Choosing social media editing as a career can be rewarding, especially if you are interested in creating, organizing, editing, and publishing social media content.
Social media editors use their leadership and content development skills to direct the efforts of content teams and improve the social media presence of their brand or company.
If you are interested in becoming a social media editor, knowing which roles and responsibilities come with this job would be beneficial. In this article, we have explained what a social media editor is, what he does, which skills he has, how to become one, and what the expected salary is.
What exactly is a social media editor?
A social media editor is considered the head of the social media content team. He produces, edits, proofreads, formats, designs, and publishes content on different social media channels. He works with photographers, graphic artists, and writers to ensure all forms of content are produced according to the social media content strategy of the company.
There is more to the role of social media editor than meets the eye. A social media editor plays many roles other than editing.
He has search engine optimization skills that he uses to optimize content and reach more social media users. He works with the marketing department to determine content goals and design a proper content strategy and then he assigns work to writers and graphic designers accordingly. He may also track traffic and create a report for presentation.
Skills that make a good social media editor
Being a social media editor is not an easy job. You have to play many roles, and to play those roles successfully you must have the required skillset. Know that the more social media-related skills you have, the more your demand will be.
If you plan to become a social media editor, make sure you first learn the following skills.
Editing skills
You should know how to proofread and review a piece of writing or any other form of content, so that it is crisp, clear, engaging, error-free, and according to what your specific audience wants to read. As a social media editor, you will edit not only the written content but also the visual content. So, make sure you know how to use video and photo editing tools, as well.
Writing skills
Though you will not be writing content because this is the responsibility of a writer, it is still good for an editor to have writing skills and experience. You should know how to convert ideas and thoughts into written words.
Understanding of social media networks
Any person applying for a social media job such as social media editing should have the knowledge of social media networks. As a social media editor, you should know how all the popular social media channels such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok work.
Social media publishing skills
It involves having knowledge of the ‘best time’ of sharing posts on different social media platforms. You should know when to publish, where to publish, and for whom to publish.
For instance, if you have recently launched a product for teens, you should know the time at which teens are more active on social media, so you can target them at the right time.
Content marketing
You should know how the sales funnel works and how you can use content in each stage of the sales funnel. It will help you create and edit the content that can convert a visitor into a loyal customer.
Content optimization
Do you know that more than 500 hours of content is uploaded to YouTube and above 695,000 stories are shared on Instagram per minute?
These high numbers indicate the level of competition on some popular social media channels. If you want your content to stand out in a crowd of competitors, you should know how to optimize it using your SEO skills.
Ability to create content reports
As a social media editor, you may have to report to management about the success rate of the content you are editing. For this, you should know how to analyze different metrics and use the gathered information to create a report and tell others how your content is performing.
Personality traits of a social media editor
Detail-oriented
Employers want their social media editors to be detail-oriented, so they can find out every small error present in the content and make sure the final product matches the style and voice of the company.
Good judgment
You should have good judgment, so that you can decide whether the information has enough evidence, and whether it is ethical enough to be posted on the internet. This skill will also help you decide which content is more beneficial for your company and which needs to be removed from the content strategy due to its ineffectiveness.
Creativity
You should be imaginative and curious, so you can make your content different and more engaging from your competitors.
Roles and responsibilities of a social media editor
The main role and responsibility of a social media editor are related to content development. Still, depending on the requirements of the company, he may have to perform many other tasks.
Here are the basic roles and responsibilities of a social media editor.
- Reading, proofreading, reviewing and revising content to make sure the final product is free of typos, spellings, and grammatical errors before it is published on the internet.
- Making sure the content produced is according to the company’s style, tone, and rules.
- Optimizing content using different SEO rules, tools, and techniques.
- Managing content scheduling tools, content calendar, and finding out the optimal time to publish content on a social media platform.
- Hiring and assigning tasks to writers, content producers and freelancers.
- Coordinating with other teams like photographers, graphic designers, and writers to make sure content is produced and published on time.
- Working with content creators to generate new content ideas and plan content schedules or strategy.
- Using internet search engines to find out new trends, the latest news, and what the competitors are doing.
- Rewriting content to make it more engaging and clear to your readers.
- Writing new posts when the writers are not available to make sure the content schedule is followed no matter what.
- Reviewing and understanding social media metrics to determine the performance of content. Making amendments to the content strategy based on the metrics results.
- Creating content reports and presenting them in front of management.
- Learning new social media tools and social media platforms to find how they can be added to a content strategy to grow the company’s social media presence.
What to do to become a social media editor?
Get the right qualification: Get a college degree in a field that increases your knowledge of social media editing and enhances your related skills. According to Zippia, 77% of social media editors have bachelor’s degrees, 10% have Associate degrees, and 8% have Master’s degrees.
Suitable degree fields for social media editors are journalism, English literature, mass communication, and marketing.
Gain experience: Start gaining experience by doing internships, working for small organizations, and even offering help to your college’s social media handler. It will give you a chance to have hands-on experience of what you are learning at college.
Learn supplemental skills: Acquire additional skills like search engine optimization, image editing, photography, social media marketing, copywriting, project management, and effective communication to enhance your skillset.
Create an attractive portfolio: Keep your work done for different clients saved, so you can showcase it in your portfolio and make your portfolio more attractive. Learn techniques of creating a captivating portfolio to catch more clients.
Apply for the job: While getting your degree, gaining experience, and learning skills, make sure you keep an eye on the company’s requirements where you dream to work, so you can prepare yourself for the post according to the company’s needs. If you think you have all that they want their social media editor to have, apply for the job when a vacancy opens.
Keep learning and growing: Social media is evolving with time. You need to learn new skills, tools, and techniques if you want to keep yourself updated and in demand. Never stop learning and growing if you want to get success in this field.
How much can social media editors earn in the US?
The average total pay of a social media editor in the US is around $67,181 per year, while the average base salary is $49,775 per year. Salary can vary from location to location.
According to the stats of Zippia, the highest paying cities in the US are Washington, New York, Arlington, and Morgantown. There are more than 40,963 social media editors currently working in different firms in the US. 58.8% of them are women, and 41.2% are men.
Social media editor career pathways
Writer: A writer writes content for different social media channels. He ensures his writing style, tone, and format is according to the brand voice. He proofreads and edits his content to make sure it is error-free. He keeps an eye on trendy topics to generate informative content that can help him increase post engagement.
Copy editor: They are specialized in writing and editing social media copies. They edit, proofread, and fact-check copies written by copywriters. They make sure everything about the copy is according to the goals of the content strategy. A copy editor works under the supervision of a social media editor.
Publisher: The role of a publisher is to publish content on social media platforms as well as digital media sites such as websites and blogs. He oversees different forms of content and ensures it is exactly according to the company’s goals before it gets published on the internet.
Social media content strategist: A social media content strategist designs content strategy based on the social media goals of the brand. His strategy helps the brand boost its sales, increase revenue, and maintain popularity. He also assigns tasks to other members of the content marketing department.
Content marketing specialist: They are responsible for generating numerous forms of content on social media platforms for marketing purposes. They set content marketing goals and assign tasks to content creators.
FAQs
Do social media editors work from home?
Many social media related jobs, including social media editing, can be performed from the comfort of your home. A large number of social media editors work from home. Companies hire them for ongoing work and assign them tasks through social media platforms and other communication channels.
Are social media editors in demand?
The demand for social media editors is increasing with time. In this internet era, we all know that a refined, concise, and clear copy, Tweet, or Facebook post can make more difference than an unedited or unattractive piece of content.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate of social media editors has decreased from 7.55% in 2010 to 2.53% in 2019. It shows that more companies are now hiring editors to improve the quality of their content.
How long does a social media editor work in a day?
A social media editor works for 8 to 9 hours every day, or 35 to 40 hours per week. He may have to spend more time if deadlines are approaching and work demand is high.
What is the highest and the lowest expected social media editor salary in the US?
The highest expected social media editor salary is $95,483 per year, and the lowest expected salary is $33,389 per year.
Summary
A social media editor is a skilled professional whose main role is editing, proofreading, and reviewing social media content before it is published on the business profiles. He is a multi-talented person who knows writing, editing, designing, and content optimization.
With the increase in content demand, the demand for social media editors is increasing with time. The job offers many benefits and has several career paths, so if you ever decide to change your career, you will still have many options to choose from.