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    Social Media Manager vs Social Media Strategist: what is the difference?

    Social Media Strategist 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 Social Media Strategist expects 4-8 years and reports to Director or Head of Marketing.

    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

    Social Media Strategist

    Senior Level

    The Social Media Strategist is a senior specialist role focused primarily on strategy development and audience insight, rather than day-to-day execution. Strategists design the frameworks, channel plans, and measurement approaches that others execute against.

    Experience
    4-8 years
    Reports to
    Director or Head of Marketing
    Owns
    • Developing comprehensive social media strategies
    • Audience research and persona development
    • Competitive benchmarking and landscape analysis
    • Channel selection and investment recommendation
    • Measurement framework design
    Core skills
    Strategic thinkingAudience researchData analysisCompetitive intelligencePresentation skillsBusiness acumen

    Which title should the job ad use?

    • 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.
    • Use Social Media Strategist when the work centres on developing comprehensive social media strategies and the hire will report to Director or Head of Marketing.
    • 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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