Are you part of the tech industry and thinking of switching gears? If you want to become a Social Media Manager then you need to know the salary and scope of a Social Media Manager.
Applying for a social media manager position that you recently saw open up might be the right move. Perhaps you are thinking of doing this and moving to the US?
Before you make any definitive moves, you should try to research what makes this change would mean for you as much as possible. Digital marketing is the fastest-growing arm of advertising, and managing social media constitutes a big part of it.
The social media manager’s salary and scope in the USA could be quite different from what you might be expecting. Here is all you need to know.
The salary
As with all jobs, the average salary of a social media manager in the US depends on the level of experience and expertise an employee brings to the table.
The annual median personal income in the United States in 2018 amounted to $33,708, according to the US Census Bureau.
Certain patterns emerged when they calculated the median individual income for different age groups, genders, ethnicity, and education.
Digital marketing salary & scope in the USA
Payscale.com did some research on the social media manager’s salary, and they took into account the amount of experience. This is likely to be the main determining factor for your potential salary, besides your company’s budget.
Social media managers with 1-4 years’ experience in the field earned $48,892 on average annually. This number was calculated by taking into account the salaries of 2,516 respondents.
Those who worked as social media managers for 5-9 years make $61,074 a year on average (based on 1,239 respondents).
This should give you an idea of what you can expect compensation-wise. It can also serve as a frame of reference once you get an offer. Bear in mind, however, that incomes differ from state to state.
What does a social media manager do?
According to research, 5.19 billion people worldwide use mobile phones as of January 2020, and 3.8 billion of them are social media users. With such a vast audience and numerous social media tools for advertising, it is no wonder brands are turning more and more towards digital marketing.
Curating a presence on social media and using it to engage with your audience and build your brand is the right type of promotion for almost every business.
So, what does a social media manager do? Speaking in the most general terms, a social media manager typically works for an agency or advertising firm and is a key member of the digital marketing team.
Alternatively, a company or a business will hire their own in-house social media manager instead of hiring an agency. Whatever the case, the social media manager is responsible for creating a social media strategy for a brand so that its online presence is effective and engages its target audience.
Responsibilities
The main goal of a social media manager’s strategy is to create the right image for a brand. The right image will be engaging in its target demographic and build brand affinity and loyalty.
Alternatively, the manager’s task could be to re-think and rejuvenate a brand’s existing appearance to appeal to a new demographic.
All of this will eventually increase ROI, boost sales, and make the brand stand out on online business listings.
On a day to day basis, the social media manager will develop, create, and post content in line with the brand’s marketing strategy.
This person will also be involved in community management and media coverage. Finally, they will also be required to monitor the performance of their campaigns and content. In larger companies, the social media manager will be at the helm of a social media team of several employees.
Such cases will involve the team’s supervision, delegating tasks, and ensuring consistency in content quality and performance.
Education and skills
Nowadays, there are actual programs in schools that will tackle social media management as part of different degrees in the areas of business or advertising. However, many didn’t have that option when they were in school.
Typically, a degree in business or communications will work just as well. There is something even more important than a particular degree, though. It is having a strong interest in this as a profession, as well as the social media platforms that will be your bread and butter.
Another quality of a good social media manager is being eager and curious enough to follow these platforms’ evolution. You need to continue finding new and innovative ways to use them to suit the business or brand you are working for.
The skillset that is useful for a social media manager shares a lot with other kinds of managers. If you are to thrive in this position, you need to be well-organized and rigorous.
There are a strict schedule and guidelines to follow. Secondly, creativity is a significant part of any content creation. It should be coupled with an analytical mind able to see the patterns in your content’s performance and audience engagement.
This can often make or break someone in this field. Finally, it requires an eagerness to always one-up yourself (and your competition) to keep a brand ahead of the game.
These are mostly personal qualities that are necessary. An excellent social media manager will also have a thorough understanding of SEO, web traffic metrics, and social media KPIs. They should also be familiar with web design and publishing.
Conclusion
Social media manager salary & scope in the USA will greatly depend on the company you set up with. However, the required skill set is the same the world over, and your responsibilities will not differ either.
If you are interested in this field, social media management will likely provide you with a great career. It is a growing and dynamic industry, so your work will never be tedious.
