Are In-House Content Creators the New Social Media Manager?

For over a decade, social media managers have been tasked with doing it all: from graphic design to video editing, social strategy to community management, the role demands multiple skills that change every couple years as the social landscape evolves.

With the rise of TikTok, and then Reels, a new skill was demanded of social marketers: video content creation. And let’s be honest, it’s really hard to do it all. A bright social strategist may not be the best person to talk to the camera, and an imaginative content creator might not love analyzing data or writing captions.

 The solution? Brands are increasingly choosing to hire in-house content creators to fulfill their need for TikTok and Reels content. 

The ever-evolving role of a social media manager has now reached the point of segmentation between creative and strategy. Just like we have both copywriter and email marketer roles, it makes sense to have more specific roles on a social team too.

The In-House Content Creator's Role 🌟🎥 

Being an in-house content creator demands a unique skill set—comfort on camera, a remote-friendly recording space, and mad editing skills. It's not to be confused with User-Generated Content (UGC) creators, as in-house creators offer consistent, brand-focused content and are usually the “face” of a brand.

Content creators craft quality content that resonates with their audience, while social media managers build and maintain relationships with the audience. Content creation aims to attract, engage, and retain attention, where social media management aims for relationship building, brand awareness, traffic, and sales.

And this role isn’t limited to big brands! Small businesses are finding that hiring an in-house content creator is an affordable way to fulfill their biggest need: consistent, on-brand content.

For Supercrush, a small business hair brand, the choice between a social media manager and an in-house content creator boils down to priorities: “I’d prefer to hire an in-house content creator as filming and editing are super time-consuming and not my strong suit,” says their owner Courtney. 

Like many small business owners, Courtney is currently very involved in managing their Instagram and TikTok, but by hiring an in-house content creator she was “able to post a lot more content, increasing our brand's exposure online. A consistent face is valuable, but I appreciate the variety of content we get with multiple creators."

If you’re looking to start a career in social, becoming an in-house content creator is a great way to gain experience. Many brands are looking to specifically hire Gen-Z creators who really understand TikTok, and they care less about experience and more about the quality of content you’re able to produce.

The Social Media Managers Adding Content Creation to Their Resumes

Haily Moulton is the TikTok-famous former face of Biteable, and in my opinion she represents the social media manager who really can do it all. She recognized the shift towards video content early on, and has mastered the art of being both a content creator and a social strategist. "I was a social team of one, so a lot of the work involved me scrappily putting everything together,” she explains.

So what does a typical work week look like for a social media manager who also has to film and edit content? Haily breaks it down for us:

"There was a lot of content creation involved in my role, I was the face of the brand across not only short-form channels but our long-form YouTube videos. 

I set aside 1-2 hours on Mondays and Thursdays to film short-form videos for TikTok and Reels, Wednesday was dedicated to non-video content creation for our other channels, and at some point during the week I’d squeeze in filming & editing 2 YouTube videos."

Sounds like she really can do it all. It’s important to note that currently, in-house content creators are generally paid less than social strategists, are often part-time or contract roles, and despite the value they bring to a brand, content creation is treated more like an entry-level role.

But on the flip side, social media managers like Haily offer brands a highly valuable skillset in their ability to both create and strategize, and should be compensated accordingly. If you’re already working in social, learning how to be comfortable on camera, improving your filming and editing skills, and creating a content strategy specifically for TikTok and Reels is an excellent way to level-up your skills to get a higher-paying job.

Both Haily and Courtney emphasize the need for flexibility and creativity, whether you're a one-person show or a small business owner. One of the reasons I love working in social is because it’s constantly changing and never boring…you’re always needing to learn new skills to be good at your job!