What is a Social Media Strategist & Do You Need One?

Is there a difference between a social media manager and a social media strategist? Which one do you need to hire for your business? While these two roles fall under the same umbrella of “social media management”, they are very different. Let’s dive in to each one to discover which is best for you.

First, what is social media management?

Social media management is the process of managing a business's online presence on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or Linkedin. It is the ongoing process of creating and scheduling content designed to grow and nurture the audience. 

What does a social media strategist do?

A social media strategist understands all aspects of social media marketing with the bigger picture in mind. They are skilled at target market research, competitor research, consulting on how a post fits in with the rest of your marketing campaign, and most importantly they are trained to develop custom marketing strategies for your brand. Social media strategists will help you set goals, stay on top of trends, and tell you what works for your brand and/or what you should be doing more of.

But once the plan is in place, the social media strategist is not responsible for implementing the plan. This is where a social media manager, assistant, or someone else on your team will come into play.

What does a social media manager do?

A social media manager takes a customized plan and puts it into action. They perform the daily tasks involved with social media marketing. They are responsible for creating and managing the content, designing graphics, responding to comments or direct messages, and the overall maintenance of the company's social media accounts.

The biggest difference between these two roles is that one plans (the strategist) and one executes (the manager).

So, which one do you need? Hint - you need both!

Step 01 - you need a plan.

Step 02 - you need someone to execute that plan.

If you already have a trusted team that can manage your social media marketing but are looking for guidance on what you should be doing, then you’ll need a social media strategist.

You can hire a social media strategist one-time to develop your strategy, or you can choose to keep them on retainer. Keeping a social media strategist on for monthly updates is going to be the most beneficial for you and your business. By having access to a strategist on a frequent basis, they’ll be able to monitor the progress of your socials and make adjustments for peak performance. Think of your social media strategist as part of your team.

Social media management isn’t effective without a social media strategy. A strategy is the foundation of your brand's story on social media. In order to get the best results, we recommend hiring a social media strategist first and then working with a manager or someone else on your team who can execute the daily tasks.

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