borghei Social Media Manager
Category: Marketing Tags: social media strategy, content calendar, community management, engagement, growth, social audit
Overview
Social Media Manager provides the strategic layer for building a sustainable social media presence that drives measurable business results. It covers platform selection, content architecture, community engagement, growth tactics, crisis response, and performance measurement. The emphasis is on doing 1-2 platforms exceptionally well rather than spreading thin across five.
This skill handles strategy and management. For writing individual social posts, use content-creator. For analyzing social performance data, use campaign-analytics.
Clarify First
Before building the strategy, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:
- Operating mode — build from scratch, audit & optimize, or scale & systematize — sets the workflow and deliverables
- Business type & audience — B2B SaaS, developer tools, or consumer/SMB — drives platform selection and content pillars
- Platforms in scope — which 1-2 platforms (and current presence) — focuses the strategy and cadence
- Primary business goal — awareness, leads, recruiting, or community — sets the metrics and pillar mix
Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the artifact.
Operating Modes
Mode 1: Build From Scratch
No social presence or starting a new platform. Define platform selection, content pillars, posting cadence, and 90-day growth plan.
Mode 2: Audit & Optimize
Active presence that is underperforming. Analyze what is working, identify gaps, and rebuild the approach with data.
Mode 3: Scale & Systematize
Growing presence that needs structure. Create content calendars, team workflows, approval processes, and measurement frameworks.
Platform Selection Framework
Decision Matrix
Choose platforms based on where your audience already is, not where you think you should be.
| Platform | Best For | Content Style | Cadence | Organic Reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2B, thought leadership, recruiting | Long-form posts, carousels, documents, video | 3-5x/week | High for personal, low for company pages | |
| X (Twitter) | Tech, developer audiences, real-time | Short takes, threads, engagement, links | 1-3x/day | Low organic, high for threads |
| YouTube | Education, tutorials, long-form value | Videos (8-15 min), Shorts (<60s) | 1-2x/week | High (search-driven, evergreen) |
| B2C, visual brands, lifestyle, recruiting | Reels, Stories, carousels | 4-7x/week | Medium (Reels preferred) | |
| TikTok | Young audiences, viral, brand awareness | Short video, trends, authentic | 1-3x/day | Highest organic potential |
Selection Rules
- Start with 1-2 platforms. Do them exceptionally well before adding a third
- B2B SaaS default: LinkedIn (company + founder personal) + X/Twitter
- Developer tools default: X/Twitter + YouTube + GitHub community
- Consumer/SMB default: Instagram/TikTok + YouTube
- Never maintain a platform where you post less than 3x/week -- dormant accounts hurt brand perception
Platform-Specific Optimization
LinkedIn (B2B Priority)
- Personal accounts get 5-10x the reach of company pages
- Founder/CEO posting drives more business than company page
- Carousel posts and document shares get highest engagement
- Post between 7-9 AM Tuesday-Thursday (local time)
- First comment within 30 minutes matters for algorithm
- No external links in post body (kills reach) -- put links in first comment
X/Twitter (Tech/Developer)
- Threads outperform single tweets for depth
- Quote tweets with genuine commentary > retweets
- Engagement in first hour determines viral potential
- Lists are underused for audience building
- Spaces (live audio) drive rapid follower growth
YouTube (Evergreen)
- Thumbnail quality is 50% of success
- First 30 seconds determine if viewers stay
- Shorts feed subscribers into long-form
- SEO titles and descriptions drive long-term discovery
- Consistency matters more than production quality
Content Pillar Framework
The 5-Pillar Model
Every social strategy needs 3-5 content pillars that balance value delivery with business outcomes.
| Pillar | Purpose | Target Mix | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational | Teach audience something useful | 40% | How-tos, frameworks, tips, tutorials |
| Behind the Scenes | Build trust through transparency | 20% | Process, team stories, building in public |
| Social Proof | Demonstrate results and credibility | 15% | Case studies, testimonials, milestones |
| Engagement | Start conversations, build community | 15% | Questions, polls, hot takes, debates |
| Promotional | Drive business outcomes | 10% | Product features, launches, offers |
The 10% promotional cap is intentional. If your feed feels like an ad channel, people unfollow. Earn the right to promote by delivering value first.
Content Repurposing Chain
One piece of content can feed 5-10 social posts:
Blog Post (1,500 words)
├── LinkedIn long-form post (key insight + personal take)
├── X/Twitter thread (5-7 tweets breaking down the framework)
├── LinkedIn carousel (visual summary of key points)
├── Instagram Reel / TikTok (30-second key takeaway)
├── YouTube Short (60-second explainer)
├── Quote graphics (2-3 pull quotes as images)
└── Newsletter excerpt (with link to full post)
Content Calendar System
Weekly Template (B2B SaaS)
| Day | Pillar | Format | Platform Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Educational | Long post or thread | LinkedIn, X |
| Tuesday | Engagement | Question or poll | LinkedIn, X |
| Wednesday | Behind the Scenes | Photo, video, or story | LinkedIn, Instagram |
| Thursday | Educational | How-to or framework | LinkedIn, X, YouTube |
| Friday | Social Proof / Promo | Case study or feature |
Batch Creation Workflow
Week -1 (Friday, 30 min):
Plan next week's topics, assign to pillars
Week 0 (Monday, 2 hours):
Batch-create all 5 posts for the week
Schedule in tool (Buffer, Hootsuite, native scheduler)
Daily (15 min):
Reply to comments on own posts
Engage on 5-10 relevant posts from others
Monitor mentions and DMs
Week +1 (Friday, 30 min):
Review last week's analytics
Identify top performer, understand why
Adjust next week's plan based on data
Content Idea Generation
When you run out of ideas, mine these sources:
| Source | Method | Example Output |
|---|---|---|
| Customer questions | Export support/sales FAQ | "The 5 questions every new customer asks" |
| Industry news | React to trends with your take | "Here's what [news] means for [your audience]" |
| Internal discussions | Turn Slack debates into content | "Our team disagreed on X. Here's what we learned" |
| Competitor content | Improve or counter their takes | "Everyone says X. Here's why that's wrong" |
| Analytics data | Share interesting findings | "We analyzed 10K [events]. Here's what surprised us" |
| Personal experience | Founder/team stories | "The mistake that almost killed our launch" |
Community Engagement Framework
The 1:1 Rule
For every post you publish, spend equal time engaging with others' content. Social media is bilateral -- broadcasting without engaging is advertising, not community.
Response Framework
| Scenario | Response Time | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Product question | Under 2 hours (business hours) | Answer directly, link to docs if complex |
| Complaint (public) | Under 1 hour | Acknowledge publicly, resolve privately, follow up publicly |
| Praise | Within 4 hours | Thank them, amplify with reshare/quote |
| Feature request | Within 24 hours | Acknowledge, route to product team, set expectations |
| Troll | Ignore | Never engage unless spreading factually dangerous misinformation |
| Industry discussion | Within 4 hours | Add genuine value, share perspective, never self-promote |
| Influencer mention | Within 1 hour | Engage authentically, explore collaboration |
Community Building Beyond Posts
| Tactic | Platform | Effort | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host weekly X Spaces | X/Twitter | 1 hr/week | High (rapid follower growth) |
| Create a Discord/Slack community | Cross-platform | 5 hrs/week | Very High (owned audience) |
| Run a LinkedIn newsletter | 2 hrs/week | High (email-like engagement) | |
| Collaborate on content | Any | 2 hrs/piece | High (audience crossover) |
| Comment on industry leaders' posts | Any | 15 min/day | Medium (visibility) |
Crisis Response Protocol
Definition of Crisis
A social media crisis is any event that threatens your brand reputation and is spreading (or will spread) on social platforms. Examples: public customer complaint going viral, employee controversy, security breach, product failure affecting many users.
The 4-Hour Rule
Communicate internally within 4 hours of a crisis becoming public. Employees should never learn about company news from social media.
Response Sequence
Hour 0-1: Assess and Contain
1. Identify the scope: How many people are discussing this? Is it growing?
2. Stop scheduled posts (pause all scheduled content immediately)
3. Draft initial response (acknowledge, do not deflect)
4. Get approval from appropriate leader (CEO for major, CMO for minor)
Hour 1-4: Respond
5. Post initial response on the platform where the crisis is most visible
6. Communicate internally (all-hands email or Slack)
7. Brief customer support team on response guidelines
8. Monitor all channels for spread
Hour 4-24: Manage
9. Provide updates as new information becomes available
10. Respond to individual comments/questions
11. Prepare detailed response or blog post if needed
12. Document everything for post-mortem
What NOT to do:
- Delete comments (makes it worse, people screenshot)
- Go silent (vacuum fills with speculation)
- Get defensive (always empathize first)
- Blame others (take responsibility for your part)
- Use humor (read the room)
Social Media Audit
Profile Audit Checklist
- Profile photo: high-quality, consistent across platforms
- Banner image: current, on-brand, communicates value
- Bio: clear value proposition, not a job title listing, includes CTA
- Link: drives to relevant landing page (not generic homepage)
- Pinned post: best-performing or most strategically important content
- Contact info: accurate and monitored
Content Audit
- Posting consistency: regular cadence or sporadic gaps?
- Content mix: balanced across pillars or predominantly promotional?
- Format variety: text, images, video, carousels, or all one format?
- Voice consistency: brand voice matches across all posts?
- Engagement quality: genuine comments or "great post!" spam?
- Top 5 posts: what do they have in common? (format, topic, timing)
- Bottom 5 posts: what patterns emerge? (wrong time, wrong format, too promotional)
Engagement Audit
- Response time: within 2 hours or days later?
- Response quality: genuine replies or template responses?
- Outbound engagement: actively commenting on others' content?
- Community participation: present in relevant conversations?
- DM handling: monitored and responded to?
Metrics That Matter
Primary Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | Target | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement rate | Content resonance | >3% LinkedIn, >1% X, >2% Instagram | Platform analytics |
| Follower growth rate | Audience building momentum | >5% monthly | Week-over-week tracking |
| Click-through rate | Content driving action | >1% | UTM tracking |
| Share/save rate | Content worth keeping/spreading | Rising month-over-month | Platform analytics |
| Conversion rate | Social leading to business outcome | Depends on funnel | Attribution in GA4 |
Metrics to Deprioritize
- Raw follower count without engagement context (vanity)
- Impressions without engagement (reach without resonance)
- Likes as primary metric (lowest-effort engagement)
- Post volume as KPI (consistency matters, not volume)
Monthly Reporting Template
SOCIAL MEDIA MONTHLY REPORT: [Month Year]
Audience Growth:
LinkedIn: [X] followers (+Y%)
X/Twitter: [X] followers (+Y%)
Total reach: [X] impressions
Content Performance:
Posts published: [X]
Average engagement rate: [X]%
Top performing post: [link] ([X] engagements)
Content pillar breakdown: Educational [X]%, BTS [X]%, Proof [X]%, Engagement [X]%, Promo [X]%
Business Impact:
Website clicks from social: [X]
Leads attributed to social: [X]
Notable conversations/DMs: [summary]
Next Month Focus:
- [Priority 1]
- [Priority 2]
- [Experiment to run]
Growth Tactics
Organic Growth Levers (Ranked by Impact)
- Consistency -- Post on schedule. Algorithms reward reliability over bursts.
- Founder-led content -- Personal accounts outperform brand accounts 5-10x on LinkedIn.
- Engagement bait done right -- Genuine questions, polls, hot takes. Not "like if you agree."
- Collaboration -- Co-create content with complementary accounts. Audience crossover is the fastest growth lever.
- Trend riding -- Jump on relevant trends fast, but only if authentic to your brand.
- Repurposing -- One blog post becomes 5-10 social posts. Never create for a single channel.
- Community spaces -- Own your audience (Discord, Slack) rather than renting it from platforms.
Content Formats by Engagement (B2B)
| Format | Avg Engagement | Best Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carousel / Document | 3-5x text post | Swipeable, high dwell time | |
| Thread | 2-3x single post | X/Twitter | Shows depth, bookmarkable |
| Short video (<60s) | 2-4x text post | All | Reels/Shorts algorithm boost |
| Poll | 3-5x text post | LinkedIn, X | Low-effort engagement |
| Personal story | 2-4x brand post | Authenticity drives shares |
Proactive Triggers
- Posting frequency dropped below 3x/week: consistency matters more than perfection. Batch-create to maintain cadence.
- Engagement rate below platform average: audit last 20 posts for patterns. Which got engagement? Which did not?
- 100% promotional content: audience fatigue incoming. Shift to 90/10 value/promo split immediately.
- No outbound engagement: spend 15 min/day commenting on relevant posts. Social media is bilateral.
- Same format every post: algorithm fatigue. Mix formats weekly.
- Growing followers but flat engagement: content is attracting but not resonating. Audit content pillars.
Related Skills
| Skill | Use When |
|---|---|
| content-creator | Writing individual social posts and brand voice |
| campaign-analytics | Analyzing social media performance data in depth |
| launch-strategy | Coordinating social media around product launches |
| email-sequence | Converting social followers to email subscribers |
| analytics-tracking | Setting up social media UTM tracking and attribution |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement rate below platform average | Content not resonating or weak hooks | Audit last 20 posts for patterns. Run social_audit_scorer.py. |
| Posting dropped below 3x/week | No batching system or content calendar | Use content_calendar_generator.py and batch-create weekly. |
| 100% promotional content | No pillar system | Shift to 90/10 value/promo split. Cap promotional at 10%. |
| No outbound engagement | Broadcasting without participating | Spend 15 min/day commenting on relevant posts. Social is bilateral. |
| Same format every post | Algorithm fatigue | Mix text, carousel, video, poll formats weekly. |
| Growing followers but flat engagement | Attracting but not resonating | Audit content pillars. Narrow topics to build deeper engagement. |
| Crisis going viral on social | No crisis protocol in place | Use the 4-hour rule: assess, pause scheduled posts, draft response, get approval. |
Success Criteria
- Engagement rate: >3% LinkedIn, >1% Twitter/X, >2% Instagram
- Follower growth rate: >5% monthly
- Posting consistency: minimum 3x/week with no gaps longer than 3 days
- Content pillar balance: educational 30-40%, promotional under 15%
- Response time: under 2 hours for all comments and mentions
- Outbound engagement: 15+ comments on others' content per week
- Monthly reporting delivered with actionable insights (not just metrics)
Scope & Limitations
In Scope: Social media strategy, platform selection, content pillar design, editorial calendars, community engagement, crisis response, social audits, growth tactics, performance measurement.
Out of Scope: Writing individual posts (use social-content), paid social campaigns (use paid-ads), influencer management, social media tool administration.
Python Automation Tools
1. Social Audit Scorer (scripts/social_audit_scorer.py)
Scores social media profiles on profile completeness, content quality, and engagement health.
python scripts/social_audit_scorer.py audit_data.json
python scripts/social_audit_scorer.py --sample --json
2. Content Calendar Generator (scripts/content_calendar_generator.py)
Generates structured content calendars with pillar assignments, format recommendations, and batch creation plans.
python scripts/content_calendar_generator.py --platform linkedin --weeks 4
python scripts/content_calendar_generator.py --platform instagram --weeks 4 --json
3. Growth Tracker (scripts/growth_tracker.py)
Tracks follower growth, engagement trends, and content performance over time with projections.
python scripts/growth_tracker.py weekly_data.json
python scripts/growth_tracker.py --sample --json