Is the Social Media Manager Dead?

photo-16A few weeks ago an article spread like wildfire in the Twittersphere declaring the “the social media manager is dead”.  I couldn’t disagree more.  The social media manager isn’t dead; the role is just evolving and maturing.  This shouldn’t be a surprise considering social media is an industry that is still relatively new and one that is always changing.

Here’s why I think the article was misleading / wrong:

1.  Social media needs a centralized person.
Every brand needs a centralized point of contact to oversee the overall social media strategy and ensure all the pieces of the puzzle work together to tell a cohesive brand story. The worst thing a brand can do is have a fragmented social media strategy.  You need a social media brand keeper. Period.

Additionally, social media is a lot to keep up with. I’ve been in roles before where social media was just a component of my job, and honestly, I couldn’t keep up with the industry.  If social media is a priority for an organization, they need to have someone who is staying up to date on the latest trends and educating the staff. 

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