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    Paid Social Manager / Specialist vs Social Media Manager: what is the difference?

    Paid Social Manager / Specialist is the more senior of the two. Social Media Manager typically expects 2-5 years of experience and reports to Senior Manager, Strategist, or Director, while Paid Social Manager / Specialist expects 3-7 years and reports to Head of Performance or Social Media Director.

    Paid Social Manager / Specialist

    Senior Level

    The Paid Social Manager is a specialist role focused entirely on paid social media advertising, including campaign planning, audience targeting, budget management, creative testing, and performance optimisation across Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, and other paid channels.

    Experience
    3-7 years
    Reports to
    Head of Performance or Social Media Director
    Owns
    • Paid social campaign planning and execution
    • Audience targeting and segmentation strategy
    • Budget allocation and ROAS optimisation
    • Creative briefing and A/B testing
    • Attribution and performance reporting
    Core skills
    Meta Ads ManagerLinkedIn Campaign ManagerTikTok AdsAudience targetingBudget managementData analysis

    Social Media Manager

    Mid Level

    The Social Media Manager is the most prevalent role in the profession. A Social Media Manager owns the day-to-day strategy and execution for a brand's social channels, balancing content creation, community management, reporting, and increasingly paid social oversight.

    Experience
    2-5 years
    Reports to
    Senior Manager, Strategist, or Director
    Owns
    • Developing and executing social media strategy
    • Content planning, creation, and publishing
    • Community management and brand reputation
    • Analytics reporting and performance optimisation
    • Managing relationships with agencies and creators
    Core skills
    Strategy developmentCopywritingAnalytics & reportingCommunity managementContent planningBasic paid socialStakeholder managementTeam coordination

    Which title should the job ad use?

    • Use Paid Social Manager / Specialist when the work centres on paid social campaign planning and execution and the hire will report to Head of Performance or Social Media Director.
    • Use Social Media Manager when the work centres on developing and executing social media strategy and the hire will report to Senior Manager, Strategist, or Director.
    • If the remit covers both, split the role or advertise at the more senior band and pay accordingly. Benchmarks are in the Salary Report.

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