Debunking Myths about CMs: “It’s Just Posting a Couple of Messages”

The role of the Community Manager has become the most important asset for many companies facing younger audiences. Big brands like KFC, Netflix or RyanAir have allowed creativity to flow and have no filters when it comes to interacting with their audiences. Establishing their image in social network conversations is the main task of a content manager.

However, many end up falling for trivial matters in order to undermine the work of one of the most self-demanding and creative professions. That’s why, on January 25th, Community Manager Day, we wanted to go through everything that is said about them. How many times have you heard your friends, or even yourself, saying that it’s easy being a CM and anyone can do it? I’m sure some of the following lines will touch home.

1. “Anyone Can Do the Work of a Community Manager”

It’s the most common line among company directors, colleagues, friends or family, who claim that they could do the job with not much of an effort. Devaluating this job is most common among people who are not used to dealing with professionals of the sector.

Doing that job and, most importantly, doing it right, is not something that can be done by just anyone. It takes hours of studying, learning and a perfect command of social network environments. Current affairs, knowing your target audience and brand positioning are skills that not everyone has or can acquire.

And, mostly, we must bear in mind that it’s most definitely not a hobby. Having an Instagram or Twitter account doesn’t mean you know how to manage social networks. No one can be a Community Manager with just the basic knowledge.

3. “You Only Have to Work with Facebook and Instagram — It’s Not a Big Deal”

This myth is closely related to the previous one. Many people, especially older people, when asked about Community Managers, think they are people who are paid to manage an Instagram account and a Facebook account. In order to elaborate quality content it’s necessary to have a previous study of the competition and of the trends of each social network, in order to curate and refine it, making them relevant to current affairs. For example, it’s not the same to post something on Instagram than on Facebook — nor the contact nor the format. They have different audiences.

On the other hand, it’s also important to be aware of the existence of other social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter and TikTok, to name a few. None of them use the same strategy. For correct management, you need hours and hours of work. Which takes us to the next line which you must have surely heard.

4. “You Work Only a Few Hours a Day and You Have the Whole Afternoon Off”

The world of social media doesn’t stop. There’s 24/7 content creation. That means that a Community Manager can spend the whole day phone-in-hand. It’s also a position that requires attention throughout the seven days of the week.

It goes without saying that working days, by law, are 8 hours long. But you never know when a hot topic is going to hit and you may have to work after hours in order to place your company in the conversation.

And we must not forget about the bureaucratic and less visible side of it: campaign analysis, strategy planning, calendar planning, events that could ruin an already booked trip you had… The feeling of it being a job for your free moments is completely inaccurate.

5. “It’s a Fleeting Profession and, Besides, It Doesn’t Require Much Knowledge”

It’s becoming increasingly common to find people who think eSports, streamers or Community Managers are temporary jobs. Many companies are trying to modernise their communication and social networks are key. That’s why it’s important to mention that there’s an increasing number of professionals who look for courses and training that will allow them to work in social media. We’re talking about positions that came to be a decade ago, became established and will continue to be relevant.

Lastly, in order to be a CM, you must know a bit of everything, but the most important part of it is being proactive and to soak in everything that goes on around you in order to improve the quality of your work. In fact, the obsolescence of many methods is happening faster and faster. The rise of new social networks with new rules, methods, algorithms and formats means we need daily training and to gain knowledge on something that will never stop growing.