In the ever-changing landscape of the music industry, a Social Media Manager has a vital role in shaping the online presence and fan engagement strategies for artists, bands, record labels, and music venues. 

This position requires a nuanced understanding of not only social media platforms but also the unique dynamics of the music scene. Social Media Managers have to come up with innovative strategies to connect artists with their fan bases, build anticipation for album releases and tours, and cultivate a vibrant online community around the artist’s brand. 

They also use social media analytics to track audience demographics, engagement metrics, and the effectiveness of promotional campaigns. 

Social Media Manager Jason Pollak operates a wide range of social media sites for clients like Lil Wayne and Young Money Entertainment. He tells us, “The basis of the job is all about being organized.”

He normally manages about 10 social media pages each day. He goes through the content he or the artist has posted to make sure he’s up to date. 

“I also check the analytics across our pages, to make sure I’m hitting the goals I set forth for each page and everything is performing as I expect it should,” he says. “If not, it requires adjustment in the daily strategy and the content I am posting on each channel.”

He checks in on his clients’ pages from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. to plot out the day and keep track of what needs to get posted and what needs to change. 

“Every day I will make at least sixty posts, if not more,” he says. “So planning and staying a step ahead is essential.”

The average annual salary for a Social Media Manager is approximately $60,700. The salary range for Social Media Managers is between $52,000 and $83,000.

How a Social Media Manager earns income and how much they earn will vary widely based on their work situation. The longer someone has been working in the field, the more likely they are to earn a higher salary.

How Does a Social Media Manager Make Money?

Here are the most common income streams for a Social Media Manager:

• Employment Salary: Many Social Media Managers work as employees within companies, agencies, or organizations. They earn a fixed salary or hourly wage for their services, often with additional benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans.
• Freelancing: Some Social Media Managers choose to work as freelancers, offering their services on a project-by-project basis or through retainer agreements with artists or labels. Freelancers typically charge artists either hourly rates or flat fees for specific services (like consulting, social media strategy, content creation, community management, etc).
• Agency Work: Social Media Managers employed by marketing or digital agencies may earn a salary or commission-based compensation for their work, depending on the agency’s structure and client agreements. Agencies often bill clients for a combination of services, including social media management, advertising campaigns, and strategic consulting.
• Affiliate Marketing or Sponsored Content: Some Social Media Managers may suggest an artist leverage their online influence to earn commissions through affiliate marketing programs or sponsored content. This is when the artist would promote products or services on social media. And then the social media manager would earn a percentage of the sales generated through the referral links, or they would get a cut of the fee for the sponsored content.

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What does a Social Media Manager career look like?

For one, the work is often remote.

“The best part of the work lifestyle is that I can work anywhere,” Pollak explains. “I don’t have an office to report to and I don’t have an office myself. I prefer it this way because I can invest in a more quality apartment with space to work and then have the freedom to work from wherever I want. If I want to travel somewhere for the week, I can.”

The schedule of a Social Media Manager also allows for travel in the middle of the week, if you so desire or if you need to.

“For example,” Pollak continues, “Lil Wayne had a merch launch at Neiman Marcus in Miami so I flew down for the week. Or when Lil Wayne has his annual Lil Weezyana Festival, it is always a good excuse to spend a week in New Orleans. So I try to merge both travel and work together.”

So what are the typical hours in this career? Well, they are what you make them.

“I wouldn’t say there are typical hours when running your own business or social media,” Pollak says. “I think you are generally always on the clock should something pop off or someone needs advice on something. There are days/nights where there might be a single release at midnight, at 3 am in the morning, or on a weekend. Perhaps your client is hosting an event or at an event over the weekend and you need to be on because there might be content you need to post.”

However, Pollak says most of his days he work between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

“For the most part, I am in contact with the heads of the label and management company for Lil Wayne and Young Money, an artist’s Manager, Touring Managers, or even an artist themself,” he says.

So how do you get a job as a social media manager?

Becoming a Social Media Manager in the music industry requires a combination of a deep understanding of both social media and the music business, practical experience, and a passion for helping artists succeed.

A degree in marketing, communications, and/or music business is definitely helpful but not always necessary. From there, seek out internships, entry-level positions, or freelance opportunities with music-related companies, artists, or agencies.

“You have to hustle, bottom line,” Pollak says. “If it’s not you, it will be someone else who is putting in the legwork to get a job, to make a connection or to get a client. It’s as simple as that when it comes to finding an opportunity, especially within the music industry.”

Other than that, there isn’t really a standard job board for social media managers.

“It’s about timing and finding a way to meet people,” he continues. “I started working with Lil Wayne because I emailed the web design company who was creating his website and asked if they needed help managing it. From there, I was connected to his team.”

That’s really what it comes down to: putting yourself out there. Reach out to artists whose music you like and who you think could be successful. Offer them social media help, even working pro bono on a project so they see what you can do.

Offering to work ona project or two for free is a great way to build your portfolio. And you need a portfolio to do well as a social media manager.

“I would say reaching out two to three times is an acceptable amount before you start to annoy someone and they will just ignore you,” Pollak recommends. “Perhaps they saw your message and just can’t help you at the moment. Perhaps they just took a mental note and will get back to you when they can. If you keep messaging them, then forget it. You will be put on the ‘ignored’ list and never have a chance, if/when there is one.”

Also, attend music industry events and conferences to connect with professionals in the field. Building relationships with artists, managers, record labels, and other industry insiders can open doors to job opportunities and collaborations.

“You never know,” he says, “Perhaps there will be an opportunity for working with someone you meet down the line.”

“Also,” he adds, “go to shows and concerts, try to build up your own social channels so you can get into events. Be consistent, but always switch it up.”

According to Pollak, here are some ways to get started as a social media manager:

• Get your hands dirty and start your own social media channels
• Go through the help sections of the social media platforms and learn how to use them inside and out
• Practice making different kinds of posts
• Start your own genre-specific social media profile to get an idea of the different kinds of content that work for different audiences
• Take classes and get a degree if possible
• Apply for internships
• Network on social media and in-person

Obviously, as a Social Media Manager, you need to know your way around the main social media sites, right now being TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. You must also keep an eye on new developments and new social networking opportunities.

Here are the main experience and skill you’ll need to succeed as a social media manager…

• • Writing skills

Getting real-world experience is a must, even if you showcase what you can do on your own social media profiles. Because one thing you’ll have to get good at is writing.

“I was also an English major so writing was always a strong point for me,” Pollak says. “Which I do think you need if you wish to manage an array of accounts with various types of language. For example, a post about Nicki Minaj, which is targeted to her fan base, will have a different language than a post for someone like Lil Wayne or Drake and their fan base.”

He says each post probably won’t be longer than 200 words, but you might be writing 60 per day. So you have to make sure everything you write is perfect and fits the audience you speaking to.

• • • Start with small indie artists

Pollak interned at Hot 97 for Funkmaster Flex, which he says taught him a lot about working for a high profile type of client for a big company.

“So, start off with a local artist to get your feet wet and grow from there,” he says.

• • • • Keep up to date with social media and cultural changes

You need to know the changes social media platforms are making so you can make sure your artists do well on social media.

“You will always be learning something new when it comes to social media as they evolve and create new rules or tricks for each platform,” he says. “It requires staying on top of updates, conducting weekly research and studying what others are doing.”

But you also need to keep up with cultural changes as seen on social media.

“It might sound simple and funny, but you don’t want to be the one that is using the emoji or language everyone else was using last year. You need to stay current. You will also need to find a way to communicate all of this to your team who may or may not be in the social media trenches every day.”

• • • • • Stay organized

Organization and structure are essential to succeeding as a social media manager. You may end up managing multiple artists, so you need to stay on top of what needs to happen, when to post, and what’s going on with each of your clients.

• • • • • • Be dedicated

To succeed as a social media manager, you have to want it badly.

“I think you need to be a dedicated, organized, collected and studious individual,” Pollak says.

A degree in Marketing, Communications, English, and/or Music Business could be helpful for working as a Social Media Manager, but it’s also not required. Some schools also offer degrees in social media related fields or offer relevant coursework as part of a more traditional degree program.

“It seems as though there are more programs that deal particularly with social media, entrepreneurialism, and digital marketing these days, so I would definitely try to take those types of courses, if offered at a college you are going to,” Pollak recommends.

Again, you can pursue this career without a traditional degree.

“If [you don’t earn a degree], it is not a dead-end when it comes to social media,” Pollak says. “Instead, I recommend you start up your own social accounts and learn all the basics.

“To be honest this is probably the best way to get started before investing money into classes if you aren’t enrolled in college at the moment. You can also go through all of the tips that each platform offers in their help sections.”

There are no professional organizations for Social Media Managers but it’s no surprise that due to the nature of the business itself, there are loads of networking opportunities to be found online. “Get your social media up and market yourself,” Pollak advises.

“Networking on Instagram or LinkedIn will probably present the best opportunities, at least for the time being. Like and comment, search around and pay attention to who is engaging with your content. There is nothing wrong with reaching out to someone you find on social media. You simply never know if someone will respond.”

“I would say reaching out two to three times is an acceptable amount before you start to annoy someone and they will just ignore you. Perhaps they saw your message and just can’t help you at the moment. Perhaps they just took a mental note and will get back to you when they can. If you keep messaging them, then forget it. You will be put on the ‘ignored’ list and never have a chance, if/when there is one.”

“Try to go to networking events. I have found people mainly just go to get freebies, whether it is advice, food or drinks. I wouldn’t rule them out, though. You never know. Also, go to shows and concerts, try to build up your own social channels so you can get into events. Be consistent, but always switch it up.”