How “Social Media Manager” Went From Intern-Tier to Full-on Career
There's more to the profession than posting on Facebook and Twitter
As companies increasingly rely on social media to engage with customers, they have turned to social media managers to promote their products, design campaigns, and manage branding. This week, we use Revelio Labs workforce intelligence software and different types of data analytics to take a look at the rise of the social media manager role and chronicle how the demographics and activities of this profession are evolving.
While the title was less common in 2010, the number of individuals whose jobs focus on managing their company’s digital presence has steadily grown – by April 2022, there were over 64,000 social media managers in the United States, our workforce intelligence software shows.
In addition to headcount growth in the field, the starting age of social media managers has also gotten older in recent years. Despite the slight downward trend in the average starting age of social media managers during the first half of the 2010s, possibly due to the amateur nature of the positions in the early days, it began rising in 2016, with the sharpest increase occurring during the pandemic.
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This increase in starting age corresponds to changes seen via other types of data analytics - namely, in job activities associated with social media management. Between 2012 and 2022, many of the fastest-growing activities for social media managers focused on public relations. In today’s online environment, social media management is no longer about creating viral content. Instead, it is shifting towards establishing and maintaining the organization’s image and identity, which requires a more mature and experienced voice.
Key Takeaways:
- The number of social media managers in the United States has steadily grown over the past few years, Revelio Labs data shows.
- The backgrounds of social media managers have changed over the last decade, shifting towards an older workforce.
- The activities associated with social media management have shifted towards public relations and brand management
