If you love diving into social media and think a career in it could be fun, the role of social media coordinator might be perfect for you. It’s more than just scrolling through TikTok or Reels — it’s about playing a key role in a brand’s marketing team and driving social media success.
Curious about what a social media coordinator does day-to-day? Let’s explore how they help keep a brand’s social media presence running smoothly and engaging with audiences.
What is a social media coordinator?
A social media coordinator is someone who executes the day-to-day operations of a brand’s social presence — they are usually just starting out in their careers. While more senior roles might develop a social media strategy, a coordinator’s main focus is on executing that strategy. They take care of daily tasks and workflows like content creation, scheduling, and community management, which are essential but do not always require advanced strategy.
A social media coordinator role is typically an entry-level position requiring 1-2 years of experience — that can include internships, freelance work, or previous roles in marketing or social media. Formal education isn't always required, but a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field is often preferred.
Social media coordinators might be brought into a company for two main reasons:
- The company is small, and their social media presence is relatively simple. They don’t need a multi-person social media team — they are looking for someone to keep their accounts up and running (and ideally generate some growth).
- The company has a larger marketing team and/or a special focus on social media in their marketing strategy. They need a coordinator to support social media managers or other more senior roles, so these people can focus on strategy, analytics, and campaign development while the coordinator executes the daily tasks.
What does a social media coordinator do?
Let’s look at a few of the most common tasks a social media coordinator takes care of:
- Manage the social media content calendar: Coordinators work closely with social media managers, specialists, or strategists to plan content for different platforms, ensuring posts are scheduled to align with product launches, campaigns, or current events.
- Create and publish content: This includes crafting captions, uploading photos, and posting videos across multiple platforms. Coordinators work to ensure the content reflects the brand’s voice and tone and stays current with trends.
- Engage with followers: Coordinators are often the ones responding to comments, answering questions, and engaging with the community. They do this to help build a stronger, more engaged audience.
- Monitor social media performance: They track how posts perform using analytics tools, keeping an eye on likes, shares, comments, and other engagement metrics. This data helps inform future strategies and content.
- Collaborate with other teams and influencers: Social media coordinators collaborate with other teams, such as design and content, and influencers to help amplify the brand’s message.
- Social listening: Coordinators keep an eye out for brand mentions, competitor activity, and industry news and trends to ensure their brand can get out in front of issues and maintain the best reputation.
Social media coordinator skills
To succeed as a social media coordinator, you’ll need to balance creativity with organizational and analytical skills.
Some key skills in this role are:
- Content creation: The ability to create attention-grabbing posts is crucial. This includes photography, video editing, and basic design skills, as well as writing engaging copy.
- Time management: Juggling multiple platforms and deadlines requires strong organizational skills to ensure content is posted on time.
- Project management: Social media coordinators manage (and sometimes create) the systems used for planning and publishing content, whether it’s a manual calendar or a dedicated sogtware. This requires organization, attention to detail, and the ability to quickly learn social media management software.
- Community engagement: Social media coordinators are pros at responding to comments, questions, and direct messages.
- Analytics: Understanding social media metrics is necessary for tracking post performance and determining what works best for your audience.
- Adaptability: Social media and its algorithms are always changing, so being able to adjust to new features and trends quickly is crucial for success.
Career advancement for social media coordinators
Landing a social media coordinator job is a great way to get your foot in the social media marketing door. While the job responsibilities are usually limited to everyday tasks, these tasks are absolutely critical for the brand. That means people are watching and there is plenty of room to prove yourself!
After you’ve become a coordinator, a world of opportunity opens up, from social media strategist to social media manager. Here are a few ways to proactively work towards a promotion:
- Document your results and don’t stop talking about them: Consistently track metrics and report on social media performance so you can show how your efforts contribute to business goals. These data points are especially important for your resume!
- Take initiative and lead a project: Propose new ideas or projects, such as a content series, or take on new responsibilities, like developing a social media calendar. Showing that you're proactive and can handle more complex tasks signals you’re ready for a higher-level role.
- Make decisions based on data: Get comfortable with analytics platforms so you can learn how to interpret data and adjust content strategies accordingly. Being able to demonstrate how data drives content success will make you valuable as a strategist or manager.
- Work with people outside of your department: Collaborating with other teams (e.g., marketing, PR, sales) and understanding their goals can help you shape better social media strategies that align with broader company objectives. This shows that you understand the company’s “big picture,” a key skill for more senior roles.
Social media coordinators keep a brand’s online presence active and engaging, serving as the backbone of a marketing team’s day-to-day operations. Explore our guide to social media teams to learn about other social media careers and how team members can work together to build a strong social media presence.
