Being a social media manager can be a daunting task. 752k Instagram followers. 513k Facebook followers. 216k Twitter followers. 69K Pinterest followers. Influenster has a lot of reach, right across the globe.
But its social media team do much more than own social channels. They know that understanding your audience is the first step to producing better content, stronger messaging, and, ultimately, standing out in your market.
We recently sat down with Influenster’s Social Media Manager, Julia Herzberg, to pull back the curtain on what it’s like to manage such a daunting social following, and show how the value the right social media campaign can bring to your business.
Currently reading: “I Am That Girl: How to Speak Your Truth, Discover Your Purpose, and #bethatgirl” by Alexis Jones
Currently streaming: Taylor Swift or True Crime podcasts, depending on the day
What’s something you’re proud of that you don’t get to brag about?: I can deadlift 1.5 times my weight!
So, what’s Influenster?
If you don’t know, now you do…
Influenster is a product discovery platform filled with members who are eager to share their experiences with a variety of industries. We started out pretty heavily in the beauty space, but have expanded over the last 11 years into any sort of consumer industry you can imagine, like food and beverage, fashion, and DIY!
The best part? When you sign up, connect your social media, and fill out your snaps (our way of knowing the kinds of products that make you tick), you can receive free products through our highly-sought after VoxBoxes. All we ask for in exchange is for your honest opinion, and some love on social media!
What does a typical day look like as social media manager?
No day is ever the same, which is the most exciting for me! I often get asked, “what does a social media manager do?” Well, a vague description of my responsibilities includes:
- Overseeing end-to-end campaign execution
- Updating and managing a shot list for our photographers
- Implementing new strategies for long-term growth of our business
- Creating quarterly organic content calendars
- Analyzing content for both client campaigns and our own
- Creating social contests
- Writing editorial content to support a 360 initiative of ours
- The list goes on…
Some days, I’ll be in what I call my “reporting hole.” I create extensive documents on how our various platforms performed over the previous month, and deep dive into spikes and lulls of each of our handles. Other days, I’m at the studio working on exciting branded content for an upcoming campaign.
Each day I work closely with our Social Media Coordinator, Jessica Shuman, to check in on her workload of scheduling the content we create. I love to pick her brain for fun organic initiatives or trends she thinks we can hop on! I’m constantly on calls (who isn’t these days) with our brand strategists and account managers to provide recommendations that align with the client’s goals and ensure campaigns are given 110%.
What would you say the objective of your social channels is?
Before you read on, make sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, Facebook, Pinterest. And if you’re a foodie, be sure to add Influenster Eats to your list as well!
Our channels serve a bunch of purposes. Primarily, my objective as social media manager is to fill each page with educational and valuable insights on new products that our clients are launching. When clients purchase branded content, it’s our job to look at their campaign goals and find a direction that hits their KPIs. Then we get to creating! We’ll create TikToks, Reels, Stories, infographics, and more, depending on what campaign we’re working on. Beyond campaigns, we like to fill our feeds with fun trends, Influenster FAQs, editorial features, and seasonal content.
Why is social media so valuable for your clients?
Influenster holds a unique position where we serve as a bridge between the brand and the consumer. Our followers trust us because we aren’t trying to sell them a product. We’re feeding them news and encouraging them to use their voices to help others make purchasing decisions. Our clients love us for our unique community – 6 million members who log on to our app to stay informed and discover their next favorite thing.
Social media tells a story so as the social media team at Influenster we tell so many amazing stories about what our clients are doing. From eco-friendly apps that help you save the planet, to new formulas of beloved beauty brands, to CashBack offerings on new kitchenware and beyond – it’s our job to look at what a client is doing. We’ll decide what kind of content best paints the larger picture for them, and share that picture with online audiences. The result? Educational and engaging branded content that serves both our community and our clients through our position of bridging them together.
What’s the best piece of work advice you ever received?
“Avoiding discomfort is rejecting growth.” Being comfortable in your work environment is important for our mental health, but there’s a difference between being comfortable and being stagnant. When you find a place where you’re both comfortable and challenged to grow, take that beautiful career concoction and run with it. That’s the best environment for nurturing your professional growth!
