What Does a Social Media Coordinator Do? 2024 Guide

Social media coordinators are professionals who are responsible for creating engaging marketing campaigns and content that attract customers to an organization's social media platforms. This job includes collaborating with a marketing team to create social media content, publishing content based on a schedule, and monitoring results through analytics. Due to the widespread, global use of social media [1], social media coordinators, along with other advertising, promotions, and marketing management positions, are in demand and expected to see an industry growth of 6 percent from 2022 to 2032 [2].

What is the role of a social media coordinator?

A social media coordinator’s job is successfully managing a company’s social media presence. A typical day might include creating social media posts, checking metrics for performance results, and responding to comments or questions. Social media coordinators are responsible for making sure posts, campaigns, and engagement strategies used by their employers are effective. 

Social media coordinator tasks and responsibilities

The specific responsibilities of a social media coordinator role vary based on a company’s unique needs, but some typical tasks include the following:

Generate content

Depending on the size of your company’s marketing team, you might work with writers and graphic designers to create social media posts, or you’ll be responsible for creating the content yourself. This can include drafting the copy for the post or creating media, such as photos or videos. Regardless, as the coordinator, you’ll need to make sure the content is engaging, relevant, and valuable to your specific audience.

Connect with clients

For social media coordinators, clients are typically potential or returning customers who interact with your company’s social media profiles. You’ll be responsible for monitoring the comments and messages sent to your company and then replying to them appropriately.

Review analytics 

Social media coordinators are typically responsible for monitoring the performance of social media posts, such as how many people like, share, or comment on a post. Organizations use this data to create the most effective posting schedule, as well as a more high-level strategy about the types of content and campaigns that resonate well with your company’s audience. Sometimes, you will turn the analytics into a report for the social media manager or strategist.

Research

Because social media is always changing, a social media coordinator needs to continually research the newest trends, audience preferences, and marketing techniques so that the content being created is relevant, engaging, and attention-catching.

Salary and job outlook

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary for a social media coordinator ranges from $37,000 to $61,000 [4]. Social media coordinators have a lot of opportunities for job growth. You can move into the role of a marketing specialist, digital marketing specialist, or brand manager, for instance. From there, you might progress to a marketing manager, social media manager, or senior product manager.

Qualifications to become a social media coordinator

In general, you need to have a strong background in marketing, writing, and social media to be a social media coordinator. Businesses want someone who is comfortable with various social media platforms, is experienced in written and oral communication, and has the ability to write content.

Education

According to Zippia, 82.3 percent of media coordinators have a bachelor’s degree [3]. A marketing, public relations, or communications degree is a strong choice for gaining relevant skills and experience. If you don’t currently have a bachelor’s degree, it’s worth considering if you’re serious about becoming a social media coordinator. Internships are also a good option for gaining hands-on experience.

Certifications

Certifications are often an effective way to sharpen specific skill sets, like search engine optimization (SEO) or data analytics. Not only can certifications help you to be more successful at your job, but they can also set you apart from other candidates for a potential social media coordinator role. Certifications to consider include Hootsuite Academy's Social Media Marketing Certification and HubSpot Academy's Social Media Marketing II Certification.

Skills

As a social media coordinator, you might spend your day doing similar tasks to marketers, strategists, and customer service experts, among other roles. Some general skills that should help you succeed include:

Knowledge of social media

The foundation of a social media coordinator role is experience with different social media platforms, such as Facebook, TikTok, X, Instagram, and others. It’s helpful to be active on many different platforms so you know how to interact effectively with each one.

Communication

Social media coordinators need to be comfortable communicating with many diverse groups of people, ranging from your colleagues to your social media audience. You’ll need to know how to respond to comments online appropriately and with a consistent voice to reinforce your company’s brand. You must also be comfortable articulating and asserting your ideas to decision-makers within your organization. 

Problem-solving and adaptability 

The landscape of social media is constantly changing. You’ll need to be adaptable and creative when tackling problems, whether it’s a disgruntled customer commenting on posts or a publishing platform not posting on schedule. Because of how quickly things can change in a social media coordinator role, it’s important to be able to think and adapt quickly.

Writing skills

As a social media coordinator, it’s key to know how to write effective, professional, and engaging content tailored to your organization's desired audience. It’s also important to have experience creating content for specific platforms since each has its own rules, such as post length and how to use hashtags. A portfolio that displays your previous work, like social posts, blogs, or website copy, is a good way to demonstrate your experience with social media writing. If you don’t have professional experience, creating examples specifically for your portfolio is a good strategy.

Get started with Coursera.

As businesses rely increasingly on social media to reach customers, the need for roles like social media coordinators will grow. If you're interested in this field, consider earning a bachelor's degree or developing the right skills to get started. On Coursera, you’ll find courses and certificates to help you learn more about social media coordination, like Northwestern University’s Social Media Marketing Specialization. Courses like this one can help you gain a solid grasp on the details of a social media coordinator’s role, as well as get you started down the path of this career.