The Difference: Community Manager and Social Media Manager

Have you ever wondered if the person creating content on a company’s Instagram was the same person responding to comments and DMs? We’re here to help you break down the difference between a Community Manager and a Social Media Manager.

In most cases, especially at smaller or in-house companies, the Social Media Manager and Community Manager are combined into one role. However, if your brand is big enough and engagement flows, the two roles are separate.

Community Manager

The Community Manager is responsible for engaging with followers and the online audience. They are there to control the conversation and narrative that is happening online. They are there to respond to comments on social media posts, answer DM’s., search tweets by associated keywords, and answer any questions or concerns users may have.

The Community Manager works closely with the Social Media Manager to get certain conversations started and create a well-rounded brand for the company. They will respond to replies and comments on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, etc. One of the most critical functions of the community manager is to comment on other users’ content to build trust and a bond.

Social Media Manager

The role of the Social Media Manager is to create the strategy, ideas, and content on social media. This could be anything from Instagram Stories to TikTok videos or live updated tweets. The social media manager is responsible for understanding what content will perform well on socials based on audience and demographics.

A day-to-day for a social media manager would be designing a post, taking a picture, or filming a video. They will then come up with a caption for the post and make sure it relates to the audience. They will then schedule it on a day and time where it will perform well.

Both the Community and Social Media Managers will work cohesively to convey the image and voice of the brand using both their content and engagement. In most cases, it is common to have Community managers merge with Social Media Managers, but it is common in larger agencies to have the roles differentiated.

Whether you are looking for a Community Manager, Social Media Manager, or a position that does both, we have opportunities available! Visit our jobs at clutchnow.com/jobs.