Who is responsible for what? Examining strategic roles in social media management

• Nine strategic roles were identified and the associated responsibilities.
• Two new roles included policing and employee recruiter.
• Respondents indicated nearly half of their employers lack social media policies.
• Less than 45% said employees were well educated on social media policies.

This study examines the strategic roles associated with social media management through the lens of role theory. By analyzing the responses from participants in two focus groups and a survey of public relations and human resources practitioners, we identified nine strategic roles and the associated responsibilities including policy maker, internal collaborator, technology tester, communications organizer, issues manager, relationship analyzer, master of metrics, policing, and employee recruiter. Public relations lead most of these activities, but human resources are a close collaborator. Study findings also provide specific insights into online reputation management processes, exact content of social media policies, and the most common metrics used for social media channels.