What does a social media manager do?
A social media manager leads the development and execution of a company’s social media strategy. They oversee content planning, community management, performance tracking, and often team or agency management. The role is central to brand awareness, customer engagement, and driving organic reach.
They work closely with marketing, creative, and brand teams to align messaging and campaigns. Responsibilities include growing followers, improving content performance, running paid social (in some cases), and reporting on KPIs.
In smaller companies, they may handle everything from content creation to reporting. In larger teams, the focus is on strategy, planning, and collaboration. This role often evolves into head of social or digital leadership positions.
Key responsibilities of a social media manager.
While scope can vary by business size, social media managers are usually responsible for:
-
Planning and delivering social media strategy across multiple platforms
-
Managing content calendars, campaign scheduling, and asset briefs
-
Leading community engagement and customer interaction
-
Briefing and reviewing creatives for social formats
-
Tracking performance and optimising for reach, engagement, or conversion
-
Overseeing influencer or ambassador partnerships
-
Reporting on KPIs such as CTR, CPC, and platform-specific growth
-
Aligning social messaging with brand, content, and campaign activity
-
Staying updated on algorithm changes, platform features, and trends
-
Leading social experimentation and platform testing
The role blends channel strategy, creative planning, and performance reporting.
Skills and requirements for a social media manager.
Social media managers own strategy, scheduling, and performance across platforms. Employers typically look for:
-
3–6 years of experience managing social channels across B2B or B2C
-
Ability to plan and execute campaigns across LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and TikTok
-
Experience leading or mentoring junior team members or freelancers
-
Strong copywriting, community management, and engagement skills
-
Confident using scheduling, analytics, and content planning tools
-
Ability to work closely with design and content teams
-
Strong understanding of organic growth and paid social basics
-
Experience with brand tone of voice and campaign consistency
-
Ability to report on KPIs and present insights to stakeholders
Most social media managers join from content or exec-level roles and have worked across both strategy and execution. A marketing-related qualification may be useful but is not required.
Average salary for a social media manager.
In the UK, the average salary for a social media manager typically ranges from £35,000 to £50,000, depending on audience size, campaign scale, and content strategy ownership.
-
Mid-level social media managers tend to earn between £35,000 and £42,000
-
Senior managers or those managing teams and overseeing brand campaigns often earn between £43,000 and £50,000
-
Roles with paid media responsibility or data-led strategy often attract higher salaries and performance bonuses
London-based roles often pay more, especially within tech, lifestyle brands, agencies, and media groups.
Career progression for a social media manager.
A social media manager owns social strategy, content delivery, and engagement. It’s a mid-senior position with clear routes into leadership or broader digital roles. A typical career path includes:
Social media executive
Executes content, responds to engagement, and reports on platform performance.
Social media manager
Leads platform strategy, performance optimisation, and paid social. May manage one or more execs.
Head of social
Owns overall strategy, manages teams, and aligns social with marketing goals. Drives innovation across channels.
Director of social
Drives revenue and engagement from social. Collaborates across departments to grow brand and customer experience.
Chief marketing officer (CMO)
Expands into full marketing ownership, leading multi-channel strategy, teams, and commercial KPIs.
salary guide
Our UK marketing salary guide.
Hiring a social media manager can be a challenge if your salary doesn't align with market expectations. These roles now require platform expertise, content strategy, and performance tracking skills.
Our 2025 UK marketing salary guide includes the latest salary benchmarks for social media managers across the UK. Use it to shape competitive offers and make the right hire for your team.
FAQS
Social media manager FAQs.
A social media executive typically focuses on execution — scheduling posts, moderating comments, and gathering analytics. A social media manager leads the strategy, owns content direction, manages team output, and aligns with marketing objectives. Managers are also more involved in reporting to stakeholders and shaping creative briefs.
Very. While generalists are still valuable, many employers now expect deep platform fluency — particularly in TikTok, LinkedIn, or Instagram. A manager who can tailor strategy by platform (rather than using blanket messaging) is far more effective in driving engagement and reach.
It depends on the business. In agencies and SMEs, Social media managers often oversee both organic and paid activity. In larger teams, paid social may sit with a performance marketer — but managers still need to understand targeting, ad formats, and how paid supports organic content.
Look for someone with proven results across multiple channels, a strong grasp of content planning tools, and experience briefing designers or freelancers. Bonus points for candidates who’ve scaled brand accounts, managed influencers, or built internal content processes from scratch.
Balancing brand consistency with experimentation, managing approvals under tight deadlines, and demonstrating ROI beyond vanity metrics. Managers often need to educate stakeholders about engagement quality, not just follower counts.
Career paths include Head of Social, Content Lead, or Digital Marketing Director — particularly in businesses where social is tied to commercial outcomes. Some also transition into brand strategy, creative direction, or digital PR, depending on their focus
