Content calendar
Monthly plans by platform, built around launches, campaigns and recurring series, with approval steps that fit your team.
Roles · Marketing
A social media manager to plan, post and reply across your channels
Your calendar planned weeks ahead, posts going out on time, and comments and messages answered while the conversation is still warm. Monthly reports show what grew and what didn't.
Social channels that stay active
Social media rewards showing up, and that's where most teams struggle. Posts go out in bursts, comments sit unanswered, and each platform gets the same post cropped badly. A social media manager plans content per platform, keeps the posting rhythm, answers your audience, and works with creators and designers to keep the feed fresh.
What they do for you
- Build a content calendar for each platform, aligned with launches and campaigns
- Write captions and adapt posts to each platform's format
- Schedule and publish posts, stories and short videos
- Answer comments and direct messages, and pass leads or complaints to the right person
- Find and brief UGC creators and manage their content approvals
- Track trends and competitors, and suggest formats worth testing
- Report on reach, engagement, followers and clicks every month
What a reliable social media manager looks like
Tools they work in
InstagramTikTokLinkedInFacebookYouTubeXPinterestThreadsMeta Business SuiteSprout SocialHootsuiteLaterBufferCanvaCapCutNotionMany more
A good fit if:
- Your channels go quiet whenever the team gets busy
- Comments and DMs wait days for a reply
- You post the same thing everywhere and engagement is flat
- You want to work with creators but have no one to run it
Not the right fit if:
- You need paid social campaigns run for conversions; see Performance Marketer
- You need the graphics or videos themselves made; see Graphic Designer or Video Editor
- Messages are mostly order and support questions; see Customer Service Agent
Interview questions
01
"How would you adapt one product launch for Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok?"
Strong answer: different hooks, formats and tone for each, with posts planned around how each audience uses the platform.
02
"A customer posts an angry comment that's getting attention. What do you do?"
Strong answer: reply quickly and calmly, move details to DMs, loop in support, and follow the escalation rules you've agreed.
03
"How do you brief a UGC creator?"
Strong answer: the goal, key messages, must-say and must-avoid points, format and length, usage rights, and a deadline.
04
"Which numbers would you report each month, and why?"
Strong answer: engagement rate, reach, saves and shares, clicks and leads, with notes on what drove changes.
Signs of a strong social media manager:
- Plans ahead but still reacts to trends quickly
- Writes differently for each platform
- Replies to people like a person, in your brand voice
- Learns from the numbers and changes the plan
Signs of a weak social media manager:
- Posts the same caption on every channel
- Ignores comments and messages
- Chases follower counts over engagement
- Has no plan beyond next week
Community management
Replies to comments and DMs, moderation, audience engagement, and routing leads or complaints to sales and support.
Platform growth
Platform-specific formats, posting rhythm, collaborations and testing on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest.
UGC and creator coordination
Finding creators, briefing them, tracking deliverables and usage rights, and getting their content approved and posted.
Finding your social media manager
- 1
Talk it through
We agree the work, the tools, the hours you share and who they report to. For this role: the platforms you're on, your brand voice, how content is made today, and who handles approvals.
- 2
Meet a shortlist and choose
We screen a wide pool for every role and introduce only the few who fit your brief. We source, screen and test candidates against your brief, and run background and reference checks. You interview and decide.
- 3
Start with support in place
They start on the work in the brief, and we stay in contact once they've begun.
Social media managers are generally a faster search. If you need weekend or evening cover, we recruit for a full-time role whose regular hours include those times, which can add a few days. South Africa is where we look first.
How pricing works
You can choose any of these options for a social media manager; none is set as the default. We can walk you through each one when it suits you. Compare the arrangements on ways to hire.
Who does what
Swipe to see more →
| Task | You | JiveTalent |
|---|---|---|
| Brand voice, campaign plans and sensitive replies | Own | – |
| Calendar, posts, replies and monthly reports | Review | Posted and answered by your manager; we check in on posting rhythm and reply times |
Social media manager FAQs
Do they create the content too?
They write captions and make simple graphics or short videos in Canva or CapCut. Heavier design and video work goes to a designer or editor.
Will they work during our business hours?
The brief sets the hours and the overlap with your team before the search starts, so every candidate is hired for them.
Can they cover weekends?
Yes, as part of a full-time role with weekend days in the regular schedule. Say which days and hours in your brief.
What if it isn't working out?
Talk to your account lead. We go through it with you and agree a way forward.
Who controls our social accounts?
You do. Your manager gets access through Meta Business Suite and each platform's team settings, never by sharing your passwords.
Can they post in other languages?
Yes. Multilingual candidates are available, so list the languages your audience uses.
How do we see what our social media manager is working on?
Their hours are tracked in the client app and reported there for you to see.
Keep your channels active and answered
Book a call. We'll agree the brief for your social media manager and talk you through the ways to hire.