Have you been hearing the terms social media manager and content creator being thrown around, and you don't really know the difference?
We get it.
Honestly, it's unsurprising as both roles are relatively new to the workforce. There are all sorts of theories about when a social media manager actually became a job, but regardless of the precise date, we know that it's relatively new.
I mean, think about it.
The Internet has existed since the 1980s, and the first social media platforms started emerging around 1997 (anyone remember Six Degrees?).
However, Myspace was the first social media platform to reach one million active users in 2004.
Not to give you a history lesson here, although going down memory lane is always fun, this just proves how popular social media channels have become. Nowadays, there are more than 5 billion internet users worldwide, which is a little more than 62% of the entire population.
So, it should come as no surprise that social media management services through social media managers and content creators are key community members in today's workforce. Without them, building a strong online presence and reaching your marketing goals is almost impossible.
In this article, we will look into the differences between the two positions and why they are so important to a brand's success on social media.
Here's what we'll cover:
- What is a social media manager?
- What is a content creator?
- What is the difference between a social media manager and a content creator?
- 3 reasons you need social media managers and content creators on your team
Source: @Cartier
What is a social media manager?
When you think of a social media manager, your mind should be directed to the more technical side of things. That might surprise you, but a social media manager will be the person behind the scenes, ensuring everything is running smoothly.
Here are 4 key things a social media manager will be in charge of:
#1 Creating a killer social media strategy
A good social media manager will work up an awesome social media strategy that is aligned with a brand's goals.
Recent studies show that the overall time that the world spends consuming media has declined, so this is a step that every social media manager should focus on.
Branded content, content publication, lead generation, keeping up with user-generated content, and community management are key to creating a strong strategy.
A lot goes into developing a good social media strategy, from deciding which platforms to focus on to how often to post.
Source: Sendible
#2 Scheduling and posting content
This is the part that is not as riveting as some may think.
Scheduling and posting content can be kind of time-consuming unless the social media manager is armed with a good program like Sendible that includes features like a content library management system that makes things easier to organise and schedule.
With a good scheduling platform, getting content in the queue is easy peasy.
Source: @WendysUK
What Do Social Media Managers Do? A Comprehensive Guide
#3 Engaging with the audience
The best social media accounts always have someone on top of responding to comments, messages, and mentions. The social media manager will be the brand's voice, handling interactions with its audience and ensuring engagement stays on the rise.
Source: Aldi
#4 Creating reports
The only way to know if a campaign or strategy is working is to monitor the analytics and performance of social media campaigns.
By having regularly scheduled reports , a social media manager can use the data to refine strategies and prove a good Return On Investment to the brand they are working with.
Sendible's automated reports is a helpful way to automate this for your clients or even for your own team.
Social Media Reporting: How to Create Reports and Understand Them in 2024
Source: @CadburyUK
What is a content creator?
A content creator is someone who, in a nutshell, will be creating the content the social media manager will manage.
Social media content creators aren't necessarily influencers (although they can be), but they are the people behind the screen who are crafting the story and creating content.
Plus, did you know that there are already more than 200 million content creators in the world today? That just shows you how important this job role is in today's world.
Here's a snapshot of 3 things social media content creators are in charge of doing:
Source: @PepsiGlobal
#1 Creating content
From blog posts to taking photos, making videos, or designing graphics, they bring ideas to life. They are a key part of your social media presence.
Source: FC Barcelona
#2 Understanding trends
They stay up to date on the latest trends and adapt their content to keep it fresh and relevant.
#3 Storytelling
They craft compelling stories that resonate with a target audience, whether it's through a Facebook post, an Instagram post, or a YouTube video. They'll ensure the story gets told.
Source: Statista
What is the difference between a social media manager and a content creator?
So, as you can probably already tell, social media managers and social media content creators are not the same.
A social media manager will literally be the person managing social media and monitoring the marketing strategy while addressing the social media mentions, direct messages, and everything else that comes through on the different platforms they manage.
The social media content creator will be the content producer, the one keeping a finger on the social media world's pulse to really know what trends are happening and what a brand's target audience will respond best to you.
3 reasons you need social media managers and content creators on your team
In 2024, a strong online presence is essential for every company, especially if they're trying to use it to help them reach their business goals. Having a strong online presence requires a strong social media team.
Source: Pottery Barn
Here are 3 reasons you need social media managers and content creators on your team:
#1 They bring strategic and creative balance.
Having both of these positions means that your social media strategy is not only well-planned but also creatively executed, leading to a balanced and strong online presence.
Source: Nike
#2 They bring consistency and quality.
They ensure that your social media channels consistently deliver high-quality content, reinforcing your brand's reputation and reliability.
Source: Lidl
#3 They'll manage your target audience well.
With a social media manager handling the engagement on your accounts and a content creator focused on driving interaction, they can both build strong relationships and a loyal following.
Wrapping it up
Social media managers and content creators are key to developing and maintaining your brand's voice and social media presence.
While a content creator is funnelled in on telling the story that will capture your audience and keep them engaged, a social media manager will be behind the overall strategy development and scheduling to keep your plan consistent.
You shouldn't have one without the other as both are essential to your success.
Want to empower your social media managers and content creators? Give them access to Sendible's content library for effortless social media content management!
