Tips from XSET Nate on working in esports social media

Having a good social media manager is a must in today’s growing esports scene. There is no handbook on how to become a social media manager in esports, and a lot of the folks in those jobs have earned it based on experience as opposed to schooling. While traditional training in marketing and social media will surely give applicants a boost to their resume, a proven track record is a valuable asset.

Such is the case for 19-year-old Nate Schanker, who currently works as the social media manager for XSET and does some aspects of social media management for VALORANT pros like Tyson “TenZ” Ngo and Matthew “Wedid” Suchan.

Schanker got into the esports industry a year and a half ago when he found out that his backdoor neighbor, Alex "Sofa" Kolich was signed to T1’s Fortnite team. Schanker had a background in social media since he was 15 when he ran instagram accounts with a cumulative total of about 5 million followers.

Once Schanker got started working with Sofa, he started networking his way to other pros and started growing his clientele. After VALORANT was released, he started meeting more pros and worked his way to doing social media for an organization: XSET.

What does a social media manager do?

In his day-to-day work, Schanker handles all growth aspects of his clients’ social media handles, whether it be Twitter, Instagram or TikTok.

Social media managers create and maintain brand promotions, company information and facilitate marketing campaigns for their company across all of their social media platforms.

Along with posting and coming up with marketing strategies for social media, they also monitor the analytics and respond to questions or comments via social media using the voice of the company or individual they are representing.

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Social media managers sometimes report to a social media director in larger orgs, or work as part of a team. Schanker works with one other person for XSET.

Along with knowing the company and brand like the back of their hand, they must also know the trends of whatever industry they are representing. Esports is a fairly new industry, and keeping up with the trends in both esports and social media can be a challenge, as they tend to change very quickly. The ability to keep up with the community and interact with it is one of the most important skills to have.

How to get work as a social media manager

While Schanker got his start in esports by chance, the rest of his esports career was done through networking.

“I reached out to [Marco Mereu] who is the COO. He’d seen me on Twitter before. He responded, we had a quick phone call, and I was hired the next day. XSET was my dream org, so being able to work for my dream org is crazy,” Schanker said.

The ability to network is an important skill that not only is expected of potential social media managers, but it is imperative in order to create a network of relationships that might lead to a job. Not every social media manager got their job through knowing someone, but it is important for aspiring social media managers to start learning the skills of networking.

One of the best ways to find social media manager jobs apart from networking is Hitmarker.net. There are a plethora of esports jobs listed on the site each day, and many of them are social media-related jobs.

Schooling and internships

Relevant schooling can be a solid foundation for aspiring social media managers, but it is not always required. Some positions do require a bachelor's degree in marketing, public relations, or similarly relevant areas of study, but many will take experience in lieu of higher education.

Below is a short list of schools who may offer esports-centered experience in a college setting:

• Rowan University -- Certificate: The Esports Industry & Entertainment Experience
• Harrisburg University -- Bachelor of Science: Esports Management, Production and Performance
• Shenandoah University -- Bachelor of Business: Esports Management
• University of Texas at Arlington -- Certificate: Esports Management
• University of California Irvine -- Certificate: Esports Management

Internships are often posted to Hitmarker as well, and some esports programs at colleges will help students get an internship within their field of study. Internships are a great tool for inexperienced social media managers to get their foot in the door and start networking with professionals in the industry.

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Skills required to become a social media manager

One integral skill Schanker says is useful for social media managers to have is the ability to interpret analytics, and the ability to grow a personality instead of a brand.

“I would say that growing a personality is harder. I have to talk to my clients day in and day out and find out what they stand for, and create content with that in mind. I’m posting these captions, responding to fans, so I have to fit the character, otherwise the posts are going to come off as tacky or not enjoyable,” Schanker said.

Creativity and consistency are two skills Schanker specifically mentions are important for an aspiring social media manager.

“You definitely have to be determined to see growth and help your client. Consistency is the biggest thing. If you’re consistent, everything will come into place and you’ll definitely see your numbers increase and you won’t see a plateau,” Schanker said.

It’s often useful to have experience using programs such as Adobe Creative Suite, which includes After Effects, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro. Editing videos, creating graphics and altering and creating photos are important skills to have, at least at the basic level.

Tips from XSET Nate

It is true that in order to have any career in the esports scene, passion and dedication to the industry is a big part of what drives success.

“Stay involved in the industry. Always be engrossed in Twitter and Instagram, and all these platforms and figure out why these posts that are doing well, are doing well,” Schanker said.

Schanker also mentions reaching out to orgs and esports professionals for internship opportunities. Reaching out may help in networking efforts, and it will also indicate that potential social media managers aren’t afraid to interact with them.

“I know one guy who was an intern at Cloud9, and now he has a full-time position. He had no prior social media knowledge, and now he’s a wizard,” Schanker said.

Walt Disney once said “the best way to get started with something is to quit talking and start doing,” and for someone with a desire to work in esports, this quote is one to live by.

Lead image credit: XSET Nate