My Jakarta: Wanda Fransisca, Social Media Executive

Andreas Kevin Tedjosugondo

It’s normal for people to tweet about their daily lives or to get in touch with friends using social media. But have you ever wondered who is behind all those tweets you get from companies’ Twitter accounts?

The answer is people like Wanda Fransisca, a 20-year-old Atma Jaya University student and social media executive for a number of companies.

Is being a social media executive what we think it is? Are you getting paid to promote companies through their Twitter accounts?

Yes. It’s a job for people who want to help companies get in touch with their customers and further spread their names using social media like Facebook and Twitter.

Can you handle more than one company at the same time?

Well, I used to handle quite a lot of companies. But because I started this job just to fill up my free time, I stopped doing some of them that were taking up too much of my time. Now there are three companies I’m currently helping out.

Do you tweet every day?

No. I usually prepare and write down all my soon-to-be tweets a week before and use software to tweet them so that those texts get automatically tweeted anytime I want them to be published. With this software, it’s possible for me to only work once a week. It’s the same for Facebook updates as well.

Are there a minimum number of tweets per day in the contract?

No. On the other hand, most companies actually have a maximum number of tweets per day, which is about 20. They think that too many tweets in a given time is pushing it and may put off their followers instead.

How do you apply for such a unique job?

There are two ways to get a client. First, you offer your service directly to companies. Second, you can go through an agency, and they will be the one scouting the companies in need. I was working as a marketing agent one day when my boss offered me this job in his agency. I tried it and have been doing this job since last October. It was when Twitter was really growing as a social media tool that a lot of companies started to jump into social media like Facebook and Twitter to promote their brands and products.

Have there been any exciting experiences for you in the job?

One of my clients was in the gaming industry. At first I was afraid because I am not that good at games. But after I accepted the job, it turned out my job was only to retweet five tweets per day from another well-known Twitter account. I didn’t expect the job to be that easy.

Is there a certain time of day when you are tweeting the most?

Yes, of course. Usually, I set the time based on the behavior of targeted consumers. For example, the Soyjoy Fruit & Protein Bar. Because this product focuses on school-age teenagers, I send my tweets around noon after most students have finished all of their classes, so they can see my tweets and respond to them.

How do you get a lot of followers?

It used to be through quizzes. Everyone likes prizes and freebies, so there was always a fresh batch of followers every time I made a quiz. But nowadays quizzes seem to have started losing their charm, so I’ll need another plan to attract new followers.

Do the companies demand much from you for their tweets?

There are some companies that want me to work in their office as a full-time employee. But it’s hard because I still have some classes to finish. And then sometimes they disagree with my choice of words. In that case I will change it until it meets their requirements.

Does the company provide you with the material to tweet, or do you have to research it yourself?

I need to find the information all by myself. It was frustrating at first because I didn’t really know what I should tweet. But now I know the kind of tweets that they want and need. Though it can be difficult, it really helps me if I can discover some new trivia about their brand that will make me smarter and give me some new material.

Lastly, how much do you get paid for every account that you handle?

I get paid about Rp 500,000 to Rp 1 million [$53 to $106] a month, depending on how big the company is that I’m working for.

Wanda Fransisca was talking to Andreas Kevin Tedjosugondo.