Training as a Social Media Manager: 3 Questions that everyone should ask themselves

8 Answers to “Social Media Manager Training: 3 Questions Everyone Should Ask”

1. Inga of Thomsen

   Hello Mrs. Heder,

   The exciting question is: is there still the classic separation of “work” and “free time”? Of course there are times when I work on specific customer projects and that is certainly “work”. But I often read blogs, articles, and posts on the Internet that I can use for my work and that are just as interesting to me privately. Read specialist books because they appeal to me.

   There is also a very good book on the subject of work / leisure: “Work is not a Job” by Catharina Bruns. I can highly recommend it!

   Kind regards
   Inga of Thomsen

   Reply
   1. Simone Janson

      Hallo,
      thanks for the reference, a review to the book is also available here:
      The interlinking of work and private life is also such a long-running topic: It was hotly debated a few years ago when I started with social media and is apparently still very much topical.
      This shows how big this social change really is that we are in ... and that it is about much more than a few tools.

      Reply
      1. Katharina Heder

         Dear Simone,

         I agree with you from A to Z and we both emphasize it in various posts - all the more annoyed I am that it is still “uncharted territory” for many.

         Regards

         Reply
   2. Katharina Heder

      Dear Mrs. v. Thomsen,

      I look forward to reading from you. Of course, that's a legitimate question - only social media is a special case insofar as it mainly happens in leisure time. More on this in my post:

      I believe that you should make it clear that you have to settle in this profession and then also with the client. For example, I work a lot in sports and it's just the case that competitions take place on weekends or evenings - I simply can't say that it's my free time.

      In other words, I would not like to exchange, because this work fulfills me, so that I like to pass over the perceived border of separation. Setting up as Lars Hahn writes is an important argument.

      Regards

      Reply
2. Lars Hahn

   The core question is actually also for (prospective) social media managers: How should my work look, how should it feel? However, positioning is perhaps even more important here than for the engineer or teacher, because many social media managers still often have to create a large part of their jobs themselves.
   You should already know what is important to you: time, coal, meaning? Or even all three?

   Reply
   1. Katharina Heder

      Dear Mr. Hahn,

      first thank you for the clarification of my tenor. I agree with you. But what is much more annoying for me and I have to attack myself a little because it did not go well, is another circumstance: Exactly this position is not yet shared by many social media managers.

      When I posted this post on XING, this post was even understood as a warning - it is more of a call for thought. In this respect, I do think that SoMeMa should do more than a market selection during their training. When I look at various really terrible looking appearances or even the various impressions of the advent calendar, I sometimes wish for warning lawyers so that it is finally clear how important expertise is.

      In this sense: I am looking forward to your next contribution to drinking coffee ;-)

      Reply
3. Silke Loers

   The conclusion I share immediately. For the job of the social media manager, one must be born, love networks off- and online, continue to develop and work for other unusual times. As a result, there is no one with a training as a social media manager, it can only be and should be the foundation. The right approach comes when doing.
   Unfortunately, many people start quite euphorically and leave the wings hanging at the smallest bankruptcy. Yes, you have to deal with this too. Because not every one of a highly praised content always finds the right reader who fries. Or even if the followers come in a row.
   So there really is more to it ...

   Reply
   1. Katharina Heder

      Dear Mrs. Loers,

      Thanks for your comment. I see it similarly - but I add another observation, which was confirmed yesterday by a raffle by the online marketing portal: There are more and more people who are pushing into this professional field in a kind of flood. It is not for nothing that there are a number of institutes that only specialize in the training of social media managers. You have to and you can argue about whether that is right or wrong.

      When I read comments that you want to win a specialization course from the SMA because you want to take up further training in the coming year and you actually don't have the money, then I get the cold coffee. Not because I don't allow people to do it - but because SoMeMa means a lot of further training, technical acquisitions and a lot of time.

      If I draw the mentioned parallel for myself, then I have to say: Yes, doing that has changed a lot - not least because I had to explain, justify and argue my understanding and my views on social media management all at once. Then sometimes you only see how deeply you are in a topic.

      In this respect: Important aspect and I will write it on my 2do list for the weekend.

      Reply