Information in this blog post was obtained from Hootsuite, Pretty Little Marketer and Social Media Today
Whether you're a new grad or a seasoned professional looking for a change, you may be wondering if a career in Social Media Marketing is really for you or not. Weighing the pros and cons of a situation can be extremely helpful in decision making. This blog post will give you the rundown of the pros and cons of having a career in Social Media Marketing, and we hope it will help you make your next, big career move!
The Pros
The Land of Opportunities
Working in Social Media Marketing presents a sea of opportunities. When designing your career path, something everyone should keep in mind is how difficult it is to land a job in their desired field. According to Hootsuite, at any given time there are nearly 100,000 Social Media Marketing jobs listed on LinkedIn alone. Those are great odds to play in your favor.
Have Fun at Work
For those that can't imagine themselves at a "boring 9-5", a career in Social Media Marketing is anything but! Marketers not only have to stay on top of their own skills and roles, but they also have to stay on top of industry trends. To be sure their content secures a feature spot with their target audience, the research they have to do can be engaging and fun. Yeah, you'll probably spend time crunching numbers to analyze your post-performance, but you'll also have fun researching for inspiration and collaborating with industry influencers at times! If you're someone who really enjoys flexing your creative muscles, this field is for you.
Make a Difference
Not only is there great opportunity and loads of fun to be had in Social Media Marketing, but the work can also be extremely impactful. You may find yourself working on a project that entails establishing your company as a thought leader in sustainable technology. It's possible that you'll one day lead an Instagram account for a non-profit that does very meaningful work in human rights. Wherever your career leads, you can guarantee that sometime in your working life you will have a hand in a campaign that is going to make a difference in your community, your country, or even the world. That's a really fulfilling aspect of a job that you can have a front-row seat to.
The Cons
Finding Inspiration Can Be Hard
Working in a field that demands constant creativity and staying ahead of the curve on trends means you may find yourself with creative block often. It's highly unlikely that any of your content will go viral. It's even more likely that you'll have several posts that perform well under your goals. That's just the name of the game! Sophie at Pretty Little Marketer gets it right when she flat out says "some posts will just flop". What makes or breaks a Social Media Marketer's career is what they do with that failure. Hint: you'll really excel if you take that lesson and grow from it!
It's Competitive
Many career fields are competitive, but Social Media Marketing is a hot industry right now, especially for Millennials and Gen Z. You don't have to have a specific degree in marketing to excel in this space, either. As an applicant, you'll find yourself competing against unique backgrounds in literature, public relations, psychology, and many other majors.
It's Hard...But Rewarding
Some people target a career in Social Media Marketing because they like scrolling through social apps on their phones. If this is you, I highly recommend doing a little further research before getting into the field. While the work in Social Media Marketing can be fun and absolutely rewarding, it is not easy. Marketers don't just post at random. Every post you see from a company's social media page is calculated, planned for, written, re-written, edited, tossed out, started over, and scrutinized before it ever hits the published page. There is a lot of work that goes behind one Instagram or blog post, so be aware that this field takes persistence.
However when you do persist - the magic will happen. You'll see your work performing well. You'll be able to provide reports of the ROI on your work. You could become an esteemed writer - a thought leader in your industry. Promotions and leadership could be in your future and as we touched on earlier - you could make a big difference. So stay persistent, and good luck!
Resources
Hutchinson, A., 2022. LinkedIn Shares New Insights into the Most In-Demand Marketing Skills and Roles [Infographic]. [online] Social Media Today. Available at: <https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-shares-new-insights-into-the-most-in-demand-marketing-skills-and-r/621784/> [Accessed 18 April 2022].
Miller, S., 2022. Login • Instagram. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/p/CcCqHLWjTDE/> [Accessed 18 April 2022].
Newberry, C., 2022. How to Get a Job in Social Media: Resume Template, Tips, and Resources. [online] Hootsuite. Available at: <https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-get-a-job-in-social-media/> [Accessed 18 April 2022].
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