Career guide
Social Media Coordinator Job Description: Template and Duties
A social media coordinator keeps a brand's social channels running day to day: scheduling and publishing posts, drafting captions, replying to comments and messages, gathering content, and pulling weekly performance reports. Below is a job description template you can adapt, what the job involves day to day, and how it differs from a social media manager.
Key takeaways
- A social media coordinator keeps a brand's social channels running day to day, from scheduling posts and drafting captions to community replies and weekly reports.
- A social media coordinator usually carries out a plan set by a social media manager, while the manager owns the strategy, budget and results.
- Good social media coordinator job descriptions name the platforms, the content formats and how much of the job is community management.
- Social media coordinators who work with creators should know the FTC's guidance that paid or gifted partnerships need a clear, hard-to-miss disclosure.
What does a social media coordinator do?
A social media coordinator handles the daily running of a brand’s social channels. Most of the job is publishing, engaging and reporting, with a growing share of short-form video and creator work.
- Publishing. Scheduling and posting content across platforms, on time and in the right format for each.
- Captions and copy. Drafting captions, alt text and replies in the brand’s voice.
- Community management. Answering comments and messages, flagging customer issues, hiding spam.
- Content gathering. Shooting quick video, collecting photos from events and teams, finding posts to reshare with permission.
- Trends and listening. Watching for trends, sounds and conversations the brand could join, and flagging anything risky.
- Creator support. Shipping products, tracking posts and making sure partnerships are disclosed.
- Reporting. Pulling weekly numbers and noting what worked.
It’s usually an entry-level or early-career role, and the most common first step toward social media manager. Our social media coordinator guide covers the role and how to get hired.
Social media coordinator job description template
Copy this and replace the [brackets]. Name the platforms and formats you really use; a TikTok-first role and a LinkedIn-first role need different people.
Job title: Social Media Coordinator About [Company] [Two sentences: what the company sells, to whom, and what role social media plays for the brand.] About the role We're hiring a Social Media Coordinator to keep our [platforms: e.g. Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube] running every day. You'll report to [title, e.g. Social Media Manager] and work closely with [creative / content / PR / customer service]. In your first three months you'll [one concrete goal, e.g. take over daily publishing and community replies, and start a weekly short-form video series]. What you'll do - Schedule and publish content across [platforms] using [tool]. - Write captions, replies and alt text in our brand voice. - Respond to comments and messages within [time], and escalate customer issues to [team]. - Film and edit short-form video and gather content from [events / teams / customers]. - Spot trends and timely moments the brand can join, and flag risks early. - Support creator partnerships: product shipments, tracking posts and checking disclosures. - Pull weekly performance reports and share what's working. What you'll bring - [0–2] years of social media experience, including internships, freelance, student or personal accounts. - Strong, quick writing with an ear for different brand voices. - Short-form video skills: shooting and editing on a phone or [editing tool]. - Comfort with [scheduling tool] and each platform's native analytics. - Good judgment about what to post, what to answer and what to escalate. - Organization: many posts, requests and deadlines at once. Nice to have - Experience with [platform or format: e.g. YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn video, live streams]. - Basic design skills in [tool]. - Experience in [industry]. How we'll measure success - [Metric 1: e.g. posting consistency against the content calendar] - [Metric 2: e.g. engagement rate or saves and shares per post] - [Metric 3: e.g. response time to comments and messages] - [Metric 4: e.g. growth in followers or reach on priority platforms] Pay and benefits [Salary range], [benefits], [location / hybrid / remote].
Notes for hiring managers using it:
- Say how much is community management. Some coordinator roles are half customer service. Candidates should know.
- Be specific about video. If you expect daily filming and editing, say so, and say what equipment you provide.
- Include the pay range. A growing number of US states require one in postings; Cooley’s summary of state pay transparency laws is a useful reference.
What does a social media coordinator do day to day?
A coordinator’s day runs on the content calendar, with time blocked for replies and room for whatever comes up.
| When | What’s happening |
|---|---|
| Morning | Check overnight comments and messages; reply and escalate; publish the morning posts |
| Late morning | Film or edit two short videos for later in the week; draft captions |
| After lunch | Content planning meeting; pitch two trend ideas; get approvals |
| Afternoon | Schedule the next few days; track creator posts; answer new comments |
| End of week | Pull the weekly report and write three lines on what worked |
Social media coordinator vs social media manager: what’s the difference?
A coordinator carries out the plan; a manager sets it and answers for the results.
| Social media coordinator | Social media manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Publishing, community, content gathering, reporting | Strategy, calendar, budget, results |
| Decides | How to execute posts and replies well | Which platforms, formats and campaigns to run |
| Works with | The social manager, creative team | Marketing leaders, PR, creative, agencies, creators |
| Measured on | Consistency, quality, response time, engagement | Reach, engagement, traffic and business results |
| Typical level | Entry to early career | Mid-level, often managing coordinators |
At small companies, one person does both. If a coordinator posting asks you to own the strategy and budget, ask about the title and pay. Our social media manager job description covers the next step up.
What skills and tools does a social media coordinator need?
Writing, video and judgment matter most; tools can be learned in a week.
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Writing | Captions, replies, alt text, short scripts, adapting to brand voice |
| Video | Shooting on a phone, editing short-form, captions on video, using trending formats |
| Community | Tone, de-escalation, knowing when to escalate |
| Analytics | Native platform analytics, a weekly report, reading what worked |
| Tools | A scheduling tool, a design tool, a video editing app, a social listening tool |
| Rules | Platform guidelines, brand guidelines, disclosure rules for partnerships |
On disclosure: the FTC’s guidance for social media influencers says paid or gifted brand relationships need a clear, hard-to-miss disclosure. Coordinators who track creator posts are often the ones who check it.
How is a social media coordinator measured?
On consistency and quality first, then on the engagement and growth their work supports. Good postings list a few of these:
- Posting on schedule across platforms.
- Engagement rate, saves, shares and comments per post.
- Response time to comments and messages.
- Growth in reach and followers on priority platforms.
- Content ideas pitched and shipped.
How do you use a social media coordinator job description when applying?
Read the posting for its platforms, formats and how much community management it involves, then show matching work.
- Match the platforms. Lead with your work on the platforms the posting names first.
- Show content, not just accounts. Link two or three posts or videos you made. Our social media manager portfolio guide works for coordinators too.
- Put numbers on it, however small. “Grew a club account from to [Y] followers in [time]” is a real result.
- Prepare a content idea. Many coordinator interviews ask what you’d post for them this week. The social media coordinator interview questions page covers it.
When you pitch that idea, pitch it the way you’d text it to a friend who works there. Social teams hire for taste and personality as much as skill, so let your own sense of humor and voice come through.
Our social media coordinator resume guide shows how to write the bullets. Recon can tailor it to a specific posting line by line, using only facts already on your resume.
FAQ
What qualifications does a social media coordinator need?
Many postings ask for a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications or a related field, but real social work you can show often matters more. Student, freelance or personal accounts count.
Is social media coordinator an entry-level job?
Usually, yes. It’s one of the most common first jobs in marketing, and some postings accept internship or personal experience in place of full-time work.
What’s the difference between a social media coordinator and a social media specialist?
The titles overlap. “Specialist” sometimes means a slightly more experienced or more focused role, such as paid social or one platform. Our social media specialist guide covers it.
Do social media coordinators work weekends?
Some do, especially around launches, events or when a post takes off. Many teams use scheduling and a rota so no one is on call every weekend; ask how it works in the interview.
What does a social media coordinator make?
It varies with location, industry and experience. Our social media coordinator guide covers pay, and the social media manager salary page has US government figures by percentile and state.