What Does a Social Media Manager Do? And How Can You Become One?

It’s hard to understate the significance of social media management in business communication, marketing, and branding. Social media is now the key metric by which many companies communicate with the public to the point that discovery is almost impossible without it.
But what exactly are a social media manager’s duties? And how can you become one with no prior experience?
What Does a Social Media Manager Do?
The job of a social media manager is all about building brand awareness through online platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok.
This can include a lot of different tasks, but generally consists of creating and scheduling content as well as monitoring trends, responding to comments or messages, and collaborating with the marketing, design, and sales teams.
In a lot of ways, a social media manager is part spokesperson and part marketer. It’s your job to represent the company in the best light, but also to create natural and authentic interactions with the public. All in all takes a balance of creative and analytical thinking along with a healthy dose of charisma and social skills.
Social Media Manager Responsibilities
Here’s one blunt truth you’ll have to come to terms with as a social media manager: being comfortable on camera is a massive advantage.
While it’s not a core component of the job and it varies a lot from company to company, content and content engagement are becoming increasingly video-driven. There’s just no replacement for a human face and a human voice. If you can get comfortable with this, then we strongly recommend it.
Otherwise, you’ll need to be able to create really engaging text content for which solid writing skills are a must. Even when you’re not writing content directly for the public, you’ll be doing lots of internal communication by email as well as creating campaigns and content strategies.
How to Become a Social Media Manager
There are many ways to break into social media management. Some start as assistants and work their way up, while others get hired on the basis of strong experience.
Many get their start in the world of freelancing, managing smaller accounts and gradually building up an impressive client list. This is actually a really great path if you’re looking to have an impressive CV because it shows versatility. So much of the time, a good social media campaign is about being able to think outside the box and create something unique for your company/product. More exposure and experience with different companies will help you do this.
The most important thing you can do at this stage is put yourself out there. There is no place for imposter syndrome in social media management. Good social media is all about getting your voice heard, and sometimes that means taking risks. Your first attempts might feel awkward and clunky, but as with anything, practice makes perfect.
If you’re confident and creatively minded, then social media management has the potential to be an excellent career. It really can’t be understated that good social media can make or break companies in 2026 – especially startups.
While the job can be fast-paced and even stressful at times, it can also be very rewarding, especially when those numbers start going up. So if you know how to watch trends, respond to them, and leverage them to get your message across, this is the industry for you.