What Is The Difference Between a Social Media Manager & a Social Media Assistant?
What is the difference between a social media manager and a social media assistant? Do they do the same tasks and what’s the difference when it comes to payment. In this post you’ll all about these two job titles.
Before we dive in with the content, let me share why you should even consider working in social media.
The world of virtual work and freelance is at an all-time high and an article produced by LinkedIn said;
“Hiring for digital marketing roles grew nearly 33% last year (2020)”
Making Social Media Management among the top 15 most popular in-demand jobs of 2021!
If you have looked into starting a business online, you will know that all the different virtual jobs and titles can be a bit confusing! So today, I am going to dive into one of the most sought after virtual jobs, Social Media Management. Now, you might have seen the different titles for this job role, from Social Media Manager to Social Media Assistant, but is there really a difference between the two? - Yes, there absolutely is a difference, and it’s quite a big one at that! That’s why I’m going to inform you of the differences here, today!
So if you are planning to start a Social Media Management business and you are confused as to which is the best path to take, then this blog is for you!
In this blog post, we will discuss the main key differences between a Social Media Assistant and a Social Media Manager.
Now, let’s take a deeper look at how a Social Media Assistant differs from a Social Media Manager.
What is a Social Media Manager?
A Social Media Manager is an EXPERT in their field; they are someone who manages everything a client does on their social media channels, podcasts and forums. Social Media Managers are responsible for mainly handling client’s social channels and is not to be confused with a Social Media Assistant. They observe, evaluate, make strategies and plans for the social media platforms such as; Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn. They make sure that everything is up to date and tracked. Some of these things include; creating and scheduling posts, copywriting, creating caption hooks, hashtag research and tracking, content calendars, upkeep an engaged community, running ads, social media updates and implementation and lead generation are among just a few of the tasks of a Social Media Manager.
What is a Social Media Assistant?
The keyword here is “Assistant”. A Social Media Assistant is a person that implements all the plans, strategies and instructions which are given to them by the client to assist with tie consuming daily social media tasks. The Social media assistant does a variety of tasks such as photo uploading, video uploading, editing, replying to comments and sharing, scheduling and posting of the content and all the different things which are needed to promote a social media platform.
Let’s say a Social Media Assistant is your go-to person who can help with all the basic needs of the clients day-to-day business on social media.
So What Is The Difference Between a Social Media Assistant And a Social Media Manager?
Knowledge
The first main difference is knowledge; as mentioned above, the Social Media Manager is an expert in their field, which means they should know deep insights into how the different platforms work and how their algorithms differ for each platform, such as Facebook and Instagram. They should constantly be up to date with new updates and features and can implement them into the strategy pretty quickly to keep the client’s social media and business up to date with the latest trends.
Social Media Strategy
A Social Media Manager is focused on making strategies and plans for the client’s social media platform. They strategise and implement new techniques, trends and ideas which are needed to grow the client’s social media and compose to-do lists of all the things needed to be done on their social media platform.
So, in other words, as a Social Media Manager, you are solely in charge of the strategy, content and daily running of the social media accounts of the client, and you should know which platforms your client should be present on and what kind of content they should be creating and posting to maximise engagement, leads and/or sales.
A Social Media Assistant’s expertise and knowledge are different. A Social Media Assistant knows how to implement the strategy, execute the plans, and carry out the instructions which are given to them by the client, such as; uploading photos/videos, sharing content, uploading or creating memes and all the other stuff for social media which is needed to be done in order to grow the client’s social media platforms.
How Should You Charge For Your Services?
A Social Media Assistant should charge per hour as the tasks can differ from week to week, and not so much planning can be done beforehand, whereas a Social Media Manager would know what needs to be done each month in advance. The hourly price may depend upon the experience and the level of tasks given, but it varies from around $20 to $40 USD per hour. There is nothing wrong with hourly pay but the biggest issue that arises with this is that you need to work more hours to earn more money, and there are only so many hours in a day, right?
However, as a Social Media Manager, because you should have a bigger knowledge and expertise, this will make an impact on how you charge for your services.
A Social Media Manager should charge for service in milestones or packages, as it will be easier for you to earn more and have extra flexibility. Packages can start from $500- $2,000+ per month depending on your expertise, clients needs and the number of platforms per client you will be managing. Meaning if you have four clients at, let’s say, your top package of $1,500 per month, you are already earning $6,000 per month.
Depending on your experience, client reviews and your expertise, you can later charge the price that suits you and your level of clients, which, as said, could have the potential of $2,000+ per client per month - Now you do the math!
Conclusion
In conclusion, the main differences between a Social Media Assistant and a Social Media Manager boil down to the knowledge and expertise of the individual. This should be kept in mind when you are planning to start your social media management business.
If you’d like to find out more about how you can become a Social Media Manager, then join my FREE Masterclass HERE for more details.
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