No filter, tough job: What being a social-media manager is really like
Tagging. Collabs. 50 retakes. Social-media management isn’t as glam as it looks. Here‘s an IRL BTS of how it all gets produced
Behind that one-minute Reel you just saw on Instagram is hours and days of work. Even a 10-second promo – the cheese-pull bread at that secret new restaurant, that slow-glide of a new lipgloss, the drone video of Himalayan sunrises – doesn’t come easy. What looks floaty and magical often involves three planning meetings, 4am calls, five checklists, arguments with stylists, light and pacing checks, hours of editing and well-timed uploads.
The work doesn’t end there. There’s tagging, troll hunting, legal tussles, finding out that the photographer costs more than accounted for, and, oops, realising that overnight, Instagram’s algorithm (and all the views) is now focused on something else.
Social media work looks breezy, feels glamorous. It’s anything but, say the people in the business. Cassandra Richards (27) from the agency ARM Worldwide; Priyanshu Goel (22), senior talent manager at IPLIX Media; and Prakriti Madan (28), founder of 24 Media offer a BTS peek, without the soft filters.
Starting points
The field is too new for a formal degree. But it did get a shot in the arm during the pandemic. That’s when most film- and advertising school graduates found gigs drying up, and took to social-media production instead. Goel pivoted from his film production career in 2020. “I’ve passionately consumed content since I was in school,” he says. “This was a chance to delve into an industry that fascinated me. Working in talent management allowed me to interact with the people I’ve always admired on screen and help shape their journeys.”
Madan didn’t plan on doing this either. Left high and dry when she didn’t clear her MPhil entrance test after her Master’s in English literature in 2019, she responded to a call by an artist influencer who was looking for a social media manager. “I took care of everything --content writing, editing, direction, signing brand deals, networking opportunities and lots more.”
Are we there yet?
Richards says she has worked with “AI design tools to create visually stunning work and build more awareness for brands and clients”. As with any other job, there are good days and bad. For her, a good one includes creating fun, quirky content in which the result is approved with little to no feedback. “You get the feeling that your work was done well and appreciated,” she says.
A bad day, on the other hand, involves juggling numerous tasks as deadlines fly past. “Our job is dependent on numerous other people,” says Goel, referring to shooting crews, influencers who struggle with timing a transition, ambient noises that refuse to die down, even cheese-pull bread that falls apart in slow motion. “The delays affect our schedule too,” Goel says. Other disappointments also creep in. Creative pitches that have taken hours to plan are rejected at the drop of a hat because yesterday’s hot trend is overexposed today. Plus, designers and script writers aren’t always following the same Reels as the creative team. Many misunderstand the central vision.
Open season.
Goel says that the festive months of October, November, and December are his busiest period. “There’s a significant surge in activity as brands ramp up their marketing efforts, and there’s a higher demand for influencer collaborations and campaigns.”
As a freelancer, Madan’s calendar looks different. “Every day is busy because you have to create content daily!” She does find that leads pour in around the festive months, when most full-time crews are booked up.
These are, largely, thankless jobs. Even viral cheese-pull clips rarely come with credits. For Richards, the reward is seeing her bright little idea make waves. Madan says there are practical benefits to making a video go viral, “I get testimonials and referrals based on results, which leads to more clients”.
And occasionally, there are perks: Free gifts and free travel. Are they enough for social-media managers to consider it a long-term career, in a field where trends change by the hour? “This is my long term plan,” admits Madan. “I’m working towards building a stronger agency and my social-media coaching empire,” she says. Richards, more practical, says as more eyes, more stories and more attention shifts to social media – or the new platform of the moment – it is where the work opportunities will be.
“The industry is experiencing significant growth,” Goel says. “I see influencer marketing as a dynamic and rewarding career path where I can continue to contribute and thrive.”
