Critical Reflection

The following is a critical reflection of my role as Social Media Manager. It focuses on my initial perceptions of the role and the realities, the goals I set for myself, an evaluation of my contribution to the magazine and a discussion regarding collaborative work.

Initial Perceptions Of My Role

My initial perception of my role was simple. I would take pictures, write copy and interact with audience. This understanding quickly changed. I was naive about the effort required in managing a social platform to a professional standard. Creating regular, high-quality visual content and engaging copy requires planning in advance, thought and creativity. These were project management skills I hadn’t recognised I could improve further, believing I had a good grasp from previous experience in social media management.

I identified that I needed to manage my time better in order to ensure my part in developing reach was a success. As such, I dedicated time to creating visual content and drafted copy for promotional material in advance to avoid any challenges. Digital marketer, Jade Rogers, encouraged this process, stating "consistency in what I'm posting, as well as planning my content, has been really vital to creating my own personal brand." I also researched current trends in digital marketing, and applied this industry context to my role. In reflection, my approach to planning was beneficial to my role. It led to a stronger, curated feed as key messages could be revised and promoted promptly without haste.

Goals For My Role

In my presentation outlining plans for my role, I set myself three goals in developing digital presence. These included reaching five hundred followers, establishing industry links and maintaining a feed in consideration to best industry practice. I did this to build a portfolio for myself to be referenced by industry professionals.

To view my progress in succeeding in these goals, I looked at the social analytics of the magazine. When I began managing Instagram in November of 2018, the number of followers was at 377. This increased to 470 in March, 499 in April and 530 by May of 2019.

Whilst five hundred followers is a relatively small number, it’s a point I’m proud to have surpassed. I felt it was better to achieve smaller goals and move forward, rather than set unrealistic targets for myself and the magazine. In reflection, it would have been positive to see followers increasing by one hundred each month. However, this was impractical when the module began due to a lack of new content to promote and events to publicise.

Reflecting on my SWAIN Analysis, I feel I’ve achieved my aspirations. My role has instilled multidisciplinary skills that benefitted my personal and professional development. I’m disciplined in producing concise copy. I understand how to prepare multi-platform social media campaigns and execute them professionally in a timely manner. I’m confident in communicating in an anonymous tone of voice fitting to a brand. My time management skills have improved further. I’ve experienced content management systems which are used to an industry standard. Looking back at digital growth, I feel I’ve established the beginnings of a community, one I hope will continue to grow beyond my influence.

An Evaluation Of My Contribution

A significant aspect of my role was creating visual content and engaging copy for social. I demonstrated strength in this skill area, and the opportunity allowed me to develop creative skills including photography, image editing and writing for social media.

The visuals I created for the social feed and story feature were curated, related to the promotion of key messages and cohesive in the wider theme of the platform. I showed eagerness in designing content and put thought into establishing a lasting aesthetic for the magazine. My copy was engaging, emotive and concise. The language I used was relatable and of interest to our core demographic and a professional tone of voice was maintained to industry standards. My strengths include error-free copy and driving website traffic.

In terms of my project management process for visual content and copy, I created both in advance. This approach ensured key messages were promoted promptly and the social feed was visually consistent in a curated design style. The visuals used on the social feed were also my own, meaning issues relating to image use were avoided.

In reflection, I would develop the story function of the platform further in the future. I found this feature the most difficult to create regular varied and engaging content. In terms of industry practice and a successful digital marketing strategy, stories are increasingly used as a way to engage with audience, with one-third of users watching each day. If I approached my role again, I would plan content for this feature with greater care.

Collaborative Work

Initially, I thought my role would be more collaborative. In truth, collaborative work within the marketing team has been almost non-existent. I was faced with issues such as a lack of communication and clear expectations of my role within the hierarchy of the marketing team. I kept a reflective journal, where I recorded my experiences with the expectations of my role versus the realities. I also reflected on my ability to interact effectively within a creative team.

Regardless of my preference to work autonomously, I attempted to overcome challenges through active participation. This is evidenced in my reflective journal. At team meetings, I contributed to discussions regarding marketing campaigns and made suggestions to drive digital traffic. I made myself available for all aspects of marketing, wanting to be reliable. After all, it benefitted my role and the wider team. I contributed reasonable ideas, considered opinions respectfully and allowed others a chance to discuss. I feel this attitude is important as it establishes a nurturing environment that promotes diverse creativity.

In reflection, a lack of collaboration meant media campaigns were not approved by the Marketing Manager, nor was my copy proofread. Engaging in collaborative work could have provided a fresh perspective on developing our digital presence. I acknowledge I should better embrace collaboration in my professional journey. Moving forward, I will take these experiences into account, both negative and positive, and attempt to be more open to relying on others.

Conclusion

To conclude, my role has been more challenging than expected. I’ve learned much about time management, content creation and best industry practice in consideration to social media. I can see a clear relationship between good project management and the success of digital marketing strategies. Moving forward, I understand that social media management is less about sharing content and more about organisation. Certainly, planning ahead helped my role immensely. I will take from what went well and apply this to future professional situations.

If I were to advise the next generation of social media managers, it would be to plan in advance, ensure all content has a consistent design style and put effort into what’s shared. It’s a legacy for students and industry professionals.

Word Count: 1,095

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