A social media strategist assists a company with projecting a public profile and interacting with customers through social media. This involves a mixture of marketing skills as well as familiarity with blogging, social media, and online content management. The work may involve focusing exclusively on the needs of a single company, or consulting with several firms that want to enact social media strategies.
One aspect of the job involves helping a company develop a consistent and flexible social media plan. This can include where the company wants to maintain a presence, the level of transparency it plans to use, and how it will interact with customers. These strategists may recommend outreach to disgruntled customers as well as the creation of online content to draw people to the company. Contests, viral videos, and other promotions help keep the company in the eyes of consumers and encourage social media users to share, promoting the company along the way.
Keeping track of statistics and responses is also an important aspect of the work for a social media strategist. Using a variety of tools, strategists can measure the number of customers they are reaching, how people respond to campaigns, and whether the company is regarded as an authority. In a simple example, a social media strategist wants to make sure the company’s official profile is the first result in a search on a website, rather than a spoof or fake profile. This requires regularly updating profiles, interacting with users, and establishing a presence to increase rankings and followers.
Designing content and promotions can also include creating it, in some cases. A social media strategist may regularly update profiles and interact with users, or delegate this to another staff member. Part of the company’s overall plan can include training and policies for staff using official accounts to ensure they are consistent and on message. A family friendly company, for example, does not want a staff member using profanity on an official account, or making lewd comments to followers. Conversely, a more racy firm might like staff members to push the envelope in official communications to make the company seem more edgy.
Throughout its presentation in social media, the company wants to market itself, create and build an image, and increase the size of its following. The social media strategist can help the company set specific goals and targets, such as reaching a set number of followers or page views. This can involve cooperating with marketing and communications teams to coordinate campaigns, keep messages consistent across platforms, and share ideas.
