These days, almost everybody is a Digital strategists or a Community manager. In reality, most of the people with this tag-line do not know anything, I repeat, anything about Digital strategy or Community management. Most folks going by this new wave are just people who have amassed massive followers on social media, using both the legal way and the not so clever stunts.
To be fair, there is no one secret recipe to become an amazing Community manager, but making sure you have the full range of essential skills to do the job well certainly helps. These are some essential skills I believe will every aspiring social media manager should possess.
- Writing and Editing:
Whether you are writing a tweet or writing an Instagram post, words matter. Good copy writing skills can increase your engagement rates and also extend your organic reach. A Social media manager must be able to write short and witty sentences that will capture the attention of the audience.
- Research And Planning:
Without proper research and a well-laid plan, any digital campaign will be dead on arrival. I’m not being cynical here, I’m just stating the facts. To be an amazing social media manager you need to be able to conduct thorough research and formulate a workable action plan.
- Customer Service:
Anyone trying to make a living being a Community manager must possess customer service skills. One of your duties as social media will be to relate with the followers of your brand by responding to the complaint, replying questions and so much more. Good customer service skill will make a Community manager more likeable, which in turn bring about customer loyalty.
- Reporting and Analytics:
All business is result driven. A Community manager must know to use analytical tools. Being a social media manager is more than just sharing pictures and responding to complaints. To be successful, you must able to prove return on investment.