Shadowing the social media team
Recently, I had the pleasure of shadowing the social media team at Essex County Council (ECC). Equipped with my pen and paper, I eagerly took notes on everything I learned, and have more experience for my apprenticeship!
A day of shadowing
On the day of my shadowing, I was introduced to team members who specialise in various aspects of social media management. From content creators to analysts, each role is crucial in maintaining the council's online presence.
It was important to learn that their role involves much more than just posting content, which I think a lot of people may seem to think.
I gained insight into their campaign process and attended a multidisciplinary meeting (MDT). This is where a team of four to five people from different communications roles come together. They discuss topics including:
- campaign strategies
- social media statistics
- team capacity
- funding
- design briefs
The role of social media in councils
During my shadowing experience, I attended a team meeting and learned about the team’s activities, such as content creation, scheduling, and community management. Social media is necessary for councils, especially in this day and age, to create direct communication with residents.
I was told about how many posts ECC does in a week—a staggering 120! Platforms like:
- X
- Nextdoor
Are all used, with Nextdoor being their most successful platform, sometimes getting up to 50 comments per post. This surprised me how popular it is as I hadn't heard of it before.
Challenges and solutions
I've discovered that working in a social media role comes with several challenges, one of which is managing negative comments. Interestingly, the team hides rather than deletes these comments. I learned that this is meant to maintain transparency with residents and make sure all opinions are acknowledged. It's also part of the social media house rules, which I wasn't aware of before!
Another challenge is preventing repetitive content. The rise of AI has been embraced by the team, with tools like ChatGPT, Hootsuite’s AI, and Canva’s AI aiding in content creation and management. AI can be used effectively to help bounce idea around.
Idea generation
During my visit, I wanted to take a picture for this blog, which led to an exercise on idea generation. The team shared three key questions to guide the process:
- Who’s the audience?
- What would I want to see if I were the viewer?
- What platforms do I want this on?
These questions have since helped me in my own work, from creating images to videography and graphic design!
Skills needed for a job in social media
I also took the opportunity to ask the team what skills are essential for a job in social media. Here are my takeaways for what you need:
- general knowledge of social media
- content creation skills
- campaign management
- relationship skills
- understanding ads
- community engagement
- adaptability and problem-solving
- strategic thinking
- ability to work with data
A valuable piece of advice I received was to develop your own strategies to stand out. This is because each team member has their own specialty, whether it’s copywriting or data analysis.
As I continue my apprenticeship, I look forward to exploring new opportunities. The support I’ve received during this busy time has been invaluable, and I’m always seeking new ways to grow both personally and professionally.
Follow Abi's journey as she works towards her apprenticeship in marketing. You can find the previous edition here.