Amanda Shepherd, social media manager

I love my job. I love getting paid to do something most people get in trouble for doing at work. I love being able to mingle with a variety of clients and be the voice to some of the greatest companies around.

But what does my job entail? The question I have received most from my friends and family is, “So what exactly do you do at work?” The short answer I like to give is, “I get paid to play on Facebook all day.” It usually gets a laugh and we move on… until they ask me again a week later.

Being a social media manager at an agency is so much more than just playing on Facebook all day. It means you are a brand advocate, a community manager, a spy, a teacher, a therapist (it happens), a designer, a writer, and more. It means if you see me without my phone in my hand, it’s possible I could be dying. Even then, I’d probably be tweeting about it.

Working with an agency means I am responsible for a variety of clients, versus an in-house social media manager, who only works with that company. I love being able to switch gears at a moment’s notice. One minute, I am chill and cool talking about beer, and the next minute I’m more sophisticated and whimsical talking about a hotel. It’s that kind of constant change that keeps things fresh and exciting in my job.

To put to rest that dreaded “so what exactly do you do at work” question, I created the inforgraphic below. I wanted to illustrate just how much I am constantly connected, constantly striving to create conversation for my clients, and constantly engaged with each and every person who loves my brands.

It’s much more than playing on Facebook all day.