Over the years, it's evident that careers, disciplines, or specializations change, and this is relatively normal in any field of knowledge without distinction. As years go by, evolution becomes necessary.

In the digital realm, this applies much more frequently than in other areas, given that technology takes giant steps each year. This significant advancement in the digital world has led to the creation or specialization of various disciplines, such as the roles of Community Manager and Social Media Manager. These terms are frequently heard today. However, do we truly understand what they entail? Can we distinguish their functions? What roles do they play within a company? Or simply put, who are they? Both roles are intertwined and are often confused for being the same.

Let's start with the basics: the Social Media Manager is responsible for creating ideas and strategies that will help the company grow in the digital world. They segment and study each community to identify those who are most suitable to receive that product or service. On the other hand, the Community Manager is the one who represents the company, acts as its face, and interacts with the communities.

In terms of hierarchy, the Social Media Manager holds the higher position, as they are responsible for significant decisions within the company. They need to be multidisciplinary and familiar with the sector where the company operates. The required skills for this role are broad; they must have knowledge of various programs, select the most suitable platforms for promoting the company (blogs, social media, websites), encourage strategic collaboration within the company, and primarily analyze the market. All of this is done to achieve greater reach.

Meanwhile, the Community Manager must manage and oversee community activity on various platforms. They need to stay constantly updated, handle different environments (PC/Mac), and possess knowledge of HTML and monitoring tools. Their written and oral communication must be impeccable, as they need to interact on social media, forums, and blogs (publish new content, respond to customers). One of their main characteristics should be empathy, as they must listen to customers and cultivate relationships to create loyal brand followers.

In the event of a crisis, it's the Social Media Manager who acts by developing the necessary strategies to maintain the company's reputation, while the Community Manager implements these strategies.

In a nutshell:

When we need to segment and analyze our target audience to deliver information more rapidly, a Social Media Manager fulfills this role. It's the Community Manager's job to interact, socialize, and get to know this audience, employing the strategies proposed by the Social Media Manager.

Although these two disciplines share similar roles, they shouldn't be considered the same, as one helps create solid strategies to expand the company's reach, while the other implements these strategies to foster community growth around the company. However, both must work together and understand each other's environments to ensure better performance in the company's Social Media efforts.

After reading this entire article, you'll likely find this familiar, and you might be correct. When starting or leading a company, many times we fulfill roles related to strategy, communication, loyalty, and brand management. It shouldn't be thought that only established companies require these two roles; any company targeting a new audience needs to understand the basic parameters of these roles to establish their brand image.