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    ⚡😊🌶️💖⚡✨
    ⚡ THE SAUCE FRAMEWORK ⚡

    THE SOCIAL MEDIA
    CAREER LADDER

    every role · every skill · every level → from assistant to director

    Stage 1: EntryStage 2: CoordinatorStage 3: ManagerStage 4: SeniorStage 5: Executive
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    Typical titles
    • Social Media Assistant
    • Content / Community Assistant
    • Marketing Intern (social focus)
    What this level owns
    • Supporting content creation and publishing
    • Basic community response and moderation
    • Simple reporting using native platform analytics
    Skills to move up
    • Content craft basics (hooks, captions, structure)
    • Platform literacy across core channels
    • Reading simple performance data and spotting patterns
    Typical titles
    • Social Media Executive
    • Social Media Coordinator
    • Junior Social Media Manager
    What this level owns
    • Day-to-day content calendars and publishing
    • First-line community management and escalation
    • Basic channel reporting and updates to stakeholders
    Skills to move up
    • Campaign planning, not just individual posts
    • Linking content to simple business goals
    • Clear communication with non-social stakeholders
    Typical titles
    • Social Media Manager
    • Social & Community Manager
    • Paid Social Specialist
    What this level owns
    • Channel or market strategy and roadmaps
    • Multi-week campaigns with clear objectives
    • Cross-functional collaboration with marketing, sales, CX
    Skills to move up
    • Using data to make and defend decisions
    • Understanding how social impacts revenue and pipeline
    • Leading projects end-to-end with minimal oversight
    Typical titles
    • Senior Social Media Manager
    • Social Media Lead
    • Head of Social
    What this level owns
    • Overall social vision and direction
    • Team structure, priorities and workflows
    • Budgets, targets and reporting to leadership
    Skills to move up
    • People leadership and feedback
    • Budgeting, forecasting, P&L awareness
    • Storytelling social's impact at exec level
    Typical titles
    • Director / VP Social
    • Director / VP Marketing
    • Independent strategist or consultant
    What this level owns
    • Brand, demand and community at business level
    • Long-term growth strategy and positioning
    • Senior stakeholder relationships and external profile
    Skills to move up
    • Vision and market positioning
    • Deep business fluency beyond marketing metrics
    • Influence, thought leadership and network building

    Read the Full Series

    STATE OF SOCIAL MEDIA CAREERS 2026

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