The director of social media relations acts as the main interface between a brand and its social media audience. His main goal is to create and maintain a positive image and reputation of the brand on social media channels to improve customer loyalty and boost sales.
In addition to connecting with customers, he also establishes business relationships with influential social media personalities and media persons to increase brand exposure. To achieve these goals, he performs multiple tasks depending on the organization’s key objectives and requirements.
Keep reading the article to learn what exactly a social media relations director does and how you can become one.
Duties of the director of social media relations
A director of social media relations can perform numerous tasks in a company. It is difficult to tell what exactly he does because his role varies from one company to the other.
Still, we have highlighted common duties that directors of social media relations are expected to perform in a company.
Develop and maintain relationships
The most important thing for any company is to have a good relationship with its customers, so it can enjoy long-lasting success. A director of social media relations ensures he nurtures a lasting relationship with customers by offering them value and gaining their loyalty.
He uses various tactics and techniques to attract social media users and motivate them to press the “buy” or “follow” button. For example, he may run online contests and giveaways to create a buzz and make the brand a part of the daily trending list. This tactic helps small and medium businesses have more followers or sales in a short time period.
Develop and implement strategic communication plans
A strategic communication plan shows:
- Who you need to talk to
- Why do you need to talk to them
- Which tools will you use to talk to them
- Which social media channels should you use to target them
- Which form of content suits their taste and likes the best
To build this plan, you need to have a thorough understanding of your audience’s needs, problems, lifestyle, expectations, and size.
A director of social media relations is responsible for generating an effective communication plan and answering all the questions mentioned above. He studies his specific audience deeply to find what content/messages they care about, and then he creates a communication plan accordingly.
Set goals for the team
A director of social media relations leads his own team. He trains his team members and does not hesitate to guide them whenever they need any assistance. He creates goals and to-do lists for his team and assigns each member his particular role. While creating the goal list, he is open to suggestions on how to complete more tasks in less time.
Here are a few examples of goals that a director of social media relations sets for his team:
- Identify/understand the target audience
- Generate audience interest in the newly launched product
- Increase the size of the audience
- Define suitable strategies for effective public awareness
- Choose activities they are going to perform to reach their goal
- Create a budget
Monitor the performance of the team
He is responsible for assigning tasks to all team members based on their capabilities and expertise. He sets his team up for success by defining objectives, expectations and milestones. He asks for updates on a regular basis to ensure work is being done according to the plan.
His leadership qualities allow him to analyze the performance of each member and then offer constructive feedback to help them improve.
Maximize brand awareness on social media
Brand awareness helps brands inform people about what they are offering on social media, so they can earn customer loyalty and influence customers’ decision-making process. The more recognition a brand gets, the more sales it will have.
A director of social media relations hires relevant influencers who have his target audience as their followers. They can help him put his brand in front of more people.
He also posts engaging content that encourages people to leave comments. He collaborates with other brands that are not his direct rivals in the industry; instead, they sell complementary products to his services/products.
Track social media publicity campaign’s metrics
A director of social media relations designs social media publicity campaigns. He assigns a specific budget to each campaign and analyzes its results to ensure the return is more than the investment.
Report on results
After analyzing campaign performance and creating a report, he presents the report to higher-ranking members of the company. He informs them about the campaign’s goals and performance. He notes down their comments or suggestions and then delivers them to his team to tell them what their seniors think about their work.
Organize online interviews, meetings, and events
The director of social media relations is responsible for establishing lasting relations with industry peers, influencers, and clients. For this, he arranges meetings and events where he acts as the spokesperson.
He disseminates important company news, such as its collaboration with another company or the launch of a new collection on such events. He may also arrange events to give clarification about negative events that are affecting the company’s online reputation. He has interviews with journalists and similar personalities to improve brand presence.
Collaborate internally with other teams
In addition to interacting with his own team, a director of social media relations interacts with other teams, including the marketing, finance, and social media teams. The aim of this interaction is to ensure each team is working towards the same goal.
He arranges meetings with managers of different teams to learn about their performance and results. Since he is in a higher post, he can also offer managers some valuable suggestions on improving campaign results.
Skills you need to be the director of social media relations
A director of social media relations is a high-ranking post. You need to have multiple skills to prove you can tackle all kinds of situations gracefully and professionally.
Enlisted below are the key skills employers look for in candidates for a director of social media relations position.
Exceptional communication skills
As the director of social media relations acts as the spokesman and representative of the company on social media, it is very important he has excellent oral and written communication skills. He should be able to clearly express thoughts and ideas to multiple audiences.
He should listen to customers patiently and offer them solutions if they face any problem using the company’s products. He should not hesitate to apologize to them if they have received a faulty product. All in all, he should know how to handle all sorts of customers.
Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills show how you interact and communicate with others and handle teamwork in different environments under different circumstances. These skills are one of the most important criteria hiring managers use to evaluate candidates. Some examples of interpersonal skills include:
- Emotional intelligence
- Team-working
- Listening skills
- Negotiation skills
- Decision making
- Problem-solving
- Conflict resolution
- A positive attitude
A director of social media relations should have these skills so that he can work well with others and establish long-term business relationships with important people.
Networking
Networking skills are an absolute necessity for a director of social media relations which ensures you can maintain interpersonal connections. These skills indicate you can share information or ideas with others in simple and easy words, and you can also understand the point of view of others.
For a director of social media relations, it is very important to take the initiative and connect with others, including his customers, influencers, and industry peers, to grow a brand and increase its reach.
Leadership
As the director of the department, he should be able to drive and motivate his team to achieve goals and complete assigned tasks. He should be able to inspire them to produce better results.
He should know how to effectively communicate his vision and ideas to others and listen to their ideas as well to make them feel valued. He should appreciate those who work hard and push those who are lagging behind.
Social media skills
If you want to have any social media-related job, you should have a deep interest in all the social media channels. You should know how each platform works, how to manage business profiles, how to run social media campaigns, and how to increase the number of followers/likes/post engagement.
A director of social media relations should know how to calculate results after reading important metrics on social media. He should be able to identify new trends and use trendy content forms to get his audience’s attention.
How to become a social media relations director?
Getting a job as a director is not easy; you need to have years of experience, excellent skills, and education to get this job. Here is what you need to become a social media relations director.
Education: You need to have a bachelor’s degree in a field that shows you are the right person for this post. A master’s or doctorate degree in a relevant field increases your chances of getting hired.
Skills: You should have good communication, networking, decision-making, teamwork, negotiation, and social media skills. These skills indicate you have the ability to motivate customers to buy products, and you can build strong connections with companies that are in the same industry.
However, you need time and practice to learn these skills. You can learn them on your own, but it may take more time. Joining a course can help you understand and build these skills fast.
Experience: The director of social media relations post is not an entry-level post. You need years of experience in the same field to reach this level.
If you are a beginner or still completing your bachelor’s degree, it is suggested to start helping small firms and companies in your area to improve their brand awareness and reach. It will help you learn multiple soft skills and practice skills that you are learning at college or university. It will also add more value to your resume.
Once you have completed your degree, start looking for social media relations-related jobs in larger companies to gain more experience and learn more. Gradually, you will be able to make it to the director-level post.
Salary of the director of social media relations in the US
According to the data collected by the Salary, the average annual pay of a social media relations director or media relations director is around $81,885 in the US. It may range from $67,975 to $98,523 per year. Your salary package can vary depending on various factors, including your work experience, qualification, and additional skills.
How can businesses use social media to build lasting relationships with customers?
There are multiple ways to engage your customers and gain their trust through social media. Some of these ways include:
- Create a social media account dedicated to customer service.
- Listen to your customer feedback and implement them to gain their loyalty.
- Create a personal connection with your followers or customers by using their first names in the email newsletters or add live chat support.
- Offer special rewards to your customers through contests and giveaways.
- Make online communities like Facebook groups and invite your followers to join them. Share engaging posts in such groups and respond to comments and messages.
- Add value to your audience’s lives by sharing educational and informative content on social media.
- Post user-generated photos on your business profiles or share them in stories to encourage your customers to post pictures of your products.
Summing it up
A director of social media relations establishes a positive image of a company in front of its audience on social media. He increases and maintains the brand’s online reputation to help it grow. He establishes long-lasting relationships with customers and influential personalities.
Communication and networking are the most important skills employers want a social media relations director to have. If you have these skills, education, and the required experience, you might be the right candidate for the social media relations director post.