An SMM is responsible for creating the content strategy and increasing engagement between customers and the company on social networks. It’s essential to have the skills of a good storyteller, a flair for design and the ability to analyze what appeals (and what doesn’t) to the public.

Social media has become essential for the growth of any business. It’s a free shop window, perfect for gaining more visibility and, consequently, customers.

What a Social Media Manager should know before starting work

State of the art
A Social Media Manager must be aware of everything that is happening in the digital and networking world. Not just in terms of content trends, but also in terms of the big picture: being attentive and knowing how to interpret the news, regulations and reports that are published on the subject, as is the case with the DataRePortal.

Getting to know social media
The term social media is an umbrella concept: it encompasses all digital social platforms, even though they are all different. Each social network has its own particularities and different audiences. Knowledge of the usability of each network is necessary to decide which networks a brand will use in its digital communication strategy.
Critical thinking is required in any profession.

Strategic planning
The ability to develop a long-term strategic plan that aligns social media objectives with the company’s business objectives is the long-term goal of a Social Media Manager.

Know your target audience and persona
A Social Media Manager knows that you can’t make content for all people, all interests, all desires and cure all pains in a single space or in a single publication. The same brand can have different target audiences and personas… many!

Market trends
Keep up to date with the latest trends and emerging technologies in the field of social media and digital marketing, in order to apply the best practices and innovations in social media strategies.

What does a Social Media Manager do?

Creating appealing content
Creating an editorial calendar for brands, with content that is visually appealing, informative and engaging. This includes producing (or devising) texts, images, videos and other formats.

Data analysis and interpretation
Be able to analyze metrics and performance data to assess the effectiveness of campaigns (organic and performance) and adjust strategies as necessary.

Community management
Knowing how to interact with the online community effectively, responding to comments, messages and managing feedback in a positive way to strengthen the relationship with followers. Increasingly, social networks are used to engage with potential customers, making them part of the brand’s life. It is thanks to good community management that so many brands use social proof (customer testimonials) as their main selling point.

Crisis management
Prepare to deal with crisis situations on social media, including how to respond to negative criticism, complaints and credibility and reputation crises.
Not all publicity is good publicity. Or is it?

Social Media Manager Skills

Management
A good manager keeps the team aligned with the objectives of the company and/or brand and uses appropriate tools to monitor the strategy and goals.

Knowledge of SEO and ad campaigns
Mastering SEO techniques and managing paid campaigns, such as Google Ads and Meta Ads, is crucial to improving organic and paid results. The SMM must know where to invest, how to set budgets and optimize campaigns to get the best performance and visibility.

Creativity and innovation
Being able to think outside the box and come up with new ideas and approaches to keep content fresh and interesting, differentiating the brand in the digital environment.

SMM in action: the essential tools and platforms

SMM is responsible for building the brand’s digital identity. It conveys its vision and values, actively interacts with the public, manages online reputation and adjusts strategies as new trends and technologies emerge. For all this, they need help, also digital help:

Social media management tools

To schedule, publish, manage and monitor content on various social platforms, as well as analyze campaign performance and interact with the public efficiently:

• Hootsuite: for scheduling and social network analysis.
• Buffer: for scheduling publications and analyzing performance.
• Sprout Social: for managing, monitoring and analyzing social networks.
• Emplifi: analysis and benchmarking of social networks.
• Later: scheduling and managing content on Instagram.
• TweetDeck: focused on account management and monitoring at X.
• Brandwatch: advanced platform for brand analysis and monitoring.
• HubSpot: integrated tool that includes social media management, marketing and CRM.
• Loomly: social media management platform with a focus on team collaboration.
• Zoho Social: for scheduling, monitoring and analyzing social networks.
• Sendible: platform for scheduling and managing multiple social accounts.
• AgoraPulse: for scheduling, monitoring and analyzing social networks.
• SocialBee: for scheduling publications and audience growth.

Content creation tools

They allow you to produce attractive and professional visual and multimedia materials intuitively:

• Canva: for creating visual content and posts for social networks.
• Adobe Spark: for creating graphics, web pages and short videos.
• Piktochart and Visme: for creating infographics, presentations and visual reports.
• Lumen5 and InVideo: for creating videos from articles and texts.
• Pablo by Buffer: to quickly create images for social networks.
• Adobe Creative Cloud: professional tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro for designing and editing content.
• Stencil: to create quick and easy graphics for social networks.
• Kapwing: online tool for video editing, creating memes and other visual content.

Copywriting tools

Allows you to produce persuasive texts quickly for various platforms:

• Grammarly: for correcting grammar, style and suggestions for improving text.
• Hemingway Editor: simplifies and clarifies writing, making it more direct and readable.
• Copy.ai: artificial intelligence platform for generating copy ideas and creative texts.
• SurferSEO: combines SEO optimization with data-driven content creation.
• ChatGPT: uses artificial intelligence to generate and improve texts, providing reative and structured suggestions for a variety of content.

Keyword strategy tools

They allow you to find, analyze and select keywords to optimize content and improve visibility:

• Google Keyword Planner: free Google Ads tool that helps you discover relevant keywords and analyze search volume and competition.
• Ahrefs: advanced SEO platform that offers a detailed analysis of keywords, including search volume, difficulty and related suggestions.
• SEMrush: complete digital marketing tool that provides keyword data, competition, trends and ideas for content.
• Moz Keyword Explorer: helps discover keywords, analyze difficulty and predict potential impact on search traffic.
• Ubersuggest: offers keyword suggestions, search volume, competitor analysis and content ideas.

Hashtag strategy tools

They allow you to find, analyze and select the most visible hashtags:

• Hashtagify: allows you to research and analyze the popularity, trends and connections of hashtags on Twitter and Instagram.
• RiteTag: real-time hashtag suggestions for images and text, helping to increase the reach of posts.
• Keyhole: management platform that tracks the performance of hashtags, as well as analyzing trends and influencers.
• Display Purposes: suggestions of relevant hashtags based on an initial hashtag, helping to improve the reach and discovery of content.

Platforms for finding digital influencers

They allow you to analyze and find digital influencers to collaborate with brands:

• Brinfer: a Portuguese platform that connects brands with digital influencers, facilitating the creation of influencer marketing campaigns. It offers tools for analyzing influencer profiles, campaign management and performance metrics.
• SocialPubli: connects brands with micro-influencers and influencers on various social networks. Allows for the creation and management of influencer marketing campaigns, audience segmentation and results analysis.
  Influencity: offers a vast database of influencers, with tools for analyzing audience, engagement and reach.
• Heepsy: helps you find influencers with advanced filters and detailed metrics, making it easier to choose the most suitable ones for campaigns.

Social networks continue to be a key platform for connecting people and growing businesses. You need to work with them and always have someone who knows them well as a partner.