Graduating student Bryan Sainsbury-Hore looks at the ever-changing landscape of the social media job market.

To believe that something can “die” one must believe that it truly once lived. In the case of the Social Marketing Manager, death seems impossible. It is a figment of a lazy imagination. Marketing managing is about the control, measurement, and implementation of marking initiatives. The scope of this role has changed immensely as new technology has become part of the kit bag of the current marketing manager, but the responsibility to control what is going on has not been diminished.

Despite these changes in scope and tools, the fundamental mission of the Marketing manager has not changed. And as thus the idea of a Social Marketing Manager as separate to the previously existing Marketing Manager is absurd.

Part of this new technology has certainly been social media. It is a new beast with new ways of doing things that call for assimilation of a new set of skills. Education and cynicism from consumers have ensured that social media has become one of the increasingly few effective ways to reach customers. Interacting with them in less traditional ways, and influencing consumer decisions in more subtly.

Social Media, especially maintaining a constant presence, and being reactive to trends is almost a full-time job in its self. The work demands may dictate the requirement for delegation of social to another person. This function would be overseen by a contentious Marketing Manager as if it is part of the marketing mix it can have good results.

The tools to measure the success and ROI and ROE of social media are quite different to traditional media. Despite social media’s increased ability to gauge customer engagement, there is still a loose connection between activity and bottom line. With extremes of success and wastage as possible outcomes, Social media must be a part of a sophisticated marketing mix, and is now commonplace amongst all competitive businesses.

Imagine a Marketing manager who does not write any copy, or conceive any new ideas, or simply refuses to use anything that is printed. The idea would be ridiculous, and the marketing manager would get canned. The idea of a marketing manager that separates “social” from the rest of their tools, and puts it into the “not my section” category, is quite the same.

Social is not easy. Consumers sense the “ad” and are off put by it. Therefore, social must be treated as social not broadcast media. Consumers are looking for content that improves their life experience, and providing such content is time-consuming, to say the least. It is, however, an essential element to the Marketing Manager’s toolkit, and part of the woodwork.