Your Guide to Success As a Social Media Manager

As a social media manager, you're charged with big responsibilities: communicating authentically, striking the right tone and acting as a brand steward. And in many cases, you need to squeeze all that into a tight space.

On the one hand, you’ve got a lot of running room and can go in pretty much any direction. But whatever path you choose needs to ultimately lead to a measurable business impact. This requires driving business outcomes through your day-to-day work in social, striking the perfect balance between wit and gravity, and choosing the right social media platforms to amplify your voice.

To meet these challenges head-on, we’ve compiled insights from professionals with years of experience managing their brand’s social media presence. We’ll cover why the social media manager role is so vital at the moment, as well as touch on best practices for social media managers. 

Social Media Managers Matter More Than Ever

Let’s start with why it’s an incredibly relevant time to be a social media manager (SMM). If you’re a great SMM, you wield great power. After all, you’re the master of an arguably fickle medium. The social landscape of yesterday looks much different from the social landscape of today, and that constant transformation shows no signs of stopping.

Still, brands understand the value of engaging the customer where they’re at, and that means having a strong presence on social media. A recent study found that social media is the most effective B2B channel for driving revenues in 2023.

Professionals use these platforms every day to:

1. Connect with colleagues and peers
2. Keep pace with industry trends
3. Build their reputation
4. Vet vendors and products
5. Get career advice and more

As a social media manager, you’re the bridge between your brand and these professionals. Naturally, a lot is riding on your shoulders because that bridge needs to effectively connect your brand with your audience in a way that is relevant and authentic—and never outdated. 

This is made even more difficult in our tumultuous social media environment. According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, only 41% of people trust social media. 

While trust in social media and brands may be down overall, 63% in that same report said they buy from brands that reflect their own personal beliefs—and social media is a great place to make your company’s values known. 

Here’s how Allie Brewer-Hay, Senior Social Content Marketing Manager for LinkedIn, thinks about the opportunity of social for B2B brands:

“With an increased focus around community and feeling a true connection with a brand, the SMM role is evolving and becoming even more important. There’s a unique opportunity to help attract new members while fostering current members and really providing the help and resources that our ‘community’ authentically craves.”

Best Practices for a Social Media Manager

To be the best bridge possible requires that you do more than set up a social media account and respond to online comments. It takes a certain savvy, curiosity and range of skills to do a bang-up job.

Knowing that your goal is connecting with and engaging the people who matter most to your business, it’s helpful to keep in mind this insight from famed author Dale Carnegie:

“When dealing with people, remember that you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” 

That’s where the “social” part comes in. If you’re passionate about interacting with others and conveying compelling sentiments while appealing to your audience’s emotions, you’ll go far.  With that in mind, here are some B2B social media manager best practices to help you engage your audience and get the most out of your social channels. 

Top 3 best practices for B2B social media managers 

1. Keep up with trends. The best part about social media is also what makes it one of the most challenging tools for marketers: experiences and expectations are constantly changing. As a social media manager, it’s your job to stay on top of the latest social media trends to avoid having your brand’s social channels sound like they’re posting from three years ago. 
2. Storytelling with data. “Signals from social add color to an otherwise black-and-white world of business intelligence,” says Sprout Social CMO Jamie Gilpin. In a recent survey commissioned by Sprout, 90% of respondents said effectively using social insights is critical for the success of their company. Knowing how to turn raw social data into a compelling narrative for executives is a priceless skill for any SMM. 
3. Understand the platforms your audience is on. If you’re a social media manager targeting a B2B audience, that means knowing how to effectively use LinkedIn. In fact, 80% of LinkedIn’s 900+ million members impact buying decisions in some way. So, while keeping up with general social media trends is important, it’s vital to keep up with platform-specific best practices.  

By keeping these best practices in mind, you can make sure your social channels are giving your followers and prospective customers the most authentic and helpful information possible. 

For more insights on how to rock your brand’s social media presence on LinkedIn (and beyond), follow the LinkedIn Ads Blog.