Navigating the Digital Landscape: Unveiling the Vital Soft Skills of Effective Social Media Managers

Abstract

The increasing significance of social media in organizations has led to collaborative efforts between IT professionals and marketers. Social media managers play a vital role in enhancing business exposure through effective strategies, requiring a diverse skill set encompassing soft skills like teamwork, emotional intelligence, communication proficiency, and leadership. Soft skills, defined as non-technical interpersonal and behavioral skills, are crucial for decision-making and project success in social media management, surpassing the importance of hard skills in project failure. Theoretical perspectives on soft skills vary, emphasizing traits such as leadership and communication. However, literature on social media management often overlooks these soft skills, necessitating a deeper understanding and prioritization. Assessing soft skills in social media managers presents challenges due to diverse skill lists and subjective evaluation. The adoption of unconventional methodologies is suggested to ensure comprehensive evaluations that consider cognitive and emotional dimensions. Success in the contemporary work environment hinges on soft skills, shaping an individual's ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, think critically, lead others, and manage conflicts. Detailed sub-chapters delve into specific soft skills essential for social media managers, including teamwork, communication, analytical thinking, leadership, active listening, business comprehension, collaboration, adaptability, conflict resolution, credibility, customer relations, data mining, decision-making, diversity comprehension, ability to edit, and engaging people. In conclusion, recognizing and prioritizing soft skills is crucial for comprehensive training programs, equipping social media managers to navigate the multifaceted challenges of managing an online presence in the digital age.