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Media manager vs social media strategist

The differences between media managers and social media strategists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a media manager, becoming a social media strategist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a media manager has an average salary of $96,475, which is higher than the $62,339 average annual salary of a social media strategist.

The top three skills for a media manager include digital marketing, kpis and media planning. The most important skills for a social media strategist are instagram, digital marketing, and twitter.

Media manager vs social media strategist overview

Media ManagerSocial Media Strategist
Yearly salary$96,475$62,339
Hourly rate$46.38$29.97
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs110,88843,791
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age3944
Years of experience102

What does a media manager do?

Media managers oversee the department that works on the different communication needs of the company. They execute the communications strategies of the company. They are expected to be updated with the current trends on media platforms. They should also be very familiar with the company and are attuned to the company's brand and image so that they can create relevant communications campaigns. Media managers oversee content creation on different media platforms. They manage the research related to the content they are working on. They develop materials and ensure that these materials are engaging and relatable to the target audience.

What does a social media strategist do?

A social media strategist is primarily in charge of handling a company or an individual's social media platforms, aiming for brand awareness and good public relations through positive online engagement. Their responsibilities revolve around developing and implementing social media strategies and campaigns for marketing, coordinating with content creators and writers, identifying new online marketing opportunities, keeping abreast of the latest trends, and ensuring that all content materials are relevant to the company. Furthermore, as a social media strategist, it is essential to be prepared for any issues by devising damage control plans.

Media manager vs social media strategist salary

Media managers and social media strategists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Media ManagerSocial Media Strategist
Average salary$96,475$62,339
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $140,000Between $41,000 And $94,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying statePennsylvaniaUtah
Best paying companyMetaGoogle
Best paying industryAutomotiveTechnology

Differences between media manager and social media strategist education

There are a few differences between a media manager and a social media strategist in terms of educational background:

Media ManagerSocial Media Strategist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorCommunicationCommunication
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaNorthwestern University

Media manager vs social media strategist demographics

Here are the differences between media managers' and social media strategists' demographics:

Media ManagerSocial Media Strategist
Average age3944
Gender ratioMale, 51.7% Female, 48.3%Male, 39.1% Female, 60.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage10%11%

Differences between media manager and social media strategist duties and responsibilities

Media manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage B2C media campaigns from inception to reporting.
  • Evaluate, select and manage relationships with PPC technology vendors.
  • Lead intranet and internet maintenance, content, development and marketing.
  • Execute vendor fund campaigns to achieve KPIs base on each individual brand s needs and drive ecommerce sales.
  • Utilize CRM software to maintain contacts, leads, ad sales, sales reports and advertisement run sheets.
  • Manage search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising for several B2B and health care clients.
  • Show more

Social media strategist example responsibilities.

  • Manage social media and content creation for Instagram account of 23k+ followers.
  • Manage all social agency and vendor relationships, including Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube.
  • Create, curate, and manage all publish content, including blog posts, website copywriting and design social media images.
  • Perform administrative duties including ordering photography supplies, managing expenses bookkeeping, updating photography inventory and archives.
  • Develop creative marketing campaigns to engage current and alumni volunteers including photo and video contests on Facebook.
  • Crowd source using Facebook, Google and LinkedIn ads.
  • Show more

Media manager vs social media strategist skills

Common media manager skills
  • Digital Marketing, 19%
  • KPIs, 5%
  • Media Planning, 4%
  • Media Management, 4%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
  • Google Analytics, 3%
Common social media strategist skills
  • Instagram, 7%
  • Digital Marketing, 7%
  • Twitter, 6%
  • Social Media Marketing, 6%
  • Social Platforms, 4%
  • Linkedin, 4%

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