No filter, tough job: What being a social-media manager is really like

Tagging. Collabs. 50 retakes. Social-media management isn’t as glam as it looks. Here‘s an IRL BTS of how it all gets produced

Behind that one-minute Reel you just saw on Instagram is hours and days of work. Even a 10-second promo – the cheese-pull bread at that secret new restaurant, that slow-glide of a new lipgloss, the drone video of Himalayan sunrises – doesn’t come easy. What looks floaty and magical often involves three planning meetings, 4am calls, five checklists, arguments with stylists, light and pacing checks, hours of editing and well-timed uploads.

Social media management is too new a field for a formal degree. But it did get a boost during the pandemic.

Prakriti Madan responded to a call by an artist influencer when she didn’t clear her MPhil entrance test.

There’s a surge during the festive months as brands ramp up marketing, increasing demands for collabs.

A bad day, Priyanshu Goel says, involves juggling numerous tasks as deadlines fly past.

There are practical benefits to making the client go viral.

Cassandra Richards says as more attention shifts to social media, it’s where work opportunities will be.