The terms “social media marketing” and “social media management” are often used interchangeably, but they are quite different in the marketing world. While these differences are small, we recommend being aware and mindful of them when deciding to hire a social media team. Understanding the difference between social media marketing and social media management will ultimately help you set appropriate expectations and set yourself and your team up for success.
Social Media Marketing involves a strategy aimed at business growth and sales. Posts are created with specific goals in mind, and are often targeted to one of the areas of the marketing funnel. While these posts can sometimes include trends, they are not the sole focus of the strategy. The use of analytics, social media optimization, and combining paid and organic approaches is how you’ll optimize your social media marketing.
Social media management is what’s supportive of the social media marketing efforts. These are the day-to-day tasks to ensure the growth of the social media presence. Social media management includes responding to comments and DMs, managing the brand’s reputation, and providing overall support.
Strong social media strategies include a mixture of both. You need the marketing strategy to achieve your sales goals, and the management strategy to really foster a sense of community. Remember: social media exists to be, well, social. Use the platforms as they’re intended–respond to comments, engage with other businesses’ posts, and show up online for the community you’re building.
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