've also put together a ton of information about average salaries for social media jobs for you:
So here are 10 of the top social media and digital marketing job titles and what they really mean.
If you work with social media, you might be interested in reading theseBest times to post on social media.
1. What is a social media manager?
Social media manager is probably the most common job title among social media professionals, and it changes all the time.
In many organizations it is used as a general term to describe anyone who works with social media.
This may make sense if you work for a small company where only one person is responsible for social media, but if you work for a medium or large company it's not clear.
So what exactly defines the role of a social media manager?
Job Description Social Media Manager:
Social media managers are strategic in nature.
They create and execute an organization's social media strategy. Your goals are likely focused on increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your organization's domain, andNurture leads and sales.
You will be responsible for representing your company's brand on social media and developing social media campaigns.
In smaller organizations, they may also be responsible for more day-to-day tasks, e.g. B. writing social copy, answering questions from followers and replying to comments on their social channels.
The role is often flexible and requires social media managers to fill many roles.
Average Annual Social Media Manager Salary: $50,473*
2. What is a Social Media Strategist?
While social media managers are likely to make social media strategy an important part of their role, social media strategists make it their top priority.
In larger companies, this can be a somewhat minor role, assisting the social media manager in planning and executing the social media strategy.
Job Description of Social Media Strategist:
More broadly, they plan an organization's strategy around marketing, advertising, andFind potential customers through social media.
You probably willAuditsto identify the strengths and weaknesses of your company's social media strategy and then use that information to improve future posts and campaigns.
They may be responsible for promoting events, contests or new products on their organization's social channels. They also analyze the performance of their content to measure social ROI and report to marketing executives.
Average annual salary for a social media strategist: $50,473*
Average Annual Salary for Senior Social Media Strategist: $63,325*
3. What is a Social Media Specialist?
In theory, this position is younger and more specialized than a social media strategist or social media manager. In practice, however, your day-to-day tasks will likely overlap.
In larger companies with more developed social media teams, social media specialists focus more on day-to-day operations than social media strategists, although they can also help with social audits and strategy.
Job Description Social Media Specialist:
Social media specialists primarily take care of the implementation. You will write content for social media, reply to messages and comments, and stay abreast of the top social media trends.
Often they will connect with key influencers in your industry to spread your brand message and make valuable connections.
In addition, track and analyze themSocial-Media-KPIsand check the ROI. In addition, they post and promote content on social media and usually plan it in advance using a content calendar.
Average annual salary for social media specialists: $48,299*
4. What is a community manager?
Community manager is another job title that is often confused with a social media manager. In many cases, their responsibilities overlap.
In fact, in many small businesses, community management is part of the job of a social media manager.tasks.
However, when you work for an organization large enough to fill both roles, community managers are more focused on growing and nurturing a brand's online community of followers than making leads and sales directly through social media support financially.
Job Description Community Manager:
Community managers create, nurture, and improve communities built around a brand.
Part of his everyday lifeFacilitate and moderate conversationsabout your company's products or services on social media. They typically engage with community members through direct messages and social media comments to live up to their brand voice and values.
They also follow the latest social media trends and monitor the conversations happening in their communities. To streamline this process, community managers often use social listening solutions like ours.
Average Annual Community Manager Salary: $46,333*
5. What is a brand ambassador?
Now we come to some common positions, more bordering on social networks. By this we mean they involve or depend on social media, but their role also extends beyond the confines of Facebook and Twitter.
Brand ambassadors, like social media managers, are often used as a catch-all term for everyone who champions a brandfamous influencersto employees who repost an organization's content on social media.
However, we are talking about brand ambassadors here in the sense of a paid position that involves promoting a brand.
Job Description Brand Ambassador:
Basically, brand ambassadors set inhuman face of a brand. They represent the brand in person at events and online through their personal social media accounts. They often have a large following on social media and are influential people in their communities.
They increase brand awareness through word of mouth and product promotion.
For example, if they work for a soda brand, they can give away free samples at a music festival, post photos of themselves with the soda on their social media accounts, or tell their friends and family about the drink.
Additional responsibilities of brand ambassadors may include creating and sharing content about a brand, demonstrating a brand's products, or providing feedback on a new branded product or service.
Average annual salary for Brand Ambassador: $32,151*
6. What is a brand manager?
Brand managers may or may not be directly involved in their company's social media strategy, but social media is definitely tied to their role.
Brand managers, as the name suggests, manage the perception of a brand in the marketplace.
This is a senior management position that works with marketers, advertisers, researchers and product developers to ensure all new products and campaigns are consistent with your brand's voice, image and values.
Larger organizations may split this role into a digital brand manager and a more traditional brand manager role, with the former just managing the brand's online presence and the latter dealing with how its brand is perceived in the world.
Brand manager job description:
Brand managers oversee every step of the consumer experience with their brand.
They begin by consulting with product developers and researchers on the design and writing of new products to ensure those products are on-brand.
They then oversee the creation of advertising campaigns centered around the products to ensure the messages and imagery match their brand's style and tone.
When it comes to social media, brand managers consult with their social media team to ensure all copywriting and social media campaigns align with the company's overall brand voice. You can also use tools like social listening softwaremonitor conversationshappening around your brand.
Average Annual Brand Manager Salary: $89,823*
7. What is a Marketing Manager?
A company's Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is the Master of Marketing, the Head of Brand, the President of Product... in other words, they're a big deal.
As aStart with Suite CYou report directly to the CEO. The areas they oversee typically include brand management, marketing, product development, pricing, customer service, sales, communications and product distribution.
Because social media jobs often straddle the lines between marketing, communications, and customer service, they're probably the highest-ranking individuals reporting to the social media team at many companies.
We encourage all social media pros out there to stay on the bright side.
Job Description Marketing Manager:
As mentioned above, the CMO oversees everything related to the sale of a company's products and services. His role is broad and requires both creative and analytical thinking.
You will plan, develop and collaborate with different teams to execute new marketing and advertising campaigns. They also coordinate all of the above teams and oversee the design of new products and announcements.
Additionally, they conduct advanced market research to make key budgeting, pricing, and distribution decisions.
Ultimately, the CMO is also likely to decide an organization's social media budget, so he's the one who needs to convince the social media team of the value of social media.
Average Annual Marketing Director Salary: $173,814*
8. What is a creative director?
A creative director is the director of the artistic side of marketing. While a CMO is likely to be more concerned with finance and operations, creative directors have a cohesive vision for design and messaging to sell a product or service.
You are typically one of the top roles in an advertising agency or a senior member of the marketing department reporting directly to the CMO.
Creative Director job description:
As the creative leader of an organization, the creative director works with designers, artists, salespeople, marketers, and copywriters to plan and execute advertising campaigns.
They typically introduce key concepts and themes for advertising campaigns, and then guide and approve the work of designers and copywriters along the way. Additionally, they must keep up with the latest trends in design, advertising, and marketing to keep their creative work fresh and relevant.
In addition, they lead creative teams and develop creative guidelines for their department. In most companies, they act as an intermediary between creatives and marketers when it comes to planning advertising campaigns.
Because social media is an important part of any modern advertising campaign, creative directors also have the final say over the design and copy of the social media ads an organization runs. So while a CMO can control the budget for social media advertising, the creative director oversees the ads himself.
Average Annual Creative Director Salary: $126,637*
9. What is a Digital Marketing Director?
While not as senior as the CMO, the Digital Marketing Manager is a senior position in the marketing department.
As the title suggests, they focus on online marketing rather than traditional marketing channels. This requires a variety of skills, from creative to analytical.
Digital Marketing Managers oversee all aspects of internet-based marketing, including content, email, social media, mobile apps, and SEO. This means they are right above content marketing managers and social media managers.
Digital Marketing Manager Job Description:
As the ultimate managers of online marketing, digital marketing managers design and designImplementation of digital marketing strategies. They come up with ideas for new online marketing campaigns, then coordinate with their teams to implement and manage them while tracking their performance.
Your goals will depend on the overall direction of the business, but could include increasing brand awareness online, increasing web traffic to your domain, or moregain new perspectives.
When it comes to execution, they launch campaigns via email, social media, blogs, mobile apps, and pretty much every other digital channel at their disposal.
Digital marketing managers are in control of the marketing aspect of a company's social media strategy.
After all, behind every advertising campaign that social media managers launch, there is likely a digital marketing manager.
Median Annual Digital Marketing Manager Salary: $69,755*
10. What is a content strategist?
A content strategist is a high-level position in the marketing department. They have skills in building audiences using SEO strategies, content creation and advertising, ensuring the brand's voice remains consistent across platforms.
Job Description Content Strategist:
A content strategist takes care of all brand content strategies. Their primary role is to build brand loyalty, nurture the existing audience base and attract new ones, thereby increasing the organization's sales and profitability.
They perform tasks such as editing and updating content, monitoring content marketing campaigns, and data analysis.
They also conduct content reviews to identify new content ideas, conduct keyword research for SEO, manage editorial calendars, manage budgets, and stay abreast of current market trends.
Average Annual Content Strategist Salary: $70,175*
11. What is a content manager?
Content managers, well, they manage content. They are responsible for an organization's content flow, from blog posts to videos to webinars.
They typically work with digital marketing managers, brand managers, creative directors, and CMOs to create appropriate content for distribution to various channels.
They also plan and execute the content strategy in collaboration with the rest of the company's content marketing team.
Job Description Content Manager:
Content managers evaluate and plan what type of content their team should create, publish, and distribute.
They assign tasks to content creators who create blogs, videos, eBooks, and other content relevant to their brand. The content manager then edits and approves this content.
In many cases, they will likely produce quite a bit of content themselves. They also maintain a company's content resources. For example, they can publish, update, clean, and improve their organization's blog.
When it comes to social media, content managers see it as one of several powerful channels for content distribution.
You can help a social media team to write copy to promote their content and publish it on different social networks.
Along with networking, paid content promotion, email newsletters, and SEO, social media is one of the best tools content managers have to view and share their organization's content.
Median Annual Content Manager Salary: $56,779*
*Note: Average salary figures were extractedglass door. Salary data is in USD and is based on the average salary for US employees.
Bonus: Stupid Creative Social Media Job Titles (That Actually Exist)
If you've made it this far, we've got a gift for you. These are 10 actual job titles that have been used for social media professionals.
Would you rather be a social media ninja, a rock star or a tsar? As funny as these social media job titles are, they definitely don't make it any easier to explain exactly what you do to your mom.
- idea inventor
- tweeter
- Social-Media-Zar
- crazy social media
- Social-Media-Ninjas
- Social-Media-Rockstar
- Are you addicted to social media?
- Social media expert
- supreme shepherd of the people
- happy public maker
- community worker
Say what you will about the top pastors and creators of public happiness, you must give these social media job titles some credit for their creativity.
And if you work in a field related to social media or digital marketing, you should be up to date with the latest trends. That's why we wrote this incredible guide to the top changes people working in social media should be watching this year.
FAQs
Do social media jobs pay well? ›
Social media managers (SMM) are often the most sought-after roles to fill, with these professionals earning an average salary range of $90,000-$125,000. Social media managers are responsible for managing all of a company's social media accounts, creating and curating content and engaging with customers or clients.
How much do social media people get paid? ›Social Media Manager Job | Average or Median Annual Salary |
---|---|
Social Media Campaign Manager | $63,120 |
Community Manager | $63,120 |
Social Media Content Manager | $48,610 |
Social Media Specialist | $47,030 |
The amount of money an individual is willing to settle for, as well as their location, also influence compensation. If companies posted salary information in job descriptions, current employees could easily view salary information for new hires, possibly fostering competition and unrest within the company.
Should I include salary in job posting? ›Giving the salary information directly in the job listing helps the candidate immediately see the benefit of applying. They know exactly what range to expect if they receive the position. They have a good idea of the growth potential and whether their current experience makes them a good fit.
Is social media a stressful job? ›By all accounts, social media professionals have demanding roles that require critical, creative thinking, organization and collaboration across teams. Those demands coupled with the “always on” nature of social media make burnout a very real challenge.
What social media job is best? ›- Entrepreneur – Social Media Consultant.
- 2. Vice President of Communications.
- Public Relations Manager.
- 4. Marketing Communications Manager.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist.
- Content Manager.
- Marketing Consultant.
1. Instagram. “Our goal is to be the best platform for creators like you to make a living. And if you have an idea that you want to share with the world, you should be able to create it and get it out there easily and simply — across Facebook and Instagram — and then earn money for your work.”
How much does TikTok pay? ›As for the TikTok Creator Fund, you can earn between 2 and 4 cents for every 1,000 views. This means you might expect $20 to $40 after reaching a million views. Learn more about the TikTok Creator Fund here.
How does Paid social media Jobs work? ›A paid social media job is an online job that pays people to do things like post content on their Facebook page and Twitter account. The most common types of paid social media jobs include: Posting posting posts and scheduling them on the client's social media accounts.
How do you not answer a salary question? ›If you're asked for your salary expectations, you could deflect by saying “What do you usually pay someone in this position?” or “I'd like to learn more about the role before I set my salary expectations. I would hope that my salary would line up with market rates for similar positions in this area.”
What is job without salary called? ›
Option B - 'Honorary' is a position in an organisation, for which no payment is made. Thus option B is the correct answer. 'A job without salary - Honorary'
Why is it frowned upon to talk about salary? ›“Employers hate it when employees discuss salaries because it exposes discrimination and other unfair pay practices,” she says. “If your employer has a written policy or contract prohibiting salary discussions, you can report them to the National Labor Relations Board.”
Should I reveal my expected salary? ›The salary expectation question is important because it tells the employer what you think your worth is. As a good candidate, you should know the average salary for your role and experience level in the market and you should be able to communicate it confidently.
Is it good to tell people your salary? ›Our income is personal information that we are entitled to be discreet and private about. Just as it is inappropriate to ask for the income of the other, it is obscene to talk about your income and make it public information. There is just no need to disclose what we earn to anyone.
Is it OK to tell my salary? ›The hiring manager may be persistent in requesting this information. You are under no obligation to tell a prospective employer your current salary. However, it is important that you are polite when declining to give your salary information. You cannot simply say “no” and leave it at that.
What are the top 3 most stressful jobs? ›- Anesthesiologist assistants.
- Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates.
- Telephone operators.
- Acute care nurses.
- Obstetricians and gynecologists.
- Public safety telecommunicators (911 operators)
- First-line supervisors and retail sales workers.
- Nurse anesthetists.
- Social/support worker.
- Teacher.
- Police officers.
- Health care professional.
- Prison officer.
- How to deal with stress at work.
“Social Media is NOT a Career. These job titles won't exist in 5 years. Social media is simply a function of marketing; it helps support branding, ROI or both. Social media is a means to get more awareness, more users or more revenue.
Which social media is easy to earn money? ›TikTok Is the Social Media Platform with the Most Opportunities, According to Business Owners. TikTok is the best social media platform for growing audience and revenue right now, according to an exclusive survey of 281 online business owners.
How do I turn my social media into a career? ›- Confirm Your Career Choice. ...
- Be Aware. ...
- Educate Yourself. ...
- Learn on the Job. ...
- Demonstrate Your Passion. ...
- Build Your Personal Brand. ...
- Grow Your Network. ...
- Offer Your Skills for Free.
Is it hard to make money on social media? ›
While there are many different ways to make money on social media, the main thing to remember is that hard work and consistency are key. It takes a lot of time to build a loyal, engaged audience, and you have to offer value if you expect users to give you their money.
Who pays more Instagram or TikTok? ›By statistics, Instagram has the most users and pays content creators the most. However, in terms of profitability, TikTok will give Instagram a run for its money.
Does Instagram pay you? ›Yes. You can get paid on Instagram in the following ways: Create sponsored posts for brands that want to get in front of your audience. Become an affiliate and making a commission selling other brands' products.
How much does Instagram pay for 1,000 views? ›$250 – $750 per 1000 engagements (or $0.25 – $0.75 per post engagement).
Is social media a real career? ›Despite the slander SMI's receive, being a social media influencer is a real career in which the influencer positively impacts their viewers' lives, and it can be a path to success for individuals who captivate an audience's hearts and wallets.
What are paid social media posts examples? ›Pay-per-click advertising, branded or influencer-generated content, and display ads are all examples of paid social media. You'll know a paid social media advertisement when you see one based on the “sponsored” or “promoted” tag near the post.
Why paid media is the best? ›Paid media is content that's promoted through paid placements like video ads, pay per click (PPC) ads, pop-ups, and sponsored social media posts. Paid media campaigns can offer instant access to leads, helping businesses generate more visibility, engagement, and revenue.
Is it OK to not answer salary expectations? ›Delay answering
This can give you extra leverage when negotiating. Plus, you're still learning about the scope of the position and company benefits. These things factor into your salary expectations. It's normal to want to delay your answer until you have a more fulsome view of what's in the offer.
Tips for Giving the Best Answers
You can try to skirt the question with a broad answer, such as, “My salary expectations are in line with my experience and qualifications.” Or, “If this is the right job for me, I'm sure we can come to an agreement on salary.” This will show that you're willing to negotiate.
Rather than offering a set number of the salary you expect, provide the employer with a range in which you'd like your salary to fall. Try to keep your range tight rather than very wide. For example, if you want to make $75,000 a year, a good range to offer would be $73,000 to $80,000.
What is dummy job? ›
The execution of a dummy job means that the job is running without job control and without its own action within Entire Operations. Dummy jobs can have an expected run time, which they will be waiting in the system.
What are people with no jobs called? ›People who are jobless, looking for a job, and available for work are unemployed. The labor force is made up of the employed and the unemployed.
Can you lose your job for talking about salary? ›When you and another employee have a conversation or communication about your pay, it is unlawful for your employer to punish or retaliate against you in any way for having that conversation.
Is it rude to ask how much is your salary? ›It's rude to ask how much money someone else makes, and it's also rude to share how much money you make (unless there is good reason to do so, i.e. someone is looking for a job in your field and wants to know a typical salary range). "This can make people feel uncomfortable," Porter said.
Can you be disciplined for talking about salary? ›Can they legally prevent you from asking your deskmate about their salary and comparing it to your own? The short answer is no, they can't. Employees have the legal right to discuss pay if they choose to, and it's illegal for employers to ban those discussions.
How do you negotiate salary politely? ›- Put Your Number Out First. ...
- Ask for More Than What You Want. ...
- Don't Use a Range. ...
- Be Kind But Firm. ...
- Focus on Market Value. ...
- Prioritize Your Requests. ...
- But Don't Mention Personal Needs. ...
- Ask for Advice.
When answering desired salary or expected salary questions on an application, the best approach is to write in “negotiable” or keep the field blank. If a numerical response is required, enter “000” and in a notes section, mention that salary is negotiable based on further understanding of the position.
Is it OK to put negotiable for salary requirements? ›Yes, it is OK to put negotiable for your salary requirements. The only disadvantage this might have is if you appear overqualified for the position and the recruiter might assume your salary expectations are too high.
What is 19.05 an hour salary? ›$19.50 hourly is how much per year? If you make $19.50 per hour, your Yearly salary would be $40,560. This result is obtained by multiplying your base salary by the amount of hours, week, and months you work in a year, assuming you work 40 hours a week. How much tax do I pay if I make $19.50 per hour?
Why keep salary confidential? ›The confidential nature of your salary, in fact, can be a greater benefit to you. "It creates an opportunity for a manager to have a confidential discussion with employees as to why they are being paid what they are -- and how they can work toward making more money," he says.
Can my boss tell my coworkers my salary? ›
If you have access to company wage and payroll information, you cannot share employee pay information with others unless your employer or an investigative agency has directed you to share that information. Basically, you do not have a right to reveal someone else's salary with others.
Can you get fired for sharing your salary? ›An employer may not prohibit an employee from disclosing his or her own wages, discussing the wages of others, inquiring about another employee's wages, or aiding or encouraging any other employee to exercise rights under the Equal Pay Act.
Why do recruiters ask for current salary? ›They want to feel that they're getting a great employee that provides impact relative to the cost. That has nothing to do with how much they've been paid historically.
Are social media jobs hard? ›No, being a social media manager isn't a hard job.
This means that every photo, sentence, and customer interaction comes directly through you, and it is your responsibility to make the company look its best during those interactions. As the social media manager, you are assuming the role of the brand's voice.
- knowledge of media production and communication.
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail.
- the ability to sell products and services.
- the ability to work well with others.
- the ability to use your initiative.
- thinking and reasoning skills.
- business management skills.
- excellent verbal communication skills.
A Social Media Specialist, also known as a Social Media Strategist, manages content creation and monitors social media interaction with a goal of increasing brand awareness and potential sales. A Social Media Specialist researches new social media trends and makes suggestions for content optimization.
Is a degree in social media worth it? ›Yes, a social media marketing degree is worth it for many students. Positions related to social media marketing are in high demand. Companies are looking for experts to navigate these virtual waters and help their product rise to the top.
Can you become a social media manager with no experience? ›While it is possible to become a social media manager with no experience, earning social media certifications is a great way to hone your skills and stand out from the crowd of freelancers. Many courses are free. Look for certification classes offered through HubSpot, Hootsuite and Coursera.
How do I become a social media specialist with no experience? ›- Pick a Channel or Industry That Interests You.
- Build Your Foundational Knowledge With Free Resources.
- Practice by Building Your Own Channel or Profile.
- Take a Course To Refine Your Skills.
- Look for Related or Entry-Level Jobs.